Authorities say the search is winding down for a Marietta man who went missing two weeks ago while hiking at Kennesaw Mountain.
Despite five days of mass searches, 25-year-old David Blake remains missing. The only trace of the former Harrison High School student that authorities have turned up is his Nissan Sentra, which they located in an overflow lot at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. His keys and a bag he would often take with him on long hikes were both found inside the car.
“As of now, the police are near the end of their active investigation into David’s disappearance,” Blake’s mother, Neill Blake, wrote in a Facebook post. “We cannot thank them enough.”
Cobb County police could not immediately be reached for comment, but Ross Cavitt, a spokesman for Cobb County, said the National Park Service will no longer actively conduct large-scale searches for Blake. He said the park’s rangers will continue to check the park for signs of the missing man on their routine patrols.
Neill Blake wrote that she and her family will continue searching for her son without assistance from law enforcement.
“No resource was spared and we are grateful to all of the law enforcement and search and rescue personnel for their efforts,” she wrote. “We are not giving up hope that we will find David and we are going to continue the search for him using a private investigator.”
Neill Blake said she last saw her son on March 7, when he left the house to go out for an evening. She told Channel 2 Action News the last thing he said to her was, ‘I love ya, Mom. See ya later.”
Blake’s family has set up a GoFundMe page for anyone who wants to donate to the continued search.
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