Energy exec reported missing in New Orleans

Energy exec reported missing in New Orleans
By JENNIFER RADCLIFFE
HOUSTON CHRONCLE
March 6, 2010, 9:02PM

[link to www.chron.com]

Executives of a Houston energy company spent Saturday searching the New Orleans' French Quarter area for their president, 54-year-old Douglas Schantz, who disappeared early Friday morning.

Schantz, head of Houston-based Sequent Energy Management, was last seen wearing a blazer and tie at 2 a.m. in the 500 block of Bourbon Street, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

“This is exceptionally unusual,” said Mark Homestead, Sequent's vice president of trading and marketing. “We are a business where we are all on call 24/7 and we all carry BlackBerrys. He usually responds within 10 minutes with phone calls and e-mails.”

About six employees were in New Orleans last week to make a donation to Tulane University's energy graduate program. After the ceremony, the co-workers went to Bourbon Street, Homestead said.

At some point in the night, Schantz became separated from the others.

“If we're out to dinner or out, it's not unusual for us to leave at separate times,” Homestead said.

The other men eventually returned to the hotel, and, in the morning, boarded flights back to Houston, where they had a noon staff meeting.

“We just assumed that he came back to the hotel,” Homestead said, adding that it is also not unusual for co-workers to take different flights home.

They began to suspect that something was wrong when Schantz didn't return for the meeting. Their worries escalated when Schantz's wife called to say he had not come home.

Schantz was supposed to meet his daughter for the flight home. Police said his hotel key card had not been used since Thursday, and his bank and phone accounts were untouched.

“It's completely out of line with how this individual conducts his day-to-day business,” New Orleans Assistant Police Superintendent Marlon Defillo said Saturday. “Typically, when someone comes to New Orleans to have a good time, they'll be gone for a couple of hours. When he has engagements and did not attend, that's a concern.”

Surveillance video from the last bar the men patronized shows Schantz leaving alone shortly after 2 a.m.

Police are searching for additional surveillance footage.

Schantz is as dedicated a father and businessman, Homestead said, and worried relatives described him as a “happy father of three.“

Company spokesman Alan Chapple said they are working around-the-clock to assist in the search.

“We are deeply concerned about Doug,“ he said. “We're working with law enforcement and doing everything we can to get Doug back home safely.”

Saturday's efforts included police and Schantz's co-workers, as well as Tulane students and staff, who canvassed the area with fliers.

“We're just appealing to anyone in the area that may have seen him,” Homestead said.

Schantz is described as white, about 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, with a medium build, blue eyes and short, straight, dirty-blonde hair.

Sequent Energy Management announced Saturday that it would match the $5,000 the reward offered by the local office of Crime Stoppers. Anyone with information is asked to call 9-1-1, the New Orleans Police Department at 504-821-2222, Detective Gwen Guggenheim at 504-658-5300, or Crime Stoppers at 504-822-1111.

Chronicle staff writer Jennifer Radcliffe contributed to this report, which contains material from the Associated Press.