Items found during search for missing man

RUSK — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers, HEAL Corp, ALERT Academy and Houston County Search and Rescue are conducting another search for Rusk missing man James David Blount.

According to our news partner KETK, Blount was last seen near his residence on Dec. 2, 2025, more than 90 days ago. The 57-year-old white man is around 5-feet-9-inches tall, weighs about 200 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. His vehicle was later found abandoned on U.S. Highway 84 at the Neches River.

The sheriff’s office is searching the woods behind Blount’s house and workshop on Highway 84. Officials are searching this area more thoroughly on Friday and Saturday in order to rule out the area immediately surrounding Blount’s home.

Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson told KETK News that “a bunch of different stuff” was found during their search but they can’t say whether any of the items are actually related to Blount’s disappearance. Dickson added that they’re looking into all of the things they’ve found during their continuing search.

HEAL Corp helped at the scene with drones, dogs and divers in order to search the wooded area as thoroughly as possible. Dickson is asking anyone who’s seen anything or heard anything about Blount’s disappearance to come forward to his office.

“Our goal is to bring the Blount family answers and locate Mr. Blount and bring some closure to this case for this community and for the Blount family. If you’ve heard something, you’ve seen something, call us,” Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dickson said. “We’re here to serve and protect our community and we’re going to do that. We’re going to work this case until we have some answers, no matter when that closing day is.”

According to Dickson, the search continued in the area near Blount’s home on Saturday with the help of the ALERT Academy from Longview. Anyone with information about Blount’s disappearance is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 903-683-2271.