Police Unsure Why Discovery of Missing Truck Didn't Reach Them Sooner

DeKalb County police said this week it remains unclear why the department wasn't notified when missing North Druid Hills musician in Gainesville, TX, last month.

After Marchi, 43, was reported missing in late August, his plate information was entered into the National Crime Information Center, an FBI clearinghouse for criminal data that can be accessed by any law enforcement agency anytime nationwide, DeKalb Lt. J. Louis said.

Gainesville police couldn't be reached for comment, but if law enforcement wasn't involved in the towing of the vehicle from the Walmart parking lot in mid-October, the national database may never have been consulted, he said.

But a report yesterday in the Gainesville Daily Register claims the tow company did inform "authorities" within an hour of towing the car, which is the company's policy.

"[The information] was placed on the system," Louis said. "As far as us not receiving the hit, I don’t know why it took so long."

When DeKalb police were first notified of the car's discovery Nov. 13, the department released a statement claiming family and friends never provided them with the truck's license plate. Louis said the officer who released that statement was incorrect and that the truck's information was placed in the database.

DeKalb County police are in the process of getting the car released and accessing Walmart's surveillance video of the parking lot, which could reveal whether Marchi or someone else drove the car there.

Marchi was last seen leaving his townhome at the intersection of Buford Highway and North Druid Hills Road on Aug. 12. He told Powell he was going out for a bit and never returned, but friends say Marchi took nothing to indicate he was leaving for very long. His cell phone and guitar, which he took everywhere, were left in his bedroom.

DeKalb County police discovered the truck was in Texas when friends of Marchi's in Illinois received a letter from the impound lot. Marchi, who never registered his car in Georgia, put their address on his Illinois registration. They notified police when they received the letter.