New information has led authorities to believe that a missing Walker County man may be in California and plan-ning to return soon.

According to Walker County sheriff Steve Wilson, Perry “Jay” Cope’s estranged wife has told authorities that he is alive and well and in California, with plans to return to the area soon.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed this, nor has any law enforcement agency in California, so officially Cope is still listed as missing.

Cope, 49, of Chickamauga was last seen in Walker County on Friday, March 25