Missing
Thomas Joseph Morgan
Morgan, approximately 2010
Date and time person was reported missing : 03/15/2010
Missing location (approx) :
Lakeland, Florida
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 07/27/1924 (97)
Age at the time of disappearance: 85 years old
Height / Weight : 5'7 - 5'9, 110 - 120 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A dark blue, gray and white plaid flannel shirt, black pants and shoes with the laces cut out.
Medical conditions : Morgan suffers from Alzheimer's Disease; he was diagnosed about five years before his disappearance.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. White hair, blue/green/hazel eyes. Morgan is balding. He has a mole on his cheek. His nickname is Tom.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Morgan was last seen in a swampy area near his home in north Lakeland, Florida on March 15, 2010. He walked away from his residence in the 1600 block of Country Meadow Drive at approximately 3:30 p.m. to take a walk, and never returned. He didn't take any food, water or belongings with him. Some witnesses saw him about a mile from his house at 4:00 p.m., walking towards Rockridge Road near the Green Swamp. This was the last sighting of him.
Morgan's wife died in 2001. He lived with his daughter and her boyfriend on a six-acre property at the time of his disappearance; they moved there in 2007. His daughter had decided to care for him herself rather than put him in a nursing home. He does not drive, but he enjoyed going for long walks.
Morgan had wandered away from his previous residence in Hillsborough, Florida several times, but only for short periods, and he had never wandered away from his Lakeland property before.
An extensive search of the area turned up no indication of Morgan's whereabouts. His daughter believes he may have accepted a ride from a passing motorist who was unaware of his mental state. His case remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Polk County Sheriff's Office
863-533-0344
September 2021 updates and sources
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
The Lakeland Ledger
ABC Action News
The Tampa Tribune
October 12, 2004. October 7, 2010; .
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
