Boulder – For eight long days, more than 600 people scoured the rugged mountainsides and plunging canyons southwest of Boulder for any sign of a missing and reportedly injured Marine.
When authorities called off the official search Sunday, Lance Hering’s friends and family continued searching. At one point, Hering’s mother collapsed from exhaustion.
On Thursday, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said they had all been chasing down a lie.
Sheriff’s investigators late Wednesday arrested Steve Powers, a close friend of Hering’s who claimed to have been with Hering when he fell while climbing and hurt his head on Aug. 29. The story, as Powers first told it, was that he sat with Hering through the night and, near dawn, left to get help. When Powers returned with rescue crews, the 21-year-old Hering was nowhere to be found.
But when detectives Wednesday night interviewed Powers, 20, he admitted to conspiring with Hering to stage the disappearance so Hering wouldn’t have to return to his unit at Camp Pendleton, Calif., next week, authorities said. Hering left town sometime early Aug. 30, according to court documents.
“There’s a little bit of anger because we were duped for a period of days,” sheriff’s Cmdr. Phil West said. “… We had essentially every search- and-rescue team in the state contribute resources.”
Powers was arrested on suspicion of false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor, and released. He could not be reached Thursday.
The Sheriff’s Office is working with the FBI and the U.S. Marine Corps to find Hering, using clues Powers provided. Officials believe Hering is in the country because he left his passport at home, West said.
Hering could face charges of false reporting. If he does not return to his unit by Monday, he will be considered to have an “unauthorized absence,” the Marine version of being absent without leave.
Hering’s parents were stunned when sheriff’s officials told them about the new development Wednesday night, West said. Detectives don’t believe the family was in on the ruse, he added.
Richard Glaab, a family friend, said the past week has been “a parent’s worst nightmare.” Wednesday’s news was another blow to the family, but also a reason for hope.
“I’m hoping the latest developments mean Lance is safe and alive,” Glaab said. “Until Lance gets back, we won’t really know what happened.”
West said Thursday that detectives had yet to verify much of what Powers told them. He said detectives haven’t ruled out foul play, calling Powers “a very polished liar.”
Hering is a lance corporal with the 1st Marine Division in Camp Pendleton. He returned from a seven-month tour of Iraq last month, said Marine Lt. Esteban Vickers, a spokesman at Camp Pendleton. Hering’s status is listed as “unknown,” Vickers said.
Several dozen current and former Marines assisted in the search effort.
“It’s upsetting to us,” said Staff Sgt. Luke Violett, who works in the Boulder Marine Corps recruitment office and who participated in the search. “There was a big effort to find this guy. … As Marines, we always want to go out there and help our own.”
Powers called 911 about 5:15 a.m. Aug. 30. He said the two had been hiking and bouldering about 10 o’clock the night before on the western edge of Eldorado Canyon State Park when Hering fell.
When search crews reached the area, Hering was not there, but there were a pair of climbing shoes, a water bottle and blotches of blood.
More searchers – including some with dogs, and others on horseback and in helicopters – poured into the area. But as the search dragged, the doubts grew.
“Our dogs could find no scent,” said Lauren Wittimore, team leader for several dogs from Front Range Rescue Dogs.
There were other questions, West said. Why were Powers and Hering climbing so late at night? West said Powers’ timeline didn’t add up either.
“I think everyone had some suspicions over the course of the last few days,” West said. “However, I think everyone wanted to believe that nobody would do something like this.”
As investigators dug deeper, they found more things that aroused suspicion. Powers had said his friend was broke, but West said detectives learned he actually had access to $2,000.
West declined to elaborate on how exactly detectives believe the pair staged the hoax. He said the blood found at the scene is human blood. Samples are still being analyzed.
Glaab said Hering’s parents are grateful to search-and-rescue crews. But, he added, for Lloyd and Elynne Hering, their search is not yet over.
“We want to find him,” Glaab said. “We want him home.”
