Curtis Scott Harrison

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Sabine County Sheriffs Department (TX)

Offense Location:

Hemphill, Texas

Summary:

Curtis Scott Harrison, 47, known as Scottie, was last seen August 13, 2023, while fishing on Toledo Bend Reservoir in Sabine County, Texas. His boat was found beached days later; blood was subsequently discovered in the vessel. The Sabine County Sheriff's Department classified his disappearance as a homicide. Harrison had previously been indicted on three counts of intoxication manslaughter in the deaths of three Pineland firefighters in January 2021.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Curtis Scott Harrison, 47, was a resident of Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. He was known to friends and family by the nickname "Scottie." On January 17, 2021, Harrison was involved in a traffic accident on State Highway 87 near Hemphill in which three members of the Pineland Volunteer Fire Department — Clinton Dukes, Billy Dukes, and Gavin Dukes — were struck and killed. A Sabine County grand jury subsequently indicted Harrison on three counts of intoxication manslaughter. He was released from the Sabine County Jail on a $600,000 bond. His trial was scheduled for September 2023, and his attorney stated the charges would be contested. On the night of August 12, 2023, Harrison departed his home at approximately 11:00 p.m. to go night fishing on Toledo Bend Reservoir. He launched his red 2024 Tracker 16 Classic XL boat — purchased approximately two weeks earlier — from his residence. At approximately 5:30 a.m. on August 13, 2023, a family member called Harrison to check on him; he answered and reported that he was fine. At approximately 7:28 a.m. that morning, Harrison called home from the Indian Mounds area of the reservoir. He said he had caught six fish and would be home shortly. That call was his last known contact with family. Later that morning, a caller named John Truncale contacted the Sabine County Sheriff's Office to report a boat beached at Butler's Point on the reservoir. The department did not record the exact time of the call. On August 14, 2023, Harrison's family contacted the Sabine County Sheriff's Office to report him missing. On August 15, 2023, Game Warden Williams retrieved the boat from Butler's Point and transported it to Lowe's Creek, where the family collected it. During an examination of the vessel, a small clear medicine bottle containing a dime was found inside. In approximately April 2024, family members noticed what appeared to be dried blood in the boat's carpet while it was stored under a carport. They reported this finding to the Sabine County Sheriff's Office on April 9, 2024, along with the previously discovered medicine bottle. The Sabine County Sheriff's Office classified Harrison's disappearance as a homicide. No body has been recovered and no arrests have been made. Harrison's bond had been revoked in connection with the pending intoxication manslaughter charges at the time of his disappearance. In July 2024, his bail bondsman, Howard Watts, contacted the family and stated that regardless of whether Harrison was missing or had fled, he would not be appearing in court. On February 13, 2025, Sabine County Sheriff Tom Maddox — who had led the investigation — died after a long-term illness. He was 75 years old and had served as sheriff since 2000. A reward has been posted by Harrison's family for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of those responsible.

Case Last Updated:

May 13, 2026