Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound is offering $21,000 for information that helps find Austin Leming, last seen in December 2021 in Kent.

The nonprofit group that assists law enforcement agencies to solve crimes recently increased the reward that began at $10,000.

“Huge news,” said Karen Leming, the mother of Austin Leming, in a Feb. 17 Facebook post. “I can only hope that offering a reward of $21,000 for any information that will lead to the whereabouts/location of Austin Leming will be the incentive that someone needs to call Crime Stoppers and leave the much-needed tip! All calls are confidential, and you will remain anonymous. The family is desperately seeking answers and would be grateful if you could help.”

Leming, age 36 when he went missing, was last seen Dec. 8, 2021 at a downtown Kent apartment complex. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, according to the Washington State Patrol Missing Persons Unit.

“He went missing on Dec. 8, 2021, reported missing to Puyallup PD on Dec. 12,” said Kent Police Assistant Chief Jarod Kasner in a Feb. 20 email. “Kent PD was then informed of the reported missing person and there was belief he had been in an apartment in Kent, so Kent PD started to investigate his disappearance.”

Kasner said Kent Police didn’t post or release any information in 2021 about Leming missing because he was reported missing to Puyallup Police. After discovering Leming was last seen in Kent, it became a Kent Police case.

“This is an active investigation, which detectives continue to investigate,” Kasner said. “We remain in contact with the family and have used the resources of Washington’s Most Wanted, who has posted a flyer with the information.”

Washington’s Most Wanted is a Fox 13 show that works with Crime Stoppers to seek tips from the public. A Fox 13 report in 2023 about Leming said that he is presumed dead, although no details were released about why that might be the case.

“With this being an active investigation, we are not ruling out any possibilities at this time,” Kasner said when asked if foul play might have been involved in Leming’s disappearance.

Kasner didn’t have a lot of details about why Leming was in Kent.

“It is believed that he had acquaintances in the Kent area,” Kasner said.

Karen Leming posted on social media that she understands people want more information about the case.

“People want to know more details, and I get that, but they do not understand that a police investigation into a missing persons disappearance is a very complicated and labor-intensive,” she said. “The police withhold information that only certain people only know about the case that may have been involved. Unintentional damage can be done if the information gets out that shouldn’t have got out. We want to find Austin and not to have anything jeopardize the case. Therefore, there is very little that I can share and also that I know for a fact.”

Karen Leming thanked people for their support in a Feb. 20 social media post.

“Please accept my sincere and heartfelt thanks for those of you who have continued to support our family, who have listened without judgement and who have been kind to us in a very difficult situation,” she said. “This goes a long way, even if you don’t know that it does. Austin’s son was 9 years old when he went missing. This is the most devastating event that could ever happen to a child as only you can imagine. Nobody could have imagined that their family member would just disappear, never to be found. His son is going to be 13 years old this year.”

Call with tips about case

Anyone with information about Austin Leming can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or Kent Police at 253-856-5800.

Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Island and Whatcom counties. Tipsters receive money for information leading to an arrest and charges.

The pool of money to supply tipster rewards is driven entirely by donations, according to the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.com.