Missing Gay Man Spotted at D.C. Hotel, But No Further Leads

A gay man reported missing by his friends and family was spotted March 17 at a hotel in Washington, D.C., but has not been seen since then.

Shaun Spaulding, 39, of Arlington, Va., was seen at the Homewood Suites in northeast D.C. that day, according to a Facebook post by his family, the Washington Blade reports. His roommate had reported him missing March 15. His family is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to him being found.

"Mr. Spaulding suffers from medical health conditions requiring him to take medications, which he is not taking," says an announcement by Arlington police. Neither they nor his relatives said who reported seeing him at the hotel. Police explained that they do not disclose details of ongoing investigations.

The police describe him as a white man, 5 foot 7, weighing 145 pounds. He sometimes goes by the names Mike or Conrad, his family says. Family members have said he may have met someone on Grindr, which he used frequently, and that perhaps a Grindr encounter could be related to his disappearance.

"He's a part of our community and uses Grindr regularly, so I am posting here in hopes that someone may have seen him or might know something," Spaulding's cousin, Melissa Butman, said in a Facebook post to a local LGBTQ+ community social media page. "Our family is trying to stay strong, but I am beyond worried sick. Please, if you have any info or think you may, contact the Arlington police or Fairfax County police."

Arlington police ask that anyone with information that may help them locate Spaulding contact Detective Rosa Ortiz at (703) 228-7402 or at Rortiz@arlingtonva.us. Callers can also use the police department's tip line, (703) 228-4180. The department has shared information about the D.C. sighting of Spaulding with the district's police as well.