Update: Police say foul play not suspected in case of missing Coralville man

NORTH LIBERTY - Police say they do not suspect foul play in the case of a missing Coralville man last seen near his work in North Liberty on Monday.

Still, North Liberty Police Chief Diane Venenga, in an email Tuesday evening, said her department continues its efforts to locate Michael D. Graham, 37.

'At this point we do not suspect foul play but we are continuing to follow tips to locate Mr. Graham,” she said.

A missing-person report was filed by Graham's wife Jill on Monday afternoon, according a news release from the North Liberty Police Department.

Police said Graham sent text messages indicating he had been tied up and forced into the trunk of his vehicle while working at 7 Hawkeye Drive in North Liberty, according to the news release. Graham's black, four-door 2016 Volkswagen Jetta has not been located. The Iowa license plate number for the Jetta is ELL 592.

Graham stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 165 pounds, with shaved brown hair and brown eyes, according to police.

North Liberty police traced Graham's cellphone at 1 p.m. Monday to the intersection of Keokuk-Washington Road and 265th Street near Keota in Keokuk County, according to the news release. However, police have been unable to locate Graham.

'Please, please share this information,” Graham's wife Jill Graham wrote in a Facebook post Monday night that had been shared more than 97,000 times as of Tuesday evening. 'He has four children and a wife who are beyond eager to have him home with us.”

Graham declined to comment when reached by The Gazette by phone on Tuesday afternoon. At some point Tuesday afternoon, she updated her Facebook post indicating the family still hasn't heard from Graham.

'I understand that some people may be skeptic (sic) of this post being truthful,” she wrote. 'Unfortunately, this nightmare is actually happening.”

Anyone with information can call North Liberty police at (319) 626-5724, Johnson County Communications Center at (319) 356-6800 or their local law enforcement agency.

l Comments: (319) 368-8516; makayla.tendall@thegazette.com