Disappearance of 29-year-old Texas chef remains a mystery one year later

NBC News

27-01-2025

It has been one year since Harley Morris vanished, and his family is still looking for answers.
The 29-year-old was living with his father in Tyler, Texas, at the time. Tyler and his father worked as chefs at Prime 102, a steakhouse in Tyler.
Dateline spoke with Harley's mother, Wendi Attaway-Morris, who was living in Florida when her son vanished. She and her husband are no longer together, but she describes her son's relationship with his father as special. 'Him and his dad were really good friends. They were best friends,' she said. 'They, you know, they lived together, they worked together.'
On the night of January 20, 2024, Harley went out to a few bars with some friends in the downtown area after he got off work. According to Wendi, this was her son's typical Saturday night routine. 'They stayed out late because that's their late night and Sunday they have off, and then Monday, I believe, they have off. So he didn't have to go to work until Tuesday,' she said.
That night, Harley did not have his cell phone with him, something Wendi says was typical of Harley. 'He never had his phone on him,' she said. 'He was totally unplugged except for his video games.'
After going to a few bars, Harley made his way to the 50 Grand Club with some acquaintances, according to Wendi. She says she has spoken to some of the people who were with her son that night. Harley is seen on camera in the parking lot leaving the 50 Grand Club by himself around 3:00 in the morning. He is then seen walking down the street, and then again on a Ring camera. Wendi describes the video as 'very foggy,' but says she was able to confirm it was Harley.
That is the last known sighting of Harley Morris. The footage has not been released by the Tyler Police Department, although they did share a frame of the parking lot video in a post about Harley's disappearance on their Facebook page on January 24, 2024. 'The Tyler Police Department is currently working a missing person case on Harley Warren Morris,' the post states. 'He is a 29-year-old male who was last seen on 1/21/24 at 3:00am walking north in the 2100 block of N Grand Ave alone after leaving the 50 Grand Club.'
Days later, the post was updated with additional information. 'The Tyler Police Department is still actively searching for Harley Morris. We are asking residents and businesses north of Gentry Pkwy to North Loop 323 to check any cameras or doorbell cameras on the date of January 21st from the times of 3:00 am to 7:00 am and report to us if you see anybody walking,' the post reads. They also asked the public to check the area for items Harley was known to be wearing that night: 'a Prime 102 cap, black shoes, and a black/grey hoodie.'
Dateline has reached out multiple times to the Tyler Police Department for an update on the investigation but has not yet heard back.
According to Wendi, Harley's father was the one who reported him missing. Dateline reached out to Harley's father for an interview but has not been able to make contact. Bill Morris did speak with a local television station last week for the one-year anniversary of his son's disappearance. 'The fact that nothing has transpired is the hardest part,' he said through tears. The distraught father told the station he now uses Harley's knives at work. And at home, 'I sleep under his blankets now,' he added.
Wendi says when she learned her son was missing, she jumped in the car and drove to Texas immediately. She has since moved there and dedicates her time to searching for her son. Harley's friends and family have participated in many searches of the area, all of which have turned up nothing.
Wendi says Harley has something that would make his potential remains easily identifiable. When he was still living in Florida, Harley and his mother were involved in what she described as a 'road rage' incident, in which Harley was shot. According to Wendi, the bullet is still lodged in her son's hip, because it was unable to be removed. 'I'm trying to get people together with metal detectors, thinking that's our best hope right now,' she said.
Wendi has turned to social media in the hope of spreading awareness about her son's case. She is the administrator of the page, ' Help Find Harley Morris,' where updates and information about Harley's disappearance are shared. 'I desperately want to get his face out there,' she said. She also started a page called ' Hearts for Harley,' which is a public charity created in his honor.
Wendi fondly holds on to the memories she has with her son as she pushes on in her quest for answers. 'Harley and I love to fish every year,' she said. 'He was kindhearted, and he was real outgoing. He loved to talk your ear off.'
Harley Morris would be 30 years old today. He has long, dirty-blond hair and brown eyes. He is 6'3' and weighs 160 lbs. His family is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his whereabouts.
If you have any information, please call the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000 or you can submit an anonymous tip online. According to the Facebook post put out by Tyler PD, Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to his whereabouts, as well.