CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla -- There mother of missing marine Eric Hall says a new discovery makes her believe her son is still in Charlotte County.

Eric Hall disappeared more than two weeks ago.

Monday, volunteers and family members found a large foxhole, a fire pit and a bathroom in the woods of Charlotte County. The Volunteers, mainly retired military personnel, also found shoe prints of Reebok sneakers. Hall's family says they're the same type he was wearing when he disappeared.

The Southwest Florida K-9 Search and Rescue Team used an old undershirt to pick up Hall's scent around the foxhole. They say the trail eventually went cold in the woods, but believe the site is less than a few days old.

"I think there's still a very good possibility he's still here," says Hall's mother Becky. "We just haven't found him, he's moved, but more or less hiding in plain sight."

Many of the military personnel will be camped out in the area hoping that Eric will return to the site.

Anyone with information on Eric Hall is asked to call the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.

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Local man: I saw the missing marine!
02/15/08

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. - A local man says he was the last person to see missing marine Eric Hall.

Will Trefethen says he was driving down Sulstone Drive on Superbowl Sunday when the man in front of him jumped off his motorcycle and left it laying in the middle of the road.

"I was a little bit stunned at first, but then I thought it was a bee sting," says Trefethen.

But that wasn't the case. Instead, the person ran to the side of the road and began taking off his helmet.

"He just started to go over the embankment and gave me a wild-eyed stare and he continued over the embankment and he was gone," says Trefethen.

Evidently, the man went west toward I-75. Trefethen says he only remembered the incident after reading about it on WINKNEWS.com. He decided to come forward because he also knows what it's like to be a military parent.

"I was concerned, my son's in the military," says Trefethen. "The family was obviously concerned about his whereabouts so I thought if I could provide any information to help locate him, then that would be helpful."

WINK News has contacted Hall's family and the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office about the new information.