Howard Lee Ellis was 39 when he walked out of Wayne Memorial Hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on September 7, 1999 at about 2:20 p.m. He left before being officially discharged and was never seen or heard from again. Howard was six feet tall, about 145 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and had a history of seizures, which led authorities to classify him as an endangered missing person.

The Goldsboro Police Department investigated but the case produced few clues. Records note no clear explanation for why he was hospitalized that day or why he left the hospital grounds, and his whereabouts after leaving remain unknown. The case remains an open, cold missing person file and the family continues without answers.

If anyone knew Howard, saw him around Goldsboro in September 1999, or has information about his disappearance, please come forward.