Search continues for Valley man missing since Dec. 29

MEADOW LAKES — Friends and family gathered Friday for a candlelight vigil in honor of their friend Corey Newell, 32, last seen riding his snowmachine a few miles up the road on Dec. 29.

“Our hearts remain heavy with worry and concern. This is our collective cry for information,” Debbie Davis, Newell’s mother, told the gathering of more than 100 people Jan. 10.

It’s been nearly two weeks since Newell left a friend’s house on his snowmachine headed for his girlfriend’s house, but never arrived.

Friends found his snowmachine in working order a few days later wedged between two trees on a trail headed back toward the road near Cloudy Lake in the Pittman Road area. Newell’s gloves were there, too. And one set of footprints leading from the snowmachine toward the road.

That’s when his family reported him missing to Alaska State Troopers.

It doesn’t make sense, Davis told the assembly Friday, that Newell would just abandon his snowmachine, because it is his primary transportation.

“This is day 12. We are all really worried,” Jennifer Wimmer said during the gathering at the Meadow Lakes Mall at the intersection of Pittman Road and the Parks Highway, where organizers passed out fliers and buttons with Corey’s photo.

Falynn Potter and Wimmer organized the vigil for their friend.

“We’re asking everyone not to lose faith,” Potter said. “We will bring Corey home.”

Physically, Newell is described as 6 feet, 2 inches tall with brown hair and hazel eyes. He weighs 190 pounds.

His friends describe him as a talented artist, a wonderful, kind and caring man with an unforgettable smile.

“Everything he did was so inventive and creative,” Wimmer said.

Potter said law enforcement has identified a person of interest.

“We’re hoping for the best outcome here,” she said. “He has a family. He has a son and friends who care about him.”

Larissa McMahill said she’s known Corey most of her life.

“He better just be lost,” she said. “We have lived in this town all of our lives. Someone knows something. He’s family, we’ve got to bring him home.”

Newell’s father, Wes Newell, said it’s not like his son to be out of contact for so long.

“Just a word would take this damn pit in my stomach out,” he said. “This is the worst nightmare I’ve been through in my life. It’s worse than losing my parents.”

Corey’s dad said the family owns a mine site about 50 miles off the highway near Healy. The plan was to mine the gold for use in his jewelry-making business and to ultimately build a business that could support a future for both his sons, Corey and his older brother, Lance, who lives in Eugene, Ore.

“We will keep searching 24/7 until he’s found,” Wes said. “Corey is a good kid with a great future.”

He said he had no inkling until after his son went missing that he had been smoking heroin for the past six months to a year.

“I’ve learned more in the past week and a half than I ever wanted to know,” Wes said.

Davis, Corey’s mom, said new tips have come in that have expanded the search area. Family, friends and other volunteers gathered at Cloudy Lake Saturday morning to resume the search for Newell.

“Where is our son Corey Newell?” Davis asked. “If you know anything, anything at all, please call.”

A reward of more than $5,000 is offered for information, McMahill said.

“The situation is just a tragedy,” she said. “It’s a tragedy in our community. Someone in our community has just disappeared.”