Zachary Bryan Burkey disappeared from New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 16, 2018. The 26-year-old lifeguard worked for the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD) and was living with his mother, Christine Lyons Dearie, in the Uptown neighborhood. According to his mother, she last saw Zachary leave their home in the 3500 block of Camp Street on his distinctive black bicycle with thick rims. He was wearing black athletic shorts, flip-flops, and an unknown-colored shirt. She expected him to return home, but he never did.

The following day, Zachary's cell phone began going straight to voicemail, something his family immediately found unusual. As the days passed without hearing from him, Christine reported him missing and began searching for answers.

Investigators later determined that Zachary spent part of the evening in the Riverbend area near Cooter Brown's Tavern. Surveillance video from inside the tavern showed him calmly using an ATM at approximately 8:25 p.m., withdrawing $80. 

As detectives worked to reconstruct Zachary's final hours, they arrested Demetrius Williams, a homeless man, on 16 counts of access device fraud after surveillance video from a nearby Rite Aid allegedly showed him using Zachary's debit card after Zachary disappeared. During questioning, Williams told investigators he had met Zachary near Cooter Brown's, where the two drank alcohol together and discussed narcotics. Williams said they later began walking down South Carrollton Avenue with two other individuals known only by the nicknames "Buff" and "Slim Shady." According to Williams, he eventually turned around and left, while Zachary continued walking with the other two men. Investigators have never announced that Williams, Buff, or Slim Shady were responsible for Zachary's disappearance, and no one has been charged in connection with the case.

At the time of his disappearance, Zachary was approximately 6 feet tall, weighed about 165 pounds, and had brown hair and blue eyes. His black bicycle with its distinctive thick rims has also never been recovered.

Zachary Bryan Burkey remains missing, and his disappearance is still under investigation by the New Orleans Police Department. Anyone with information about his whereabouts or the events surrounding his disappearance is urged to contact NOPD Detective Paul Pettengill or another Sixth District detective at (504) 658-6060. Anonymous tips may also be submitted to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at (504) 822-1111.

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