A 90-year-old Leon Valley man who vanished from his home last week has been found dead, with a medical examiner attributing his death to natural causes. Stanley Dodd, an elderly Air Force veteran who had been the subject of a statewide Silver Alert, was found deceased on Monday, September 14, though he was not formally identified until Tuesday afternoon.
A Search That Began With a Walk From Home
Dodd was reported missing after leaving his home on Sun Hollow in Leon Valley, though accounts differ on exactly when he was last seen. According to News 4 San Antonio, he was last seen around 5:30 p.m. on September 10, while WDEF reported he was last seen around 7:30 p.m. that same evening in the 6200 block of Sun Hollow. Dodd was described by authorities as roughly 5 feet 11 inches tall and about 165 pounds, per NewsChannel 9.
Dodd left on foot without his phone, though he did have his wallet with him when he walked away from his San Antonio-area home, WDEF's report notes. Authorities said Dodd experiences dementia-type symptoms and may have needed help finding his way, according to NewsChannel 9's coverage. That same report indicated Dodd may have been trying to make his way back to Tennessee, a detail that shaped the urgency of the search in the days that followed.
Veteran Who Built His Life in San Antonio
Dodd was a United States Air Force veteran who made his home and raised his family in San Antonio, WDEF reported. His disappearance prompted a Texas Silver Alert, the state's notification system for missing seniors believed to be at risk, before searchers ultimately located him days later.
Leon Valley Police Department reported that Dodd was found deceased on Monday, but his identity was not confirmed until Tuesday afternoon, the station notes. Per News 4 San Antonio, David Gonzales said the medical examiner indicated that Dodd died of natural causes. Separately, according to the report from the same station, the medical examiner's office determined his death was related to natural causes tied to health complications.
The circumstances that led investigators to Dodd remain limited to what officials have confirmed publicly, and no additional details about the search or recovery have been released beyond the natural-causes finding attributed to the medical examiner.
