Austin Wise, 24, was last seen in the early morning hours of May 28, 2017, at a friend’s home on Griffin Road in Waycross, Georgia. He had spent the night there and called his family for a ride; when his father arrived the residence was empty. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes. The family reported him missing two days later and say foul play is suspected.

Searches included foot and ATV teams, a Georgia State Patrol helicopter, and cadaver dogs; investigators interviewed numerous witnesses and followed leads. A trace of Austin’s phone placed it near a highway but the device was never recovered. Two people who were with him before he disappeared — the friend he visited and her uncle who lived in a nearby camper — have since died of causes unrelated to the case. Austin’s mother said he had been upset in the days before he vanished, owed money to an acquaintance, and had told her two days earlier that someone at the house had pulled a gun on him; despite that he returned.

The Ware County Sheriff’s Office is still seeking information and a reward has been offered. If anyone knew Austin, was in the Griffin Road area on or after May 28, 2017, or has information about his phone or the people he owed, please come forward.