Detreck Foster, an Independence, Kansas man who hasn’t been seen or heard from since mid-April, has missed several holidays and important occasions, and his family is worried.
He never called his mother on Mother’s Day. He missed spending Father’s Day with his two daughters and missed both of their birthdays. He missed celebrating his 38th birthday with his twin sister in June.
Three months have passed, but Detreck’s family continues to search for him, hoping someone with information will come forward.
Jordan Foster, Detreck’s former wife and the mother of his children, told Dateline it’s uncharacteristic for Detreck to not be in contact with the family.
“He would never just disappear,” Jordan said. “Not from his family. Not from his children. They’re everything to him. This is not like him.”
Jordan, who lives in Kansas City, with the couple’s daughters, ages 5 and 13, said she last spoke to Detreck on April 4.
“He called me to let me know his phone — it’s a prepaid phone — would be shut off soon,” Jordan said. “But that wasn’t anything unusual. A couple days would pass and he’d have a new phone. But he always called. He always told me — or his mother or sisters — where he’d be.”
But Detreck never called.
As weeks passed, Jordan said she was slightly concerned that their normal pattern of communication had changed, but did not become really worried until Detreck failed to call his own mother on May 10 — Mother’s Day.
“He always calls his mother, his sister and myself on Mother’s Day,” Jordan said. “And he’s really close to his mother. When he didn’t call her, we knew something was wrong.”
The family started making calls and when they figured out that no one had seen or heard from Detreck since mid-April, they filed a missing persons report with the Independence Police Department.
According to Independence Police Chief Jerry Harrison, there are various reports from friends who said they saw Detreck in mid-April in the Independence area, but police said they believe the last confirmed sighting of Detreck was on April 12 in Independence, Kansas. Chief Harrison would not share any further details on the case and told Dateline it is still an open investigation.
“This is still an open investigation and we are still actively pursuing leads,” Chief Harrison said. “Several agencies in this area are working on the case and it’s a top priority for us.”
Jordan told Dateline that the family, who live in Parsons, Kansas, spent days posting missing person fliers around the Independence area, where Detreck lives. But shortly after, the fliers were taken down, leading Jordan to question the community’s sincerity in finding Detreck. She added that a friend who lives in Independence has since re-posted some of the fliers.
“I believe someone in Independence knows something, but no one is speaking up,” Jordan said. “We just need that person to come forward with any information that could help us find Detreck.”
Jordan has known Detreck since she was 15 years old. She said Detreck grew up in Parsons, Kansas and graduated from Parsons High School. He had previously worked as a corrections officer and tactical private security officer, which led to a lot of traveling for work.
But Jordan said Detreck always called to check in on his daughters and never failed to miss important occasions.
“Detreck is the type of guy who would just drop everything to help someone,” Jordan said. “When he’d come to visit the girls, he’d help me with things around the house.”
Jordan told Dateline that Detreck had been between jobs in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but said he had landed a job at FedEx right before he disappeared.
Jordan, who stays in constant touch with Detreck’s family, said the family is not willing to speculate on the details of his disappearance as it is still an ongoing investigation.
“All I can say is, we fear the worst,” Jordan said. “The family is having a tough time right now. The fact that no one in Independence is speaking up is worrisome and frustrating.”
She added that it’s also hard to believe that someone would harm Detreck.
“As far as I know, he doesn’t have any enemies,” Jordan told Dateline. “He’s very social and has lots of friends. Our oldest daughter is just like him — a social butterfly.”
As Detreck’s daughters continue to ask where he is, Jordan holds on to hope that she can one day give them good news.
Detreck was 37 years old when he disappeared in April. He would have turned 38 in June. He is described as being 5’9” tall, weighing 190 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.
If you have information that could help the case, contact the Independence Police Department at (620) 332-1700 or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 296-4017.