Account
Apr 15, 2024
May 06, 2024
James
Sanford
75
75
69 inches
170 lbs
Black / African American
Male
On the afternoon of April 8, 2024, 75-year-old James Edward Sanford walked away from his residence in Westland, Michigan, and did not return. He had been preparing to go to a doctor's appointment with his wife, Pamela, when he became agitated and left their home in the Westwood Village apartments complex near Joy and Newburgh roads. Sanford, who had dementia, left without his necessary medication, heightening the concern for his welfare. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing around 220 pounds, with gray facial hair. He was last seen wearing a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt, blue sweatpants, black gym shoes, and a blue "USA Baseball" cap. His family believed he would need assistance to find his way home. Immediately following his disappearance, an urgent search was launched by the Westland Police Department. The search efforts were extensive, involving multiple ground and aerial searches with assistance from the Michigan State Police. Authorities utilized thermal imaging devices in their attempts to locate Sanford, and they contacted local hospitals and police departments in areas where he had previously lived. His wife of 27 years, Pamela Sanford, tirelessly continued the search, checking hospitals and nursing homes day after day with the hope that someone had seen or helped her husband. The long months that followed were agonizing for his family, who not only dealt with the uncertainty of his whereabouts but also had to endure cruel scams from individuals claiming to have information. Tragically, the search for James Sanford came to a heartbreaking end nearly two years after he went missing. On March 28, 2026, human remains were discovered partially submerged in a creek in Livonia, in the area of Hines Drive and Levan Road, about two miles from the Sanfords' home. The body was described as severely decomposed. On April 2, 2026, the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed, through the use of dental records, that the remains were those of James Sanford. The cause of his death remains under investigation. The case is a sorrowful conclusion to a long and painful period of uncertainty for his family and community, which began with a 75-year-old man with dementia wandering from his home and prompted a massive search effort that unfortunately did not lead to his safe return.
Apr 08, 2024
Westland
Michigan
Wayne County
48185
No
140898
Westland Police Department
Westland
Michigan
Wayne County
48185
36701 Ford Rd, Michigan
7347229600
Local
Law Enforcement
240019226
2024-04-08
Westland Police Department
320
Gray or Partially Gray
Brown
Brown
06/09/2026
