Go behind the headlines as NewNation’s “Missing” investigates missing person cases from across the country, from cold cases to the latest developing stories. Tune into our latest case’s livestream each Thursday where we speak to loved ones and examine the case. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
(NewsNation) — New sightings are cropping up as police try to determine what happened to a missing mother of two in Montana who disappeared at the end of December.
The disappearance of Eva Masin Prather
Eva Masin Prather seemingly walked off into the pre-dawn freezing temperatures of Missoula, Montana, just two days before the new year.
Her husband discovered her disappearance, including that Eva Prather wasn’t dressed for the winter weather. Now, he’s doing his best to shelter their two young children from the storm as he waits for word of what happened to his wife.
Dave Prather can still muster a smile looking through his family’s scrapbooks and seeing the joy of his spirited children, despite having many dark days since his wife disappeared.
“Given how little we know, every single day I just think Eva’s going to walk through the door,” he said.
Dave Prather thinks Eva Prather walked out the door of the family’s Missoula, Montana, home sometime between one and six a.m. on Dec. 30, 2023.
Without any winter clothes and possibly barefoot, he said his 43-year-old wife was struggling with an episode of psychosis, something she had experienced before.
“I would describe it as like a manic episode for quite a few days leading up to that,” he said. “She had previous history.”
A mental health crisis
Kate Neskey was Eva Prather’s close friend for more than a dozen years, the two women have become close and bonded over raising children of the same age and sharing a love of farming.
“Eve’s incredibly quiet, but not in a way that feels closed off,” Neskey said. “She’s super open and you can just see she’s really tender.”
Neskey said her heart aches for Eva Prather’s husband and two children, ages ten and five, who are still waiting for answers.
“Before I even talked to Dave or anyone outside, I made the assumption that it was mental health-related and it turned out to be that way,” she said. “But I was just imagining myself in Dave’s shoes and having my partner be missing and there’s nothing more terrifying.”
Missoula Police told newsNation they were out at the Prather house the day before Eva Prather’s disappearance, and they referred her to a mental health mobile support team.
According to police, Eva Prather suffers from anxiety and paranoia and often believes people are out to get her when she is not with her family.
Eva Prather is not considered a danger to others, but she may not respond well to strangers coming up to her. Authorities said anyone who believes they have seen her should call 911 rather than approaching her.
The search for Eva Prather
Missoula Police Officer Whitney Bennet said officers responded immediately to the neighborhood.
“It was extremely cold, so that’s concerning,” she said.
Eva Masin Prather had a love of farming. (Friends and Family of Eva) 
Eva Masin Prather and her husband Dave Prather. (Friends and Family of Eva) 
Eva Masin Prather with her friends. (Friends and Family of Eva) 
Eva Masin Prather disappeared in Missoula, Montana. (Friends and Family of Eva) 
Eva Masin Prather’s husband said she was experiencing a mental health crisis when she disappeared. (Friends and Family of Eva) 
Eva Masin Prather at a market. (Friends and Family of Eva) 
Eva Masin Prather is a mother of two. (Friends and Family of Eva)
Responding officers noted a popular bike path near the home that leads downtown and continues along the banks of the city’s Clark Fork River.
Camera footage from homes and businesses in the area turned up nothing, despite efforts from people trying to help.
“The community has been amazing,” Bennett said. “A small town, when you hear a mom has gone missing, it’s huge.”
Police got a break the day after Eva Prather disappeared when a barefoot woman was spotted at the Holiday Inn downtown. She fit Prather’s description and was given a bowl of warm soup before she wandered off.
Dave Prather said well over 50 people were searching that night, covering a lot of ground in hopes of finding Eva Prather.
“It turned out, though, the lead they were chasing was a mistaken identity,” he said.
In the area that stretches from an hour outside of town to the Missoula Airport, it’s hard to move without being reminded that Eva Prather is still missing. Billboards plaster the area, reminding people to be on the lookout.
The community is continuing to aid police in the effort to find her.
“Even within the last month, we’ve received reports of sightings of her and our detectives division is following up with everything we get,” Bennett said.
Hoping for Eva Prather’s return
Dave Prather keeps his wife’s home office untouched, fighting to stay positive that the sweet and gentle mother will return.
“We’re still in the hopeful phase, very much. We will find her,” he said. “If she needs space and doesn’t need to be here for whatever reason, we want her to know that it’s okay. We care for her. The kids love her so much and we just want (her) to be safe.”
Dave Prather and Katie Neskey hope that Eva Prather’s story can persuade more people to open up about mental health struggles, erasing the shame that all too often is felt.
Eva is a white woman who is 5’4″ tall and weighs about 125 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information on her should call 911 or contact the Missoula Police Department at 406-552-6300.
If you or someone you know are experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text the national suicide and crisis lifeline at 988.