CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — The Corpus Christi Police Department is searching for a local pastor.
According to police, Phillip Loveday, aged 47, was last seen Wednesday, Aug. 2, at 9:30 a.m. in the 4900 block of Cape Vista Court as he left for work.
Concerns were raised when left his cellphone behind one morning when he left for work at Kinder Morgan, an oil and gas company. His wife noticed the phone left behind when she called him later in the day and heard a ringing coming from the bathroom.
The family said this was not unusual behavior from Loveday as he would accidentally forget his phone sometimes. What was unusual was that he didn't find another way to get in contact with the family as the day went on.
"He would definitely always just answer back, so that was, right off the bat, very suspicious. It was just, "Oh why didn’t he answer?" That never ever happens," Loveday's oldest daughter Kayleigh Purnell said.
Loveday’s boss at Kinder Morgan told the family he never made it to work that morning.
"I don’t think that he just disappeared. I’m kind of assuming that he had an accident, maybe rolled over into the brush. It’s hot in South Texas, and Texas in general, and he’s outside working, so maybe he just got stuck somewhere or hurt somewhere and can’t get help," Purnell said.
Loveday was last seen in a white 2016 Ford F-250 work truck. The family has two Texas license plate numbers (his old and new) out for the search. Those are HTN9773 and PPN1389.
KRIS 6 spoke with Faith Christian Center Church members who told us they expected Pastor Loveday to show up Wednesday night to preach, but became concerned when he never came. Instead of having bible study that night, members in attendance came together to pray for his safety and health.
"He was the one who kept us going. When we were hurting, he was hurting, as well. He was our shepherd, and now we’re a flock missing our shepherd," member Emily Massey said.
Members of the church are now passing out flyers across town to help the search for their missing pastor. CCPD has also assigned a detective to the case, who is working closely with the family to find answers.
"I’m not seeing anything that might indicate foul play, but then again there’s a lot of territory between here and his work site so it’s hard to tell," CCPD Public Information Officer Travis Pace said.
CCPD is working on the statewide search for Loveday with other community police departments, DPS and county sheriffs.
Mr. Loveday is approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a dark blue long sleeve, Wrangler pants and steel toed boots.
The family urges anyone who lives between Corpus Christi and Freer to check any surveillance cameras and keep an eye out around property for any sign of Loveday.
If you have any information on Loveday's whereabouts, you are asked to call the Corpus Christi Police Department at (361) 886-2840 or (361) 886-2600.
