Ronnie and Beverly Barker went missing Sunday, March 27, while driving through western Nevada.
www.wthr.com
The family of Ron and Beverly Barker issued a statement Wednesday evening, thanking those who joined the search and rescue effort for the couple and for the thousands of people who have supported them through the ordeal.
They also wrote that they hope their loss leads to changes in how public safety officials in Nevada handle missing persons cases in the future.
Read their full statement:
"The family of Ronnie and Beverly Barker wish to thank those who participated in the search and rescue operations to locate our beloved family members. The outpouring of support was nothing short of incredible by the members of the local community. Our hearts are full because of the efforts that were put forth to help us bring Ron and Bev back home again to Indiana.
While the loss of Ronnie Barker is tragic, we are grateful that Beverly was found alive and can now begin her recovery from this tragic ordeal. We are grateful that Beverly will be able to fill in the blanks and give us the answers that we all so desperately seek.
Ronnie Barker loved his family and loved his country. He served our nation proud over his 26-year career in the United States Air Force. Ronnie was a believer in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was proud of his faith and was always willing to give to others. He was funny, witty, and was the spark of energy that everyone gravitated toward. People just loved and wanted to be around Ron Barker.
Our family grieves over this news, and we question the roadblocks that seemed to stifle the search from the moment we were made aware of their disappearance. It's our hope that Ronnie Barker's legacy will be changing policy that will allow for a more expeditious approach to locating missing persons of all ages for both non-residents and residents of the state of Nevada. We call upon the citizens of Nevada to stand up and demand that changes be made at ALL levels of Public Safety to avoid the hurdles that our family faced as we attempted to bring resources into the search of our loved ones.
Fly high MSgt Ronnie E. Barker, you served us all well.
Ronnie Ercel Barker 11/21/1949 - 4/4/2022"