The Oconee County Sheriff's Office is searching for a Laurens County man who vanished near a Salem gas station late last Friday night and hasn't been seen since. Steven Earl Bentley walked away from the area of Jake's Marathon on North Highway 11 around 11 p.m. on September 18, and deputies say they have no idea which direction he went.
Family Says He Had Gotten a Ride From Greenville
According to FOX Carolina, the Oconee County Sheriff's Office reported that a man traveling from Greenville had gone missing after arriving in the county. A family member told deputies that Bentley had received a ride from Greenville to Oconee County, according to WSPA. That same family member said Bentley then walked away from the area near Jake's Marathon, and officers do not know his direction of travel from there.
The station reports Bentley's age as 32, while a separate notice from Oconee County Law Enforcement lists him as 39 years old. The discrepancy between the two accounts has not been resolved.
Description and Last-Known Clothing
Bentley is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing around 180 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair and a receding hairline, per the same account. He has a listed address in Cross Hill, South Carolina, according to a report from WNEG Radio.
When last seen, Bentley was wearing khaki pants, a gray T-shirt, black tennis shoes and a blue NAPA Auto Parts hat, the station's report notes. Those details, along with his physical description, remain the primary information investigators are using as they try to retrace his steps from the gas station on North Highway 11.
Case Logged With Missing Person's Unit
The Missing Person's Unit has been notified, and an NCIC form has been completed to formally list Bentley as missing, according to Oconee County Law Enforcement. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 1-844-71-CRIME, online at 71crime.com, or through the free P3 app, per WNEG Radio's report. Investigators have not released any additional information about Bentley's condition or possible destination since he was last seen walking away from the Jake's Marathon area last Friday night.
