CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More than two weeks after a Clarksville teenager mysteriously disappeared, his parents are frustrated with how the investigation is being handled.
Zachary Marsh, 19, was last seen on Dec. 20. His mom says he had some kind of argument with his roommates at his apartment on Peachers Mill Road and left. He was last seen at the Shell gas station on White Bridge Road in Nashville. His car was found one day later in Montgomery County near the Cumberland River off Jarrell Ridge Road.
The car was locked, and had missing license plates. Marsh’s glasses, vape pen, and jacket were found nearby.
“My reasoning skills say something happened to him,” said Sarah Alford, Marsh’s mother. “Someone has him, or someone did something to him. There are too many things left behind to say my son ran away. It’s not in his character.”
Alford added that Marsh had recently been offered a new job, and she couldn’t think of any reason why he would disappear.
Marsh’s family has organized several searches along the Cumberland River, and even searched on Christmas day. Alford said the community has been extremely supportive.
“The last couple of weeks have been a complete nightmare,” said Alford. “I’m going to look for him until I find him.”
A spokesperson for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said they are working with multiple agencies and companies on the case.
“We will continue to utilize all the resources available to us and continue to strive for transparency with the family while protecting the integrity of the case,” said Sandra Brandon, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
However, Marsh’s father, Erik Marsh, turned to social media to express his frustrations with how the investigation has been handled.
He said the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was slow to turn to the TBI for help, and had not been very open with sharing information about the investigation with the family. The family has hired a private investigator to help with the case.
Erik Marsh also expressed concerns with how detectives accessed his son’s laptop and cell phone for clues. He said they had been doing searches under Zach’s accounts, and did not inform family members this was their approach.
“My son’s data and information has been mishandled,” said Marsh. “Now trying to recreate whether he is out there has become much more difficult.”
Erik Marsh wrote a letter to several state officials asking for more attention to the case.
“All the data is there,” said Marsh. “We need someone to lead the investigation who knows how to gather it, compile it, and act on it.”
Zachary Marsh is described as a white male, 6-foot1, 130 pounds with short dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
There is a $17,500 reward for information leading to Marsh’s location. Anyone with information should call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 931-552-1011 or 911.
Brandon said investigators from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office were planning to search a portion of the Cumberland River on Jan. 7. This would mark the fourth time they have searched that area.
