Joe Everette Ragan was 36 when he was last seen at his residence on the 400 block of Gray Street in Gastonia, North Carolina, on September 3, 1978. He is described as a white male with brown, balding hair and blue eyes, 5 feet 8 inches tall, about 180 pounds. At the time he vanished he was reportedly wearing a white shirt and grayish-blue pants.

No report was filed with police until a family member went to the Gastonia Police Department on October 5, 1978, more than a month after his last confirmed sighting. The circumstances of his disappearance and details about the initial investigation are scarce. The Gastonia Police Department continues to list him as a missing person.

If anyone knew Joe, his routines, friends, or where he might have gone after September 3, 1978, please share what you know with the Gastonia Police Department.