Photos of Missing Father and Son Released, Police Ask for Help

The St. Louis County Police Department is now asking for the public's help in locating a father and son who went missing Tuesday at the Palisades Conservation area's Meramec River access. 

Police have released photos of Michael, 36, and his son David Hill, 16, both of Beach Park, Ill., to help in the search, along with photos of the last people to see the men, his wife Dawn Molerino Hill and her grandson Adam Phillips.

If anyone has seen the two missing individuals since their disappearance around 10 a.m. July 2 or all four parties together since Saturday morning, June 29, contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 314-889-2341.

Police described Michael Hill as a white male with a long beard wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans. David Hill is also a white male and was also last seen wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans.

The request follows two days of search efforts on land, water and air by the St. Louis County Police and several other emergency agencies.

They were first reported missing at around 12:45 p.m. by Dawn Hill, who said she had last seen them at the river access near Lost Hill Lane and Franklin Road by the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area.  

St. Louis County Police Officer Randy Vaughn told Patch that the department's crimes against person unit had also been dispatched to the river.

A press release from the agency stated that "there is nothing at this time that has led investigators to believe an accidental drowning has taken place."

According to an account in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Michael and David Hill seemed to have vanished out of thin air. The woman and her grandson had walked to the river ahead of the pair, who remained behind at a parking lot gathering their fishing gear.

The grandson then become scared, so they turned and headed back. When they arrived, the vehicle remained but the father and son had disappeared, along with their fishing gear.

An officer at the scene told the Post-Dispatch that Michael Hill has a cell phone but calls to it have not been answered.