At a Glance
- Dan Davis, 59, vanished in Blue Island, Illinois, hours after refusing medical help following a Nov. 24 car crash.
- Wendy Davis, 27, believes her father suffered a pre-crash stroke that left him disoriented; doorbell videos show him wandering.
- $24,000+ raised via GoFundMe to fund Ohio search-and-rescue teams, scent dogs and ongoing flyer campaigns.
- Why it matters: The family’s social-media push has rallied 42,000 online supporters and keeps the two-month search in the public eye.
Wendy Davis refuses to stop looking. Almost two months after her father walked away from the suburban Chicago concert venue where he worked for 29 years, the 27-year-old photographer still prints flyers, updates the 42,000-member “Find Dan Davis” Facebook page and answers every tip message within minutes.
The Night Everything Changed
Monday, Nov. 24, started with a routine crash report. Cook County sheriff’s deputies responded to an auto accident involving Daniel Davis III, 59, on a quiet Blue Island street. Paramedics evaluated him; he declined transport three separate times, according to the sheriff’s office statement given to News Of Losangeles. Deputies noted no visible impairment, helped him lock his damaged car and gave him a courtesy ride to 115 Bourbon Street, the lively concert hall where he ran lighting for nearly three decades.
Security cameras timestamp his exit from the venue at 1:15 a.m. Tuesday. He wore a black baseball cap, black Harley-Davidson jacket, red hooded sweatshirt and black jeans-the same outfit described in the Chicago Police Department missing-person alert issued Wednesday. No one has reported a verified sighting since.
Clues Point to Medical Crisis
Wendy obtained body-cam footage from the deputy who dropped her father off. She slowed the video frame-by-frame and spotted red flags: his left cheek drooped, he tripped over a curb and his sweatshirt was inside-out-all behavior she says is “definitely not Dad.”
Earlier that Monday, neighbors’ doorbell clips show a man matching Dan’s description trying to open apartment doors in his own complex. Inside his unit, searchers later found the refrigerator door ajar and windows open despite the November chill. Wendy believes her father suffered a stroke before the crash, then compounded the injury with a possible concussion during impact.
Search Efforts Expand
By early January, two professional Ohio K-9 teams specializing in missing persons drove nine hours to join Blue Island police. Over three days, the dogs swept wooded areas, retention ponds and abandoned industrial lots along the Cal-Sag Channel. They found no trace of Dan or his clothing, but Wendy calls their willingness to help “a miracle in itself.”
Local volunteers continue weekend foot searches. Wendy’s mother, Jenn Masuka, coordinates supply drops-thermal drones, printed maps, granola bars-while managing the Facebook page that ballooned from 200 friends to 42,000 strangers swapping theories and encouragement.
A Daughter’s Daily Routine
Each morning, Wendy posts a fresh graphic: “Day 58. Have you seen my dad?” She juggles client photo shoots with phone calls to hospitals in three counties and records every tip in a color-coded spreadsheet. The routine keeps despair at bay.
> “I’m scared that we’ll never find him,” Wendy tells News Of Losangeles. “But families message me saying their loved one turned up after six months, even a year. That keeps me going.”
She clings to memories of their standing monthly lunch dates-Dan always ordered a turkey club, no tomato-and his reputation as the guy who never missed a shift. Co-workers at 115 Bourbon Street still keep his lighting console exactly as he left it, a silent vigil on stage.
Fundraising Milestone
A GoFundMe launched in December hit $24,200 by Tuesday, Jan. 13, covering gas, drone batteries, flyer printing and the Ohio teams’ travel. Wendy posts receipts weekly; donors comment with heart emojis and promises to keep sharing.
What Comes Next
Chicago police list Dan as an endangered missing person. Detectives review surveillance weekly, but admit leads have slowed. Wendy plans to widen the search radius into neighboring towns and launch a billboard campaign along Interstate 57-funded by the same grassroots donors who refuse to let the story fade.
She keeps her father’s Harley jacket photo on her phone lock screen. Until she has answers, she vows to stay focused.
> “I can’t crumble,” she says. “Dad would laugh and tell me to keep the light on-so that’s what I’m doing.”
Key Takeaways
- Dan Davis was last confirmed on video 1:15 a.m. Nov. 25; police urge anyone with doorbell or dash-cam footage from Blue Island that morning to call (312) 747-5789.
- The family’s public campaign-42K Facebook followers, $24K raised-shows how social media can sustain momentum when traditional leads stall.
- Wendy believes early stroke symptoms were missed by first responders, highlighting gaps in emergency training for subtle neurological signs.
- Search dogs found no remains, giving the family hope Dan is alive and possibly hospitalized under another name.
