Missing Morrison teen found safe after communitywide search

MORRISON — Multiple police agencies and local residents searched Monday night for a Morrison teen with special needs who was found safe inside a farmhouse just outside of town a little over five hours after he was reported missing.

The 15-year-old, whom police said is autistic, was reported missing shortly after he was last seen at his home around 4:30 p.m., Morrison Police Chief Kevin Soenksen said Tuesday. The Morrison Police Department was notified soon after his parents could not find him.

Morrison police requested assistance from the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office, which deployed a drone outfitted with thermal imaging, and the county’s K-9, Chico, to assist with tracking, Soenksen said.

Local residents also joined in the search, checking areas along Route 78 south of Morrison, where community members thought they had earlier seen the teen.

The Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton Police Department, Whiteside County Dispatch, Morrison Fire Department and Quad Cities Missing Persons Network assisted with the search.

Soenksen said the teen was found in a home on Lister Road, which is located on the south edge of town. The people who live at the house had gone out to eat earlier in the night and found the teen in their home when they returned.

The department announced around 10 p.m. that the boy had been found safe, Soenksen said.

Soenksen praised the community for its help in assisting with the search for the boy.

“We really appreciated it,” he said.