Found Deceased OK - Timothy Vanmatre, 57, disappeared after family argument, Phone/wallet left at home, Vehicle found, Owasso, 19 Mar 2023

I wonder if Timothy made any comments about possible self-harm as he left the house. The family was on this so, so quickly.

He left the house at 5pm after an argument with his girlfriend.
His girlfriend found his car at 6pm (so she was obviously out looking for him already).
The girlfriend called his family.
Someone reported him missing to police at 8pm. That's only 3 hours after he left the house.

The 8pm reporting time comes from the Fox News report in post #1.
Police searching for man last seen in Owasso
The girlfriend finding his car is from the 2News Oklahoma article.
Tulsa County Sheriff's Office asks for help finding missing Owasso man

She must have had a pretty good idea that he was going to that area. It's virtually unused and would not be the first place anyone would look (in fact, it would be about the last) unless he mentioned it. He does train there sometimes, but it still seems a really odd place to find the car within the hour.
 
No updates. This is so strange. If it was self inflicted, don’t you think he would have been found close to his truck? He didn’t have his phone, so him calling someone and having them meet there to pick him up also sounds unlikely, as it seem he left in the heat of the moment.

What do all of you think happened?
 
The Oklahoma Search and Rescue Council will search for a missing Owasso man on Sunday.

According to the Finding Timothy Vanmatre Facebook page, the group will search an area near North Mingo Road and Bird Creek.

“Just with him completing the Iron Man last year, that was a big accomplishment and with him and his girlfriend getting together sometime after that, he's been really happy, really excited about life. So, this is just really heartbreaking,” said daughter Emily Smith.
 
No updates. This is so strange. If it was self inflicted, don’t you think he would have been found close to his truck? He didn’t have his phone, so him calling someone and having them meet there to pick him up also sounds unlikely, as it seem he left in the heat of the moment.

What do all of you think happened?
I find it strange that he left without his phone and wallet. That, to me, implies it might be a case of planned self-harm (or at least a thought to leave and clear his head). Because it happened after an argument it doesn't seem likely that this is a plan to disappear and start a new life.

The whole thing is strange. Here is my take on the various possibilities. All just my opinion, or course.

1) self-harm. Possible, particularly since he took off without his phone and wallet. But why hasn't he been found?
2) accident. Unlikely. He is athletic and on foot. The area is not mountainous or massively wooded. The creek might have been fast flowing and he could have slipped in, but he's an excellent swimmer.
3) medical emergency. Unlikely. He would have been found by now.
4) planned disappearance. Unlikely. He left immediately after an argument and seemed happy prior.
5) foul play. Possible. What would the motive be though?
 
This is an odd one. I'm assuming he drove to this area because maybe he wanted to walk and blow off some steam or clear his head after the argument, and it sounds like he visits this area frequently. Perhaps he left his phone etc at home because he wanted to be by himself and not have his girlfriend reaching out to him, or perhaps he left in a hurry because he was angry and wanted to just get out of there, so he grabbed his keys and fled, not thinking about the fact his phone and wallet were still sitting at home.

While I'm not ruling out self harm, I am getting tragic accident vibes, either he got hurt/injured or fell in the water or had a medical incident. Even people in good health and in shape can have heart attacks and other medical events. I know it seems unlikely he wouldn't have been found but 1) there have been many cases here on WS where people have perished in park areas and it has taken a long time (sometimes months or years) to find them with numerous searches and bringing in dogs, or 2) maybe he walked farther than people think he did from his car. Maybe his girlfriend went looking for him so quickly after he left because she was concerned he didn't have his phone or wallet if he needed help or to contact someone. MOO
 
Yesterday. Christian Aid Ministries Search & Rescue were out on foot. No word yet if anything was found but I'd think one of his daughters would've updated the page.

I hope and pray Tim is taking some time away somehow, and is safe and sound. I don't remember the last time I saw someone SO beloved by every single person they know (even their ex-wife, ex-wife's new partner, his kids' exes... you name it). He seems to be a man who deeply cares for everyone in his life, and just wants to contribute to the happiness of others. He is very special to a lot of people. I'm serious, I really can't think of last time I followed a case where everyone and their ex-brother-in-law-thrice-removed adored the MP like this. What a guy. World needs more like him, not less.
 
