PRESS RELEASE – September 16, 2025
For Immediate Release
St. Henry, OH – Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman reports that this morning at 8:05 AM missing adult male, Roger Stachler (89), was located alive and conscious. The Sheriff’s Office had worked with Elite Drone Services the day prior and returned to the area early this morning to continue searching.
Les Bowen, the Owner/Operator of Elite Drone Services, advised the deputies of an area of interest and they, along with members of the St. Henry Fire Department made their way into a cornfield, approximately 200 yards east of a woods behind 1821 ST RTE 118 where they located Mr. Stachler awake and conscious.
Additional members of the St. Henry Fire Department as well as the St. Henry Squad was paged to the area to assist in safely getting Mr. Stachler out of the field and to the ambulance, who transported him to Mercer Health ER for treatment and evaluation.
Sheriff Doug Timmerman would like to thank all the community members, first responders, Elite Drone Services and all who volunteered their time to help in bringing Mr. Stachler home to his family.
Sheriff Timmerman would also like to express how proud he is of the Mercer County community and the outpour of support from the local businesses and how everyone comes together in a time of need.
(9-16-25) UPDATED: 9am
Comments from Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman:
Click to Listen (courtesy WCSM)
Located in a cornfield due east of his home. Elite Drone Services of Delphos, Ohio located Stachler using thermal imagining.
(9-15-25) UPDATED: 5pm
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Today’s search consisted of multiple drones, members of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, Saint Henry Police Department, Saint Henry Fire Department, Celina Fire Departments dive team, Coldwater Fire Department, Southwest Mercer Fire Department, Burkettsville Fire Department, Chickasaw Fire Department, our local C.A.R.T Team (Child Abduction Response Team) which can also be used for missing/endangered adults. This team consists of members from Sheriff’s Offices, local Police Departments and EMA’s from a multi-county area. We also had a private professional drone company, as well as assistance from numerous friends, family members, neighbors and volunteers who assisted in the search.
OSP’s aviation (fixed wing) unit returned to assist in the search around 11:30 AM. We also called in assistance from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, who assisted with a search and rescue dog.
The area of search included the residence and outbuilding. A large woods, large soybean field, ditches, corn fields, hay field, neighbors’ yards and outbuildings as well as two ponds on surrounding neighbors’ properties.
Additional areas that were searched were local restaurants, local hospitals and churches.
After this, we are still unable to find Mr. Stachler. The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office has no reason to believe that foul play was involved.
We will be suspending the full-scale search as of 4:00 PM today.
We are asking anyone with information or tips that could assist in the finding of Mr. Stachler to please call the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office at 419-586-7724. We will follow up on any new information or tips as we receive them.
For the public’s information, Mr. Stachler was last seen wearing khaki pants, black t-shirt and possibly a ball cap. Mr. Stachler is 5’9″, 130 pounds, blue eyes and gray hair.
Mr. Stachler has been entered into LEADS (Law Enforcement Automated Data System) as a “Missing Person”.
We thank the public and first responders for all of the assistance that they provided to us.
(9-15-25) UPDATED: 1pm-–Sheriff Timmerman will be holding a press conference today at 3:30 PM to update the media and our public on the efforts in the search for Roger Stachler. The press conference will be held at the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office classroom (4835 SR 29 Celina, Ohio 45822). This conference will start promptly at 3:30 PM.
He will not be doing separate interviews.
Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman is reporting his office is investigating a missing elderly adult male.
he Sheriff’s Office received a call on September 14 at 8:33 PM from the wife of the missing person. Missing is Roger Stachler from 1766 State Route 118 just south of St. Henry. Stacher was last seen at his residence at noon when his wife left to go to work. When the wife returned to the residence, she was unable to locate her husband. A search was conducted of the property and surrounding fields and wooded area.
The search included the use of drones, several personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, St. Henry Police Department, Coldwater Police Department, Sheriff’s Office K-9, St. Henry Fire Department, multiple neighbors, and bystanders.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was contacted, and they also sent their helicopter from Columbus. At 1:00 AM this date the search was called off, the search will continue in the morning.
Roger Stachler is 89 years old, was last seen wearing Khaki pants, a black T-shirt, and a black ball cap. Roger is 5 foot 9 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds and was reported to be very unsteady on his feet.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who may have any information to please report it.
Mercer County Outlook 