CHEROKEE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Authorities are searching for a missing 24-year-old man last seen entering the woods near 886 Lambert Branch Road early Sunday morning.
Elijah Thomas Maney, a Native American male, was reported missing by the Cherokee Indian Police Department on Aug. 11. He is 5-foot-6, slim, with long straight black hair, brown eyes and medium-brown skin. At the time he was last seen, Maney was wearing a black T-shirt over a white T-shirt, black jeans and black shoes.
CIPD Assistant Chief Joshua Taylor said the department is actively investigating Maney’s disappearance and coordinating with multiple agencies to locate him.
“We recognize the gravity of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance,” Taylor said in a statement. “Our efforts are ongoing. The Executive Office and the Tribal Police Commission have been actively engaged and remain deeply concerned for Mr. Maney’s well-being and safety.”
Cherokee Principal Chief Michell Hicks said a $500 reward is being offered for information leading to Maney’s safe return. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cherokee Indian Police Department at 828-497-4131, dial 911, or submit an anonymous tip through the CIPD mobile app.
Family members, including Maney’s sister Rae Pepion, have appealed for public help and prayers.
“I thank everyone that’s helped out so far,” Pepion wrote on social media. “Please continue to share and look for him and continue the prayers, my family really needs it right now.”
Authorities and volunteers have searched the area where Maney was last seen, including nearby woods, riverbanks and surrounding neighborhoods. The search has included drone flights with thermal imaging, interviews with residents and business owners, and review of local surveillance footage.
Maney is one of two Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians members currently reported missing. The other, Gabriel Thor Crow, a noted Cherokee basket maker, was last seen in West Asheville on Jan. 27, 2024, and has not been located despite multiple searches.
MISSING: A year later and no sign of Gabriel Crow