The way I read the request is that they're looking for confirmation it was Timothy driving and more precise timing for when the car was left.

Always fascinated how two people can read the exact same thing and interpret it in completely different ways!
I saw it the same way you did. They’re starting from scratch and looking for confirmation on who actually left the car there. If it wasn’t him, LE might need to look at other areas.
 
Last edited:
Tulsa PD FB Post
On Sunday, TCSO Deputies recovered a 2015 Subaru on Mingo near 66th Street North. The vehicle belongs to 57-year-old Timothy Vanmatre, who had been reported as missing to the Owasso Police Department on Saturday evening.

He was last seen on security footage, leaving his home in Owasso around 5:15 pm on Saturday. An hour later, his family spotted his Subaru in the area where TCSO recovered it. The missing man is a tri-athlete who is known to exercise in that area.

When TCSO was called to the scene on Sunday, we conducted an extensive search of the area using a tracking K-9, drones and OHP’s aircraft, but found no sign of Vanmatre.

Detectives and the missing man’s family are asking for the public’s help in locating him. Timothy Vanmatre is a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a green jacket and tennis shoes.

--
Interesting comments about scary issues people have experienced in this area.
--


Emily Smith, Vanmatre's daughter, said she got a call Saturday from her dad's girlfriend who said they got into a small disagreement and he went to cool off. His girlfriend found his car abandoned near 66th Street North and Mingo about an hour after he left the house.

He didn't have his phone or wallet with him.

"Just an immediate sinking feeling in my stomach when it was getting close to 20 degrees outside and just knowing that he was out there alone and not knowing if he was safe or not it was terrifying," said Smith.

Deputies spent most of the day Sunday searching the area where the car was found.

"Yeah, we're obviously concerned that's why we're trying to get ahead of this while we can," said Corporal Christoper Garrison with the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office.

--
So... was it a small disagreement between Tim and his girlfriend, or was it a family argument?
--

The family of an Owasso man who has been missing for three days is desperate to find him.

The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office has taken over the investigation and is planning additional searches in the air and on the ground.

Deputies said 57-year-old Timothy Vanmatre was last seen on security cameras leaving his Owasso home around 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Family members found his car near 66th Street North and Mingo about an hour later, but he was nowhere to be found.

“I expected us to find him at work or find him walking,” said Emily Smith, Vanmatre’s daughter. “We found his car, and found absolutely no sign of him in the area.”

Smith said reality began to sink in.

Things changed,” she said. “Just an immediate sinking feeling in my stomach.”

Smith said her dad recently became a grandpa and is always there for his family. They are desperate to get him back.

“I go back and forth with what I think happened every 10 minutes,” said Smith. “I just want answers. I want to find him and hopefully we can find him safe.”

Deputies are planning to continue searching the area where the car was found using a drone and search dogs. Anyone with information should call the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.
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Again - is it the girlfriend or his family that found the car?
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1679867621010.png
His Subaru.
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I've noticed multiple people talking and comparing Tim's case to Justin Cobb who vanished into thin air, leaving his van behind with wallet & cellphone inside, in 2012.

Justin Cobb was last seen at his friend’s Quickie Mart near 51st and Peoria on August 10th.
His cousin, Kandi Payne, says he told his friend he was in trouble. The friend thought Cobb was talking about overheating because he had just finished his last air conditioning repair job for the day and looked hot. She says, “My cousin grabbed a bottle of water. He’s like I’m going to go to the hospital and he got back in his van and drove off.”

Two weeks before Cobb’s disappearance, he went to the hospital over heat exhaustion. Now family and friends wonder if he meant something else when he said he was in trouble and was never seen again. Payne tells KRMG, “That’s what we’re all wondering. Was he needing medical attention or was he in trouble in some other way?”
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Just a tidbit to mention; I am not personally suggesting they are related.
 

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ok, thanks. unfortunately there's some sloppy reporting going on about this case
True, as is usually the case.
Here is the article where I saw it:

Tulsa County Sheriff's Office asks for help finding missing Owasso man

Emily Smith, Vanmatre's daughter, said she got a call Saturday from her dad's girlfriend who said they got into a small disagreement and he went to cool off. His girlfriend found his car abandoned near 66th Street North and Mingo about an hour after he left the house.

