SAN ANGELO, Texas — A San Angelo man who was reported missing was found dead Friday, according to his work family.
The Vape Stop team announced the death of the business' operations manager, Darren Corley, Friday afternoon on its Facebook page.
Multiple social media posts Thursday asked for help finding Corley, who was said to have been on a walk Wednesday afternoon at the San Angelo State Park, where his vehicle was found.
Late Thursday, the San Angelo State Park issued a statement informing the public the park would be closed to visitors because of a search effort for Corley.
The Tom Green County Sheriff's Office released a statement Friday afternoon saying Corley, 62, was last seen at approximately 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, after telling associates he was going walking in the area of San Angelo State Park. His family reported him missing to the San Angelo Police Department the following morning.
Corley's vehicle was found at Burkett Trail Head inside the San Angelo State Park. A multi-agency search for Corley was assembled Thursday and continued throughout the day and into the evening without positive results.
On Friday, July 30, the search for Corley resumed; and at approximately 11 a.m. Friday, Corley's body was found in a heavily wooded area inside the park.
The search consisted of foot and bike patrols as well as deputies on horseback and all-terrain vehicles. Searches by air were conducted by helicopter and drones. Additionally, cell phone data and GPS data were utilized in the effort to find Corley.
Foul play is not suspected at this time, the release from the TGCSO said.
Agencies involved in the search included the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office, San Angelo Police Department, San Angelo Fire Department, U.S. Customs Air Branch Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Midland County Sheriff's Posse.
The search for Corley was the third ground and air search for a missing person conducted in Tom Green County this calendar year.
Dacayla McNene, Vape Stop employee, said on Wednesday, her boss, Corley told them he was going for a five-mile jog in the San Angelo State Park.
"He would contact us, or we can contact him if we needed anything. We tried to call him on Wednesday night. Nobody answered. Thursday, we sent out the alarm saying we hadn't heard from him," McNene said.
Corley played a pivotal role to those who continue to work at the Vape Stop.
"People who know him best are in this shop, and we know his habits, we know how he runs, we know how he walks, we know pretty much everything about Darren because he's like a dad to 95% of us or a grandfather to some of us," McNene said.
The San Angelo Police Department did not comment on the case, and directed all inquiries to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, who declined comment as well.
