St. Louis County deputies search woods near Greaney for missing man, 40
Clayton Leroy Nukala Jr., 40, was last seen in a white bathrobe near Greaney as deputies and rescuers searched wet woods where hypothermia was a major concern.
St. Louis County deputies were searching the woods near Greaney for Clayton Leroy Nukala Jr., 40, after he was last seen in a white bathrobe walking toward the trees from a property on South Willow River Road. With cold, wet weather raising the risk of hypothermia, authorities treated the case as an urgent search-and-rescue effort, not a criminal investigation.
Deputies first went to the 12000 block of South Willow River Road around 5 p.m. Saturday after reports of an unwanted man. Before they could speak with Nukala, he ran into the woods. Deputies returned to the same address Sunday morning, around 10:30 a.m., after another report said Nukala had come back to the property, was acting strangely and was naked. He was then seen wearing a white bathrobe and heading back toward the woods.
The St. Louis County Rescue Squad, deputies and Orr Ambulance were involved in the search. Authorities said they were worried Nukala may have been exposed to the elements for too long, and one report said it was not clear where he went after entering the woods or whether he had any supplies with him. The sheriff’s office said hypothermia was a major concern because of the recent wet, cool weather conditions in the area.
Officials emphasized that Nukala was not wanted on any criminal charges. The immediate focus was finding him safely and quickly, especially if he was disoriented, injured or unable to get himself out of the woods. The sheriff’s office said the public should call 911 with any information about where he may be.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office describes its mission as working with the community, other county departments and other government units to provide high-quality public safety services. In this case, that meant a response centered on deputies, rescue crews and ambulance personnel working together in the Greaney area, where every hour outside in damp April weather could make the difference between a safe recovery and a medical emergency.
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