Missing Las Vegas veterinarian left his truck, belongings near Lake Mead, police say
A missing Las Vegas veterinarian left behind his wallet, keys and cellphone — all found inside his unoccupied truck near Lake Mead, according to police.
Shawn Frehner, known in Southern Nevada for his work as an equine veterinarian, was reported missing by his father around 9 a.m. Sunday.
The father told officers with the Metropolitan Police Department that he was concerned about his son, given that his son’s belongings were found in Hemenway Harbor at Lake Mead, where he has no ties and no boat, according to a missing persons report.
Frehner’s father also said that his son does not have any medical or mental health conditions and “has never made any threats to hurt himself or anyone else,” the report showed. He added that he believed Frehner owned a gun, but was unsure whether he would have taken it with him to the lake, police said.
A search for Frehner continued at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area through the week, as the National Park Service said it was seeking help from the public.
In a Wednesday email, the park service encouraged those who were in the Hemenway Harbor Launch Ramp area on Sunday and have additional information about the missing person to call 888-653-0009. The email did not name the missing person.
A source told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the park service started its search Sunday evening, and that volunteers were called in to assist on Monday morning.
The park service first said Monday that multiple agencies, including Red Rock Search & Rescue and Metro, were using aerial, marine and ground personnel.
The park service said the search was still ongoing on Thursday.
Video circulating online
News of the search emerged following a criminal complaint filed last week by Pahrump resident Shawna Gonzalez, alleging Frehner mistreated her horse. Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill confirmed to the Pahrump Valley Times that the Nye County Sheriff’s Office had received Gonzalez’s complaint of felony animal abuse and was investigating.
In the missing person’s report, Frehner’s father also told police about a video circulating online where his son could be seen working with a horse. During one of their last phone calls, Frehner told his father that he had a “particularly hard time” with the horse, police said.
The nature of the video, police said, also caused the father to be concerned about Frehner’s safety.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal previously reported that Gonzalez had posted about her complaint on social media the day before, attaching a video of the alleged abuse. The video — which showed a man purported to be Frehner kicking Gonzalez’s horse in the jaw when it was on the ground — was later recirculated by animal rights groups.
McGill said Thursday that there was no update regarding the investigation into Gonzalez’s felony complaint.
“If he is found and we can interview him, that is what we need to do,” McGill added in the email.
Eric Rose, partner at California-based crisis management firm Englander Knabe & Allen, offered his thoughts on Frehner’s disappearance and what he called a potential “trial by social media.” Rose has served as an expert witness in high-profile defamation cases, he said, and he measures the cost and steps involved in repairing reputational harm.
“No one knows exactly what happened at Lake Mead or what Dr. Frehner’s state of mind was, but it’s impossible to ignore the timing,” Rose said in an emailed statement. “Animal cruelty must always be taken seriously, and the legal process must be allowed to run its course. In our rush to react and repost, have we lost sight of due process, empathy, and the complexity of human lives?”
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com. Review-Journal reporter Casey Harrison contributed to this report.
