La Grange police searching for owner of home damaged by fire on Wednesday

LA GRANGE, Mo. — The La Grange Police Department is seeking the public’s help in finding the resident of a home that was discovered to be on fire this past Wednesday morning.

NECOMM received a 9-1-1 call on Wednesday, Dec. 6, of a structure fire in the 700 block of South Eighth in La Grange.

The La Grange Fire Department responded and found the home at 708 S. Eighth to be fully engulfed. After extinguishing the fire, the structure was carefully searched and no human remains were located. The resident of the home, 55-year-old Herman Lee “Hermie” Boyer, has not been seen since the day before the fire. He is feared to be an endangered missing person due to the circumstances.

Land surrounding the home was searched using a drone due to concern that Boyer had escaped the fire but was injured and while trying to flee, succumbed to his injuries. However, nothing was located during the search.

The investigation into this matter is ongoing. Anyone with information about the events of that morning or Boyer’s location is encouraged to contact the La Grange Police Department at (573) 655-4611 or the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office at (573) 767-5287. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Fire Marshall’s Office are assisting with the investigation.