Marcus Daniel Rodriguez

Tyler Police Department investigators are continuing their efforts to get “everything they can” in the case of missing 21-year-old Marcus Daniel Rodriguez, who was last seen Dec. 23 at the Palomar Apartments on Old Jacksonville Highway.

Family members of Rodriguez, father of two, said he was at the apartment complex gathered at a party, most likely with friends his age.

TPD Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said investigators have talked to everyone who was at the party that night. The exact number of people in attendance that night is unknown, he said.

“We’ve talked to everyone at the party. Family members, people numerous times, just to try to get everything we can. Searched the woods around the apartment complex, searched anywhere he might have been, looked for video and we are following any leads that come in,” Erbaugh said.

The case remains under investigation, Erbaugh said. He added the department has Rodriguez’s property, including his cell phone and car.

The police department continues to ask the public for help, even for any details that someone may think are trivial.

“Anything helps at this point in time to try to locate, because we still don’t know at this time if he’s missing intentionally or if there’s something suspicious about it, but we don’t have evidence either way to know if there’s a criminal act or he’s missing on purpose,” Erbaugh said.

As of Monday, Erbaugh said there is no information he’s aware of that indicates foul play or if Rodriguez has gone missing voluntarily. There also isn’t public information on anyone seeing Rodriguez leaving the apartment complex that night.

Rodriguez’s family wants answers, they said. His parents, overwhelmed and devastated with not having any answers, remain soft spoken, said Rodriguez’s aunt, Adriana Valdovinos.

“The 23rd will be a month,” Valdovinos said, noting the investigation is taking longer than the family would’ve hoped.

“Law enforcement won’t release anything to us. They just said that they can’t say anything because it’ll jeopardize the investigation. Well, we need to know something,” she said.

“The only thing we do know is that his car, his keys and his phone were found at those apartments… As far as we know, the police still haven’t been able to unlock his phone,” Valdovinos said.

She said the parents are so devastated, they can hardly even talk.

“We would’ve figured by now, being the fourth week, we would’ve had a little bit more information, but we feel like we’re still at Day 1,” Valdovinos said, adding the family is frustrated in what she calls a lack of progress in the case.

Rodriguez’s aunt encourages parents of young adults who attended the party to ask questions. She said there was no possibility of Rodriguez putting his family through a voluntary disappearance.

“Marcus would not put us through this. Especially not his sick wife, his kids, he would not put us through this,” Valdovinos said.

“Bring Marcus Home,” is a Facebook page dedicated to spread awareness on search efforts and information related to Rodriguez’s disappearance where the family posts their own search efforts, walking around wooded areas for clues.

“That’s just us doing what we can to get out there so it doesn’t turn into a cold case. We honestly don’t know where to look,” Valdovinos said.

“As long as they don’t tell us he left with someone, our mind is, ‘OK, his car was found there. He left on foot. What if he was hurt? What if he’s out there somewhere,’” she said.

Valdovinos said the family had never heard of anyone Rodriguez had problems with, and she can’t help but to wonder,”Why him?” She believes someone knows something and knows where he is.

She said Rodriguez’s family, including his two sisters, parents and several aunts, are going to continue meeting every Tuesday at the square in downtown Tyler to pray for him to come home.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1025.