Clark County resident Phil Harris disappeared in April 2023.
For more than a year, Harris’ family and friends have grappled with unanswered questions about the whereabouts of the father and proficient chef with a green thumb. His ex-wife, Allison Erdman, created a Facebook page to update people on his case.
“Someone knows something. No one vanishes without a trace like this,” said Erdman, who lives in Sherwood, Ore.
‘Perfect storm of things’
Harris was born in New Mexico and moved around a bit until his family settled in Idaho when he was a teenager. He was the oldest of three boys.
Eric Harris remembers his older brother loved cooking from a young age. Their mother was a foodie, a sensibility she passed to her children. Phil Harris’ love for food turned into a career.
As an adult, Harris settled in Portland. In 1999, he met Erdman through a mutual friend, and the couple lived in Michigan before returning to Vancouver to start a family.
“We just had a really wonderful existence together. It was probably the height of Phil’s life,” Erdman recalled.
In recent years, Harris struggled with the deaths of his father and brother, she said. He also had chronic pain from several car crashes.
“It was the perfect storm of things,” Erdman said.
Brendan Zaebest, who met Harris while working at Brickhouse Bar and Grill, remembers him as a dedicated chef who talked often about his children.
“No matter how deep into his own addiction or mental health issues he was, his focus was how much he loved and adored his children,” Zaebest said.
Erdman and Harris’ marriage ended as Harris’ challenges escalated. But the two eventually reconnected, and Harris had supervised visits for their two kids.
“I had to do what I had to do for our kids and make really hard choices,” Erdman said. “But we made our way to a friendship. We weren’t married anymore, but I care for him a lot.”
Over the years, Harris sought help for his addiction and mental illness. Erdman said he called her on April 9, 2023, to say he had tried fentanyl to alleviate his chronic pain.
“He called me and said, ‘It’s addictive, and I hate it and I feel like it’s making me die and I need to check myself into (treatment),’” Erdman said.
Erdman sent him a text message: “We’re not here to judge you, Phil. I’m genuinely pleased that you are getting help. I know it isn’t easy. I want you to be well. Let me know if I can help.”
He was in a detox program from April 9 and 14, 2023, Erdman said. A few days after Harris was released, he disappeared.
Timeline
Harris’ last call to Erdman was from Hazel Dell about 7:20 p.m. April 15, 2023. When Erdman could not reach him, she filed a report with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office on May 1, 2023, court records show.
Harris’ car, a green 2016 Kia Soul, was found abandoned in the Hazel Dell Marketplace parking lot in May 2023.
A store manager at the nearby Safeway told investigators she first noticed the car May 9, 2023, but didn’t call to have it towed until May 30, 2023. Investigators said it was seemingly abandoned there in late April or early May, court records state. The vehicle contained many personal items, including Harris’ medication, laptop, Apple Watch, kitchen knives, photos of his children and clothing. His keys and phone were missing, Erdman said.
In the days after, Erdman and community members formed search parties and posted flyers around the city, particularly in homeless encampments, although Erdman doubts Harris ended up homeless. She also visited local shelters.
“I walked around the parking lot and nearby camps, pulling up debris and looking into tents. It was overwhelming,” Erdman said.
The sheriff’s office is leading the investigation, with Detective Dean Telecsan assigned to the case in late May 2023. Telecsan has reviewed Harris’ social media, phone records and other accounts.
“Based on my experience, people like Phil are usually found by now or appear somewhere,” Telecsan said. “It’s rare with today’s technology and social media for someone to vanish without a trace.”
His team has contacted recovery and housing organizations.
Outreach worker Scott Christensen, who was Harris’ former roommate at a Clark County Oxford House, continues to search for him whenever he’s in Hazel Dell.
“It doesn’t matter if we were never really close. He was a brother in recovery,” Christensen said. “He had his demons, but he’s a human being and nobody ever asks for an addiction.”
Harris was waiting to enter an Oxford House before his disappearance. Telecsan noted that cases involving individuals between housing can be complex.
“If anyone has information on his whereabouts or saw him, please reach out. Even a small detail could be crucial,” Telecsan said. “We’re still searching. This case won’t be closed until we find him or he returns home.”
‘Is that him?’
Every time a body is discovered in Clark County or nearby areas, Erdman’s stomach drops.
“You get the news that there is somebody and you think, ‘Well, is that him?’ You just don’t know,” Erdman said.
Having a missing family member has caused her unrelenting emotional turmoil, Erdman said.
“You’re thrust into this club of missing-person families, and you didn’t even want to be a part of the club,” Erdman said. “I do think there is an extreme lack of resources for families of missing people. It’s very isolating. You carry this weight every minute of every day.”
Community support has given her the strength to keep searching for Harris. Despite the toll the past year-and-a-half has taken on Erdman and her children, they remain determined to continue their pursuit of Harris’ return home.
“Phil had his challenges, especially with his mental illness. We had our struggles. But he deserves to be found. My kids deserve to know what happened to their dad.”
