Searches find nothing regarding Batavia man missing in Montana

A Batavia man remains missing 11 days after his car was discovered abandoned in a tiny Montana town.

The Stillwater County sheriff's department reported Tuesday rescuers searched an additional 200 to 250 acres Monday near Reed Point for Paul Batson and found nothing. Batson's cellphone is missing. Sheriff's officials believe it has either been turned off or run out of power.

His girlfriend called Bozeman, Montana, police April 30 to report him missing, according to Detective Sgt. Joe Swanson. She was worried when he failed to contact her, as he had daily throughout his trip out West.

There is nothing to indicate this is a criminal matter, Swanson said Wednesday. Police believe Batson drove himself to Reed Point.

The week before, he had visited his three adult children in Colorado, Batson-List said. He was in Montana seeking a job transfer, according to Jennifer Batson-List of Belvidere, Batson's sister. Batson works as a postal carrier, based out of the St. Charles office.

His 2016 Dodge Charger was found parked across from a gasoline station in Reed Point, which is off Interstate 90 near the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park.

"He was just going out there (to Montana) to check things out," Batson-List said. "It's only eight hours from where his children live."

Stillwater County Sheriff's Sgt. Randy Smith told the Stillwater County News Monday that Batson's disappearance "is very, very odd."

Smith said more searches are planned for later in this week. The spot where Batson's car was found is about a half-mile from the Yellowstone River, with mountainous terrain to the north and south of the town. Swanson said the river is running full and fast, due to spring snowmelt.

Batson's girlfriend has established a CaringBridge.org page to keep Batson's friends informed.