Santa Rosa Attorney Disappears, Car Found

SONOMA COUNTY - A Santa Rosa woman reported her husband missing Sunday after she hadn’t heard from him for nearly 24 hours, according to the sheriff’s office.

Around 8 p.m. Saturday, the wife of 56-year-old Steven Mitchell called the Sonoma County Sheriff’s office explaining she had not heard from him all day, which was unusual for him. The woman told the sheriff’s office she had last seen him that morning in their home around 9 a.m.

The sheriff’s office said the woman called back Sunday, on Valentine’s Day, at 7:11 a.m. to report that Mitchell was still missing, and that his phone was last used in the Bodega Bay area.

At 7:56 a.m. State Park Rangers located Mitchell’s car unoccupied on Carlevaro Way north of Bodega Bay.

The sheriff’s office said deputies, Sonoma County Search and Rescue as well as the helicopter team Henry-1 joined in the effort to find Mitchell, however after hours of searching could not find him.

According to the sheriff’s office, there was nothing suspicious about the scene, and they do not suspect Mitchell was a victim of foul play.

Mitchell is a local civil attorney, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

As a standard protocol, the sheriff’s office referred the case to the Violent Crimes Investigation unit.

No further information about the case has been made available.

-Bay City News Service