4 Close Friends Still Missing Since Leaving for a Weekend Bike Ride in Oklahoma

Photo: Okmulgee Police Department (4)

On Wednesday, the Okmulgee Police Department announced that four friends —Mark Chastain, 32; Billy Chastain, 30; Mike Sparks, 32, and Alex Stevens, 29— have been missing since Sunday.

“All four are close friends and are believed to have left Billy Chastain’s home on the west side of Okmulgee on Sunday at around 8 PM,” the department said in a statement on social media. “All were reportedly on bicycles. Two of the men are believed to have cell phones with them, but attempts to call go straight to voicemail.”

The department said there are no signs of foul play “at this point” in the investigation, but they are receiving help from the District 25 Violent Crime Task Force.

Thanks to interviews with potential witnesses, investigators placed Steve at a smoke shop in south Okmulgee late Sunday afternoon. Another witness reported seeing Billy and Mark near a local YMCA on Monday morning. Okmulgee police said they are working to confirm the sightings.

PEOPLE reached out to Okmulgee Police Department on Thursday afternoon for more information.

Mark’s cell phone was traced to an area in South Okmulgee, but it was since turned off or lost power.

“Officers have checked that area and found no sign of any of the men,” Okmulgee police said in the statement.

In an update on Wednesday, police chief Joe Prentice said he instructed search teams to rest for the night.

“Task Force investigators have met,” he said. “These men are exhausted. I am sending them home to get rested and we will start fresh tomorrow, unless something time sensitive comes in over night. I do not plan to give any additional updates until tomorrow.”

On Thursday morning, Prentice said there was no new information to “base a search on,” and that the department would focus its efforts on reviewing surveillance footage “from the path we believe they traveled and following up reports of sightings today.”

Mark’s wife, Jessica Chastain, told NBC affiliateKJRHthat the friends usually stay close to home.

“They don’t go far — never,” she told the station.

source: people.com