Joseph William Ross, 25, disappeared from Columbus, Indiana on the evening of May 13, 2018. Between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. he was at a friend’s home in the 50 block of South Amherst Place in the Amberley Addition neighborhood after being driven there to cool off from an earlier domestic dispute in Brownstown. Witnesses say he left the residence on foot, walked down the driveway and into nearby woods; he was reported to be carrying a shotgun and had no money or cellphone.

That night there were reports of gunshots and a search was conducted, but investigators found no shotgun, no shell casings and no trace of Ross. A resident at the house later said Ross was suicidal, a detail law enforcement has not been able to corroborate; his father said vanishing without contacting family was out of character. Ross was described as a white male, 5 feet 10 inches, about 135 to 145 pounds, with blond hair and hazel eyes, last seen in blue jeans and a green OReilly Auto Parts work shirt.

Multiple agencies including the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, deputies from Jackson and Jennings counties and the Indiana State Police have taken part in searches that used tracking dogs, and the case remains active with periodic public appeals. The circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear and his family continues to seek answers. If anyone has information about Joseph Ross or that evening, please come forward.