A missing persons case is in its third decade of being unsolved in Fairmont.

“I think it’s painfully obvious that after 30 years, he met an early demise,” said Det. Sgt. Brian Stewart of the Fairmont Police Department.

30 years without answers on how, or why, a 22-year-old Fairmont State College student went missing.

Steven Berry was just starting his senior year in 1986, a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity and the senior senator in student government.

But Stewart said July 24th of 1986 would be the last time anyone would remember seeing him. Stewart said Berry left his apartment at 1108 Fennimore Street, right across from campus, just before 2:00 p.m.

Later that day, his 1983 Chevrolet Chevette was found parked at the Pittsburgh Airport.

“There’s no indication that he was even personally at the airport, that he even made it there,” Stewart said.

Stewart said there is no indication as to why Berry could have gone missing. He said there have been strong suspects in the case, some who knew Berry, but no arrests have been made in connection with Berry’s disappearance.

“Obviously something happened to him. Either prior to leaving his house or shortly after leaving his house,” Stewart said.

Stewart said they do not have proof of what happened to Berry.

While leads are not flooding in, Stewart said he hopes talking about the case will bring information forward.

“It allows the public a chance to revisit it and hopefully jog somebody’s memory and somebody may come forward with information,” Stewart said.

He added they will continue to work the case until they have answers.

“Fairly often, we sit down and discuss these cold cases and talk about possible ways that we can revisit them, possible people that we can go re-interview,” Stewart said.

Stewart said despite being unsolved for 30 years, Berry’s case is just like any other missing person’s investigation.

“To me there’s no difference. I mean, it’s the same type of case. It is a case of a missing person that something bad has happened to them and their families deserve closure and somebody needs taken off the streets,” Stewart said.

Anyone with information related to the disappearance of Steven Berry is asked to call the Fairmont Police Department at 304-366-2217.