Joel Akridge, known as Joe, disappeared after leaving his home on Valleybrook Road in Columbus, Georgia, during the late morning for his routine walk to the nearby Dollar General on Amber Drive. He was 53 at the time and wearing blue jeans, a black t-shirt with a wrestling logo, black shoes, and a straw hat. Joel is mildly mentally disabled with a third-grade reading level and has a heart condition that requires prescription medication; he did not have his medication with him when he left.

His regular trip to the store normally ended the same day, but Joel never returned and there have been no confirmed sightings at the Dollar General or elsewhere after he departed. The Columbus Police Department is investigating and his case is listed with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. No witnesses have publicly come forward and the circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear.

If anyone saw Joel on the day he disappeared or has information about his usual routes or contacts, please share what you know with Columbus police.