A garage fire that occurred on July 27, 2017 and the subsequent search for the resident of that property, 42-year-old Shane D. Ziegel,  who was missing, continues to be investigated.

The fire had been reported to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office on July 27, 2017 at 10:15 p.m. The garage was fully engulfed in flames upon arrival of emergency responders and ultimately was totally destroyed. Upon arrival, Taylor County deputies noticed blood leading from the garage into the house. Once deputies made entry into the house they again observed blood in various rooms. No one was found in the house but Ziegel’s car keys were gone along with his vehicle from the driveway. Ziegel was later found on July 28 when he walked out of the woods not far from where his vehicle had been found. His injuries were minor.

According to Ziegel, he woke up in the woods with no memory of how he got there. The last memory he has is of two men stopping by his house asking about a vehicle he had parked there, he talked to the men about the vehicle. Ziegel describes the males as white about 25 to 30 years of age and both were bald. They were driving a dark blue or black Dodge Dakota pickup truck. It is unknown if these two men had any involvement in the fire or Ziegel’s minor injuries.

If you feel you have any information that would be helpful in this investigation, please contact the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office at 715-748-2200.