Search for missing Concord man, 83, enters 3d day

Richard Nethercut’s red 2001 Ford Taurus was found parked in the Nashoba Brook Conservation area Saturday, a week after he was last seen by friends.

Crews searched Saturday until dark, returning again yesterday at 8:30 a.m., aided by dogs and GPS technology, but did not find any sign of Nethercut.

An Acton police dispatcher said the search will resume today at 9 a.m.

“The terrain is very diverse, from waterways to thick brush to walking paths,’’ said Acton police Sergeant Raymond Grey.

Concord police Deputy Chief Barry Neal said Nethercut’s friends reported him missing Sept. 21 after he failed to show up for some personal appointments. They had last seen him on Sept. 19.

Residents told investigators the car had been parked in the conservation area since the beginning of last week, but they did not realize it belonged to the missing man, Neal said.

Nethercut “had some type of medical condition, but it was reported to us that he was in relatively good shape,’’ Neal said.

Margaret Hammill, Nethercut’s friend of about a decade and his upstairs neighbor, said he had open heart surgery in May but had received “a clean bill of health’’ from his surgeon two weeks ago.

“The surgeon told him that he could start playing tennis and he was excited about that,’’ Hammill said.

“He worked in the prisons. He was a very generous person. He was always caring for people.’’

Hammill, along with Jennifer Griffiths, another of Nethercut’s neighbors, drove to the conservation area yesterday to see what they could do to help.

In a 2001 Globe interview, Nethercut said he had struggled with depression after his 19-year-old daughter was raped and murdered in 1978, but that after becoming a volunteer in a prison through a Christian fellowship program, he was able to forgive his daughter’s killer.

“He seemed like a well-rounded person. He had a very active social [life]. He was physical, he took care of people, so he did the emotional stuff, and he was very smart,’’ Griffiths said.

Both Hammill and Griffiths said they often enjoyed social activities with Nethercut, such as going to the movies and dinner.

Prior to his disappearance, Nethercut made dinner plans with Hammill, she said.

“He was in good health. He works out, goes to yoga, does acupuncture to get his body tuned up, as he’d say,’’ Hammill said.

Neal is urging anyone who may have any information to contact the Concord Police Department at 978-318-3400.

Katheleen Conti can be reached at kconti@globe.com