PHOENIX – The twin sister of a veteran who was having suicidal thoughts when he went missing two weeks ago in Scottsdale is intensifying efforts to find him.

Patricia Conger told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday that Jesse Conger talked about harming himself in the days leading up to his departure, and she made an emotional plea to her brother.

“I want you to come home,” she said. “I want you to let me help you. We are going to fight this as a family. We are going to take care of this. You don’t have to be alone, and you don’t have to do everything on your own.”

Jesse, 37, was last seen Aug. 14 at his girlfriend’s apartment near McDowell and Hayden roads.

He is 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds with short brown hair, a full beard and blue eyes. He has multiple tattoos and drives a 2015 silver Toyota Camry with Nevada plate 696G03.

Jesse suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

“He was paranoid,” Patricia said of her brother’s recent behavior. “He thought people were following him. He thought that he needed to protect his family.”

He has two children who live with their mother in Las Vegas.

Initially, it was thought Jesse could be headed to Mexico, but Patricia said she no longer thinks that’s the case.

She said he might have headed toward Utah, where she and their parents live, or could still be in the Scottsdale area.

“We are looking closer to home,” she said. “We believe it was a rash decision to leave. We believe he wants to commit suicide.”

Jesse’s disappearance gained attention last week when Detroit businessman and philanthropist Bill Pulte offered a $10,000 reward. On Tuesday, Pulte tripled the offer.

“He is really trying to get this search off the ground,” Patricia said of Pulte’s involvement. “He’s really trying it incentivize people to really look.”

Anybody with information was asked to call the Scottsdale Police Department at 480-312-5000 or contact Patricia at 619-871-7097 or conger.patricia1313@gmail.com.

“We never know what tip, what clue is going to break this wide open,” she said.

Details can be found at a website and Facebook page dedicated to finding Jesse.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ashley Flood contributed to this report.

Follow @KTAR923