JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WKBW) — Susan Baldwin has lived with an unimaginable nightmare for almost four years — not knowing what happened to her younger brother Kevin Hornburg, who vanished without a trace on Thanksgiving Day 2021.
Hornburg, who was 57 at the time, lived at 629 Prendergast Avenue in Jamestown when he disappeared. Police suspect foul play in his disappearance, and he has never been found.
"It is awful," Baldwin said. "I didn't know how hard it was. But it is."
The nightmare began with a phone call on Thanksgiving Day 2021.
"Thanksgiving Day, my brother Bobby had called and said, 'Have you seen Kevin?' and I said, 'No, why would I?' And he said he hadn't seen him since Sunday," Baldwin said.
At the time, Jamestown police said there wasn't much they could do because Kevin was an adult. Later, they began to suspect foul play.
A few weeks after Hornburg's disappearance, Merry Williams-Diers, founder of WNY Missing and Unidentified Persons, reached out to Baldwin to offer help.
"Merry actually called me and said, 'You know, would you like some help?' And I'm like, 'Of course, you know, this is really hard to go looking for someone here when it's not my town,'" Baldwin said.
The emotional toll has been devastating for Baldwin.
"I get anxiety attacks coming to this area," she said as she met Merry at her brother's old neighborhood.
WATCH: Family still searching for missing Jamestown man nearly 4 years after disappearance
Williams-Diers has remained committed to helping the family find answers.
"From very early on, I made a promise to this family that we would not give up looking for Kevin Hornburg until he was found and brought back home, so I intend to keep that promise," Williams-Diers said.
Now Williams-Diers is organizing a coordinated search this weekend with Jamestown police and Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue. The search will take place on August 30 at Kennedy Fire Hall, starting at 9 a.m., and on August 31 at 1297 Route 394 in Falconer, starting at noon.
Volunteers 18 and older are needed for the search, which will cover tough terrain. Participants should wear bright, long-sleeved clothing and boots, and bring a fully charged cell phone.
Meanwhile, Baldwin is hoping someone out there will come forward with the truth.
"Please tell, it would be so nice to see closure," Baldwin said.
Anyone with information about Kevin Hornburg's disappearance is asked to call Lt. McKinley at the Jamestown Police Department at (716) 483-7536 or 911.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