It's worth noting that the part about the girlfriend finding the car was not an explicit quote from the daughter, although it's implied that the information came from ES, by the way the reporter wrote the story.
 
Mohawk Park looks huge and seems to be approx 2 miles long by appro. 2 miles wide.
I'm sure the trees and other foliage are dense in some parts and I personally think he is in there somewhere. Although I doubt he is still alive, sadly.

I know search teams have been in there, but how many times have people been missed in smaller areas?
 
Mohawk Park looks huge and seems to be approx 2 miles long by appro. 2 miles wide.
I'm sure the trees and other foliage are dense in some parts and I personally think he is in there somewhere. Although I doubt he is still alive, sadly.

I know search teams have been in there, but how many times have people been missed in smaller areas?
Wouldn't he...smell by now? Mohawk is huge although part of it is developed with golf courses and the zoo and so on. There is indeed a lot of heavy undergrowth and some lesser-visited areas. Personally, I suspect he ended up in Bird Creek.
 
Yesterday. Christian Aid Ministries Search & Rescue were out on foot. No word yet if anything was found but I'd think one of his daughters would've updated the page.

I hope and pray Tim is taking some time away somehow, and is safe and sound. I don't remember the last time I saw someone SO beloved by every single person they know (even their ex-wife, ex-wife's new partner, his kids' exes... you name it). He seems to be a man who deeply cares for everyone in his life, and just wants to contribute to the happiness of others. He is very special to a lot of people. I'm serious, I really can't think of last time I followed a case where everyone and their ex-brother-in-law-thrice-removed adored the MP like this. What a guy. World needs more like him, not less.
This is so sad! I hope he’s ok somehow…
 
Wouldn't he...smell by now? Mohawk is huge although part of it is developed with golf courses and the zoo and so on. There is indeed a lot of heavy undergrowth and some lesser-visited areas. Personally, I suspect he ended up in Bird Creek.
I was going to drive over there to look at the bridge. He didn’t seem to be parked very far at all from the bridge. I also think he’s in Bird Creek. I just don’t know how deep it is right there but understand that’s it’s pretty fast moving?
 
Wouldn't he...smell by now? Mohawk is huge although part of it is developed with golf courses and the zoo and so on. There is indeed a lot of heavy undergrowth and some lesser-visited areas. Personally, I suspect he ended up in Bird Creek.
Bodies do smell after they start to decompose, but that's the same for any body in undergrowth - and there have been hundreds of people over the years that have passed away and been missed by search teams.

So, being smelly isn't a guarantee of being found.
 
Tulsa PD FB Post
On Sunday, TCSO Deputies recovered a 2015 Subaru on Mingo near 66th Street North. The vehicle belongs to 57-year-old Timothy Vanmatre, who had been reported as missing to the Owasso Police Department on Saturday evening.

He was last seen on security footage, leaving his home in Owasso around 5:15 pm on Saturday. An hour later, his family spotted his Subaru in the area where TCSO recovered it. The missing man is a tri-athlete who is known to exercise in that area.

When TCSO was called to the scene on Sunday, we conducted an extensive search of the area using a tracking K-9, drones and OHP’s aircraft, but found no sign of Vanmatre.

Detectives and the missing man’s family are asking for the public’s help in locating him. Timothy Vanmatre is a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a green jacket and tennis shoes.

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Interesting comments about scary issues people have experienced in this area.

View attachment 411338


I was interested in where exactly the vehicle was found. So I did some looking around and comparing with the trees and such behind the vehicle from the picture above and best I can tell, I think the car was found here:

Subaru found here (MOO)

I see the same tree in a V, and the way the police car is parked behind the Subaru, and the Subaru is on pavement, I couldn't find any other spot on Mingo Road that seems to work.

After looking around google maps in that area it seems that sometime between 2012 and 2022 they blocked the road off and so maybe there is where they say he would frequent often to exercise. There would be blocked off roads and some trails. I see the one trail (directly behind the vehicle) leads right to the river.
 

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