Joseph Edward Cripps, known as Joe, vanished after a night out in Little Rock on October 19, 2016. A 51-year-old percussionist who had recently returned to his hometown after a career in Denton, Texas with Brave Combo, he was last seen at the White Water Tavern about a mile from his apartment. Witnesses reported he was heavily intoxicated and was refused further service; a bartender reportedly called a cab but it is unclear whether he took it or walked away.

Joe had been paid for a job that day and was believed to be carrying a significant amount of cash. His car was in the shop, and his last social media activity was a puzzling reply on October 20 before his phone went silent. When he missed a scheduled gig on October 21, his brother James filed a missing person report after finding Joe’s blood pressure medication, drumsticks, and mallets left behind. The Little Rock Police Department investigated the area near the tavern and followed leads but found no immediate signs of foul play.

The case remains open and unsolved. Did anyone in Little Rock that night see Joe leave the tavern or recall a cab pickup in the area?