Search Continues For Missing Murrayville Man

By Benjamin Cox on October 8, 2020 at 8:34am

Several agencies and local volunteers continue a search today for a Murrayville man missing since Sunday night.

32 year old Robert Joseph “Joey” Schofield, Jr. of Murrayville was last seen leaving his job at Nestle in Jacksonville Sunday night, heading east on the Nortonville Blacktop towards a site where he was building a new home on Sheriff Road. He is considered an endangered missing person.

Morgan County Sheriff Mike Carmody told the Jacksonville Journal-Courier that circumstances surrounding Schofield’s disappearance have not yet been determined.

Schofield’s vehicle was found on the site where he was building a home on Sheriff Road in Murrayville. His cellphone was pinged by family members at approximately 7:30PM Sunday about 5 miles east of where his car was found.

Authorities, volunteers, and family members have been searching fields and timber surrounding Schofield’s last known whereabouts since Tuesday.

Carmody says members of the Illinois State Police crime scene unit have searched Schofield’s vehicle, and State Police Air Tactical Unit have done fly over operations surrounding the Sheriff Road property. Drones have also been used to take aerial photography and to search the terrain. A canine unit was deployed early Tuesday prior to major search operations. Interviews are being conducted with local residents by police for the possibility of any clues.

The Morgan County Emergency Management Agency, Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, and Murrayville Police have been assisting in the search. Carmody could not comment on why Schofield is considered an endangered missing person.

Schofield is a white male, standing 6 feet tall, weighing approximately 200 pounds, has black hair, brown eyes, and a beard. He also has a tattoo of a wolf head on his left bicep. He was last seen wearing a black Grave Digger Monster Truck t-shirt, blue jeans, and brown boots.

Search teams are expected to continue operations beginning at 9AM this morning near the Sheriff Road location. If you have any information about Schofield’s whereabouts, please contact the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department at 217-245-4144.