Detectives keep busy in Blevins case

By Steven Jones
The Selma Times-Journal
Investigators are unsure where Eric Dewayne Blevins was last seen when he was reported missing on July 23.
“(We) don’t know exactly the last place he was in,” Dallas County Sheriff’s Det. Burt Allison said. Allison is one of the investigators in the case.
Eric went missing on or around July 23, according to police reports.
Since then, his family has been unsure of his whereabouts and his father, Sheriff’s Department Lt. Dwight Woods, is afraid the Orrville man is dead.
Little is known about what Eric did that Friday and Saturday morning, but investigators say they are still working hard on the case.
Eric was staying with his cousin Dorothy Blevins at her Lamar Avenue home, according to Woods.
Although the 23-year-old’s permanent residence was his mother’s home, Blevins was known to stay with his cousin on the weekends to meet friends and go out.
“He was young,” his aunt, Willa Mitchell of Orrville said. “You know how young men are, they party.”
At some point, officials still aren’t sure about the exact time he left his cousin’s house.
The Times-Journal was unable to contact Dorothy Blevins as of presstime.
Allison said investigators believe he may have visited his cousin John Dale Blevins at the Traveler’s Inn on Highland Avenue after leaving Dorothy Blevins’ home.
Allison said he left there to visit friends at Merrimac Apartments, traveling on foot.
Allison said he was wearing a blue jersey, black pants and brown house shoes.
“Someone saw him in the area of Merrimac,” Allison said. “They saw him headed that way.”
Woods said his son had at least two friends in Merrimac, a “friend-girl” and a friend.
Woods doesn’t know either of them.
“I don’t know these people,” Woods said.
Allison didn’t name either of Eric’s friends or the witness who saw him in Merrimac.
If the witness did see Eric, he may be the last person to see him before he disappeared.
Allison said one of the problems in the investigation is establishing a timeline in Eric’s disappearance.
Because neither John Dale nor Dorothy Blevins are sure about the times they saw Eric, Allison said he isn’t sure which one was the last to have contact with him.
“John Dale Blevins and Dorothy Blevins are going to be the last two that saw him alive,” Wood said. “Well, I won’t say alive because he could still be alive.”
Allison agreed.
“We can assume he may not be alive but then again you could say he’s somewhere and don’t want to be found,” Allison said.
None of his family members, however, believe Eric had any reason to hide out.
“He’s never done it before,” Mitchell said.
She said Eric was well liked by almost everyone who met him.
“He didn’t have anybody that didn’t like him,” she said.
She also said she couldn’t imagine anyone being upset with him.
“Eric wasn’t the kind of person that would do anything to hurt anybody,” she said.
Woods has said it’s getting hard to stay hopeful about the case.
In his 23 years with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department he only knew of a few missing persons cases where victims were missing for more than two months, Woods said in an earlier interview. In all of those cases, Woods said the victim was almost always dead.
Still, he’d like to know.
“If he’s murdered - we pray to God it’s not true but - if we could find his body we could give him a decent burial,” Woods said.
While Allison said his office is waiting for information, he said investigators are working the case aggressively.
“We’re still questioning people,” Allison said. “We’re not just sitting back waiting on tips, we’re going out.”
Allison asks that anyone who has seen the young man call the Secret Witness Line at 874-2190 or they can call Woods at home at 334-996-8787. Eric Dewayne Blevins is a black male, 5’8”, 140 lbs., brown eyes, black hair and a medium complexion. He was wearing a blue jersey, black pants and brown house shoes when he disappeared.
A reward of $6,000 is offered for information leading to an arrest or conviction in the case.