Mother of missing man in Elmore County speaks to Action 8 News

ELMORE COUNTY, Ala. (WAKA) – Christina Thornton, the retired director of the Montgomery City/County EMA, has spoken to Action 8 News about the search for her missing son.

As Action 8 News has reported, William Austin Mathews, who goes by Austin, hasn’t been seen since late last month. A $5,000 reward is being offered in the hopes of finding him.

Mathews was seen on surveillance video walking away from his home near Ellis Road in the Holtville area of Elmore County at around noon on Saturday, August 29, apparently of his own accord. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Thornton says they’ve had current and retired officers out in the area searching for her son, looking in a three-mile circumference area from where he was last seen. She says they’ve also searched from where his cell phone was last used.

“I’m praying that this is a rescue and not a recovery,” Thornton told us. “Austin a smart child. Austin is a smart man. He graduated from high school early. He’s been working at Hyundai. He loves his job. He loves his co-workers. He’s a gentleman. He waits for Miss Tay every night and helps walk her to her car because he just wants her to be safe at night. He’s a wonderful person. I refuse to use past tense. He is wonderful, and if you see or know anything, please just call.”

Thornton says investigators have talked to his co-workers. She says Austin would walk this route after he got off his third-shift work at Hyundai to wind down.

William Austin Mathews is 6′ tall and 150 pounds with long, dark blonde hair.

He has been entered into the National Crime Information Center as a missing person.

The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office says it has used all available county resources in efforts to locate him. That’s why Sheriff Bill Franklin has announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to Mathews being found.

If you have information, call CrimeStoppers at (334) 215-STOP.