Blood found in missing man’s SUV, Maryland cops say. Search for 27-year-old continues

A man reported missing by his family nearly a week ago has disappeared “under suspicious circumstances” in Maryland, state police say.

For any information that leads to Dequan Javon Fields, 27, Crime Solvers in Montgomery County is offering a $1,000 reward, according to a Jan. 16 Maryland State Police news release.

Fields’ muddy SUV was found abandoned with blood inside at the Deal Island Wildlife Management Area in Somerset County, police said. He was reported missing on Jan. 12.

Authorities learned his gold 2004 Dodge Durango was driving along Deal Island Road, which runs through the nature preserve, between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Jan. 10, according to the release.

State police and Maryland Natural Resources Police have searched the nature preserve, they said.

Police are asking anyone who lives near the nature preserve to check their surveillance cameras for any footage that may show Fields or his SUV.

Anyone with any tips is asked to contact state police at 443-260-3700 or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.

State police spokesman Ron Snyder told McClatchy News on Jan. 18 there are no further updates on the investigation at this time.

The Deal Island Wildlife Management Area is about 145 miles southeast of Baltimore and south of Delaware state lines.

This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 9:57 AM with the headline "Blood found in missing man’s SUV, Maryland cops say. Search for 27-year-old continues."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.