Steven R. Cloyd was a 60-year-old man who was last seen on September 27, 2024, near his home in the 200 block of Charlie Carson Road in Jonesborough, Washington County, Tennessee. That day, the remnants of Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding to the region, causing the Nolichucky River and surrounding waterways to rise with extraordinary speed and force. As the water overtook the area around his residence, Steven attempted to evacuate with his dog, Orion, in a black Jeep Wrangler. He was reportedly communicating by text with his wife, Keli, who was away at work, describing the worsening conditions as their home became submerged and he sought refuge inside the vehicle. The Jeep's battery eventually died, his cellphone was losing power, and his final known communication came during the afternoon as the floodwaters continued moving the vehicle. After that message, his family could no longer reach him.
In the immediate aftermath of the flooding, Steven's dog was found alive, and the Jeep was also located, but there was no sign of Steven. The discovery of the vehicle and Orion offered investigators important reference points while also deepening the uncertainty surrounding what had happened after Steven's last communication. At the time he disappeared, Steven was described as a white man with a bald head and blue eyes, approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing about 165 pounds. He was believed to have been wearing a gray Minnesota Vikings sweatshirt with purple-and-gray sleeve bands and a Vikings logo across the front, blue jeans, black slip-on Skechers athletic shoes and possibly a plain, solid-colored ball cap. He wore glasses, also possessed prescription sunglasses and was wearing a solid-gold wedding band. The Washington County Sheriff's Office opened case number 24-72872, and his disappearance was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as MP130692.
The search continued through a landscape transformed by Helene. Floodwater had carried trees, vehicles, pieces of buildings and other debris through the Nolichucky River corridor, leaving large deposits along its banks and making some locations difficult and dangerous to examine. The Washington County Sheriff's Office, emergency-management personnel, Steven's relatives, family friends, private citizens and volunteers participated in or supported efforts to locate him. His wife and other loved ones continued appealing for assistance and information, while searchers returned to areas where debris might have concealed evidence of his whereabouts. Washington County emergency-management personnel conducted additional searches during Thanksgiving week, and private search efforts continued as the months passed. For Steven's family, the prolonged absence meant living with the knowledge that he had been caught in an unprecedented natural disaster while still hoping that the riverbank, damaged roads and immense debris fields might eventually provide an answer.
More than seven months after Steven disappeared, workers clearing storm debris along the Nolichucky River found human remains on May 1, 2025, near the 2000 block of Highway 107 in Washington County. Investigators from the Washington County Sheriff's Office responded and worked with the medical examiner to establish the person's identity. The sheriff's office subsequently confirmed that the remains were those of Steven Cloyd. Reports placed the recovery approximately two miles from where his Jeep had been located, demonstrating how far the floodwaters and debris had carried him from the area where his evacuation attempt ended. Authorities reported that they did not suspect foul play and concluded that his death was associated with the devastating flooding.
The confirmation ended Steven's classification as an active missing person but brought a deeply painful conclusion for the people who had searched for him and waited for news. His wife expressed gratitude to law-enforcement officers, volunteers, debris-removal workers and everyone who continued looking for him, including the crew members who remained with his remains after making the discovery. His brother, Gary, later remembered Steven as someone who could be difficult to know at first but was deeply loved by those who came to understand him. Family and friends subsequently gathered to honor his life and legacy, finding a measure of closure in finally knowing where he had been found while continuing to grieve the circumstances of his loss.
Steven Cloyd's case began with a desperate attempt to escape a rapidly rising flood on September 27, 2024, when he left his Jonesborough residence with his dog and sought safety in his Jeep. His dog and vehicle were recovered, but Steven remained missing as extensive searches continued through the devastated Nolichucky River region. After 217 days of uncertainty, debris-clearing workers found his remains along the river, and the Washington County Sheriff's Office and medical examiner confirmed his identity. Official reports indicate that Steven was located deceased and that his death resulted from the flooding, closing a months-long missing-person investigation that began amid one of the most destructive natural disasters to strike the region.
Last Seen: Sep 27, 2024
