Michigan police ask public for tips about missing physician

JACKSON, Mich. (AP) — Police in southern Michigan are asking the public for tips as they continue searching for a physician who hasn’t been seen since he left work last week.

Dr. Bolek Payan, who works at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, was last seen leaving the hospital building in Jackson on Thursday, the Blackman-Leoni Public Safety Department said.

Police said Payan’s vehicle was found at his Leoni Township home, but as of Tuesday he has had no contact with his employer, family, or friends in the five days since Thursday.

Blackman Township Police have searched the woods around Payan’s home, hoping to find information that could lead them to the missing doctor, whose specialty is listed as psychiatry on Henry Ford Health’s website.

Sgt. Steve Stowe with Blackman Township Police said recent severe winter weather slowed the search, but police are trying to “do everything we can to try and locate him.” He said Payan’s relatives are very upset by his disappearance.

Family friend Nicole Keiser said that when Payan dropped off his dogs at 8 a.m. Thursday he said he would pick them up at 6:30 p.m. She said it’s “out of character” for him to have driven his truck home without picking up his dogs as planned.

“Something happened and I don’t know what,” she told WILX-TV.

Anyone with information about Payan’s whereabouts are asked to call Det. Mike Villarreal or Det. Sgt. Bob Shrock at (517) 788-4223.