By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

LENOIR — Salisbury Police say an all-day search for missing Salisbury man, Michael Maurice Rustin, who authorities believed may have been buried on the property of an abandoned Lenoir home yielded nothing.

Local authorities received information that led them to the old farmhouse in Caldwell County. The owner of the property reportedly said the home had not been lived in since 2009.

Rustin, then 33, was last seen April 19, 2009, after he got into a blue Chevrolet Impala with at least two Hispanic men.

His girlfriend reported him missing and Salisbury Police initially ruled Rustin’s disappearance a kidnapping. He told his girlfriend he was going to Latin Mix convenience store sometime around 3:30 p.m, but when he never returned and she couldn’t reach him by phone, she and a friend went to the store.

Rustin, known as Mikey, was reported missing around 11:30 p.m. and has not been seen since. His vehicle was still at the store and according to reports at the time, Rustin was seen on surveillance video pulling into the store parking lot, located at 931 S. Fulton St. His personal items and identification were still left inside the vehicle.

His girlfriend tried to call his phone, but received a busy signal and messages saying the phone could not receive calls.

Salisbury Police Capt. Melonie Thompson said local authorities received information that led them to Caldwell County. It is not clear what information investigators received, but Thompson said a dog alerted on Wednesday in that area. She confirmed nothing was found Thursday afternoon.

The State Bureau of Investigations was called in to assist the Salisbury Police and the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, said SBI spokesman Shannon O’Toole.

O’Toole said SBI officials were called in at the request of Salisbury Police, but he could not comment further about the search.

WBTV reports officials did dig into the side of a 50-foot well that was located under the home. The well had been covered over in 1951, according to property owner Ed Townsend.