Troopers issue Silver Alert for missing 73-year-old near Fairbanks

A 73-year-old man has not been seen since late Friday night near a residence on Murphy Dome Road outside Fairbanks. Alaska State Troopers have issued a Silver Alert and are searching for him.

Troopers identified the man as Rodney Rutherford. He was last seen near 4805 Murphy Dome Road at 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 24, according to the daily dispatch posted Saturday morning by the Department of Public Safety.

Troopers describe Rutherford as a Black man, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 170 pounds, with white hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, a tan felt jacket, black ski pants and tan shoes.

Murphy Dome sits about 20 miles northwest of Fairbanks, surrounded by boreal forest and open tundra, according to the state Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation.

Missing-person cases in Interior Alaska have drawn sustained attention from tribal organizations and families who say response and communication have not always been adequate. "Across Alaska, our people have gone missing at alarming rates, and families have not always received the help, information, or justice they deserve," the Tanana Chiefs Conference, a regional tribal nonprofit representing Interior Alaska tribes, says on its missing persons page. The organization says it encourages anyone with information to come forward. It also says it supports better coordination between tribal governments, law enforcement and community members when someone goes missing in the Interior.

Anyone with information about Rutherford's location is asked to call the Alaska State Troopers Fairbanks post at 907-451-5100.