Guilford County deputies seek help finding missing man last seen June 12

Guilford County deputies are asking residents to help find Douglas Keith Petty, 39, who was last seen around 11 a.m. June 12 leaving the Oakdale Mill Road area and heading toward Liberty, North Carolina. Sheriff Danny H. Rogers said deputies are trying to locate Petty, and the case has widened into a countywide search effort.

Petty is described as a white male, about 6 feet tall and 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Deputies said he was last seen wearing a black hat with an NY insignia, a gray T-shirt, blue jeans and tan Timberland boots. Anyone who saw a man matching that description on Oakdale Mill Road, on the route toward Liberty, or anywhere else after that morning is being asked to contact Detective A. Miller at 336-641-5966.

The timing matters. By the time the public appeal was made June 23, Petty had been missing for 11 days, which makes specific witness memories and saved video more valuable. In a county the size of Guilford, even small details such as the exact time a person was seen, the direction he was walking or driving, or a matching clothing detail can help investigators connect one sighting to the next.

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office operates countywide through three patrol districts, a structure that allows deputies to push a missing-person case beyond one neighborhood and into a broader public search. That reach matters here because the reported direction of travel toward Liberty moves the case beyond the immediate Oakdale Mill Road area and into roads, homes and businesses that people use every day between Guilford County and nearby Piedmont communities.

North Carolina’s Center for Missing Persons serves as the state clearinghouse for missing children and adults and works with local, state and federal law enforcement. The center says it receives more than 10,000 missing-person reports each year, and most cases end with the person returning or being found and do not involve foul play. State guidance also requires a local agency to investigate a case before requesting a Missing Endangered Alert, which helps explain why a public appeal can go out while investigators continue to build the file.

For residents, the most useful information is precise: where Petty was seen, the exact time, what direction he was traveling and whether any clothing or other detail matched his description. A tip that places him after 11 a.m. June 12 could narrow the search quickly.