Silver Alert Activated For Missing Long-Time 115 Bourbon Street Employee Dan Davis

CHICAGO — Illinois State Police have activated a Silver search alert for missing long-time 115 Bourbon Street employee, Daniel “Dan” Davis, 59, last seen in person Nov. 25 leaving the Merrionette Park bar early Tuesday morning, hours after he was involved in a multi-vehicle accident. Davis is believed to have suffered a head injury.

The 5-foot-8-inch, 170-pound Davis was wearing a limited edition, black Harvey-Davidson jacket at the time of his disappearance, along with a red and black sweatshirt and black pants. He is wearing the same clothing as depicted in his missing person flier, except for the baseball cap.

Davis’s family, friends, co-workers and compassionate strangers have been assisting in the search party that was organized Friday at Bourbon Street. The missing man was captured a handful of times on Ring and other private security cameras in Blue Island throughout the day Tuesday. The last alleged camera sighting of Davis came at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, leaving St. Donatus Church on Union Street in Blue Island.

Now, Davis’s family and friends are wondering if he hopped a Rock Island train to Joliet. A witness reported possibly seeing someone resembling Davis at the Raynor Avenue and Jefferson intersection in Joliet, around the time of the last camera sighting of Davis at St. Donatus Church on Wednesday.

The flier distributed Friday at 115 Bourbon Street

“Two witnesses at the church believe they saw Dan, and, after reviewing security video, someone resembling Dan was captured on camera leaving the church,” Davis’s close friend and coworker, Kenny Braasch, who has been the main phone contact for leads on the Davis family’s behalf. “We’re not ruling anything out.”

Braasch said a witness from Joliet reached out to him on Saturday. The witness reported waiting for the light to change at Raynor and Jefferson with his son, when he saw a man, matching Davis’s description, sitting on the base of a lamp post on the corner near Global Auto Sales.

“It’s semi-credible, but pretty credible from the description,” Braasch said. “[The witness] and his son own a vintage clothing store. He remembered it because of the [Harley-Davidson] jacket. They almost stopped to ask if they could buy Dan’s jacket.”

The witness also noted that the person he saw was bald and appeared disoriented.

The family is asking Joliet police to pull traffic camera footage to determine if it was Davis at the Jefferson and Raynor Street intersection on Wednesday, and, if necessary, redirect the search to that area.

“If Joliet police can check traffic camera footage so is he is there, we can find him,” Braasch said.
There have been other non-confirmed sightings of Davis since then in the Joliet area, including Friday evening at Home Cut Donuts at 815 W. Jefferson St., but there has been no confirmed camera sightings in Joliet.

Ring camera of Davis captured on video Tuesday in Blue Island

The volunteer search team was out combing the Joliet, Crestwood, Shoreline and New Lenox areas . After coming up empty-handed, the search team is refocusing its efforts on the Blue Island area, but say they’re not ruling anything out.

Still, the volunteers are asking Joliet residents and businesses, especially in the Raynor and Jefferson area, to check their security cameras for possible footage from Wednesday on.

“Again, please tell family and friends in the above areas to check their cameras from Wednesday night on — we need VIDEO CONFIRMATION of Dan since then, (the last time he's on video). Look for that Harley jacket that everyone seems to notice,” according to a post on the “Find Dan Davis” Facebook page.

Last Monday, around 11:15 p.m. Monday, Davis was involved in a multi-vehicle accident at 119th Street and Avers Avenue near the Garden Homes Fire Department. Davis is believed to have suffered a head injury, but refused medical treatment at the scene.

After his car was towed from the accident scene, he ended up at Bourbon Street around closing time, where he was last seen in person around 1:15 a.m. Tuesday.

“He was seen on camera walking around the bar,” Braasch said. “He did not drink anything. He left through the back door.”

Davis was seen walking toward 119th Street and Kedzie Avenue after leaving the Bourbon Street early Tuesday morning.

Later Tuesday, he appeared on Ring cameras throughout the day cutting through yards and wandering the streets, looking confused and lost. It is also believed that Davis fell and may now have a black eye.

New Ring cam video of Davis captured Tuesday in Blue Island.

“This behavior is unlike him,” Davis’s daughter, Wendy, said Friday as the search party was being organized at Bourbon Street.

There hasn’t been any activity on Davis’s credit or debit cards, who was known to carry cash, nor any other camera sightings since Wednesday. His family also doesn't know if Davis is carrying his wallet with his ID, and plan to go to the tow yard where his car was taken after the accident to look for it.

“Most likely, he has no idea where he’s at or what’s going on,” Braasch said. “People may be afraid to approach him and think he’s just another homeless guy.”

Meanwhile, neighborhood social media groups continue to spread the word of the search for Dan Davis, including his Bourbon Street colleagues.

"Dan is family to us. We are worried, hopeful, and leaning on our community more than ever. Your compassion, your eyes, your willingness to care — it all means the world to us," the bar said in a statement. "Please stay alert, keep sharing, and help us bring Dan home."

The Silver search alert was initiated by Illinois State Police at the request of Chicago Police Department, who is leading the investigation because of Davis’s residency in the city.

If you have seen Davis or know of his whereabouts, call 911 or CPD Area 2 Special Victims Unit at 312-747-8274 with information.

Leads for the search team, including video footage and photos, can also be texted to Kenny Braasch at 708-846-9565.