Eight days after disappearance, Eaton Sheriff's Office seeks help finding man

Sheldon Krause, Lansing State Journal
Updated ·2 min read
A flier affixed to a car window at Plumtree Apartments in Lansing, with information about Richard Johnson, who has been missing since May 7. He reportedly left an "associate's" apartment there and was last seen headed east toward neighboring Delta Square Apartments, where he resides. The family ask anyone with information to call the Eaton County Sheriff's Office at 517-543-3512, or 911.

DELTA TWP. — The Eaton County Sheriff's Office Monday requested public help in finding Richard Johnson, who went missing more than a week ago in the vicinity of an apartment complex where he lives with his wife.

"We're no closer than we were before," Johnson's son Justin Johnson said Tuesday. "We're just getting dead ends everywhere we go."

Johnson, 63, was last seen about 11 p.m. May 7 in the area of 203 Gatewood Drive at Plumtree Apartments when he left to return to his own residence at Delta Square Apartments, a short distance away.

Johnson’s family has been searching the area since May 9 and organized a public search Thursday to cover more of the area. They’ve also been putting fliers up throughout the area.

Johnson took issue with the length of time between his father's disappearance and the sheriff's release being posted online.

"I don't understand why they drag their feet on releasing a missing persons report to the public," he said. "If they would've just did that in the first day, the community would have had a head start looking for him."

Representatives from the Sheriff's Office didn't immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the Facebook press release.

Monday, the Eaton County Sheriff's Office posted a press release that said Johnson was last seen wearing a long camo jacket, a baseball cap, gray sweatpants and a white or gray T-shirt. Johnson has Huntington’s disease, which may lead to confusion or disorientation. Officials encouraged anyone with information to call the office at 517-543-3512 or 517-323-8480.

A missing person report was filed May 8 by Johnson's wife, Kim, according to Justin Johnson.

Justin Johnson said his father didn't have his wallet or ID with him when he disappeared.

Johnson added that the Sheriff's Office hasn't been actively working with the family and only assigned a detective to the case after media attention.

People viewing the press release on Facebook also expressed outrage at the delay in seeking help.

“I am definitely sad and disappointed that this case of a missing person is just now being communicated to the public,” Nicole Dungey of Lansing said on Facebook. “Not everyone has the same resources and we must rely on our public service professionals for their help when we need it most — someone or several clearly dropped the ball here.”

"Disappointing it took this long for the police to share some details themselves," Tennille Jorgensen-Kenyon said in a post. "Nothing from Eaton County until today. You guys need to do better!"

Contact Sheldon Krause at skrause@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @sheldonjkrause.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Eaton County Sheriff's Office wants help finding missing Delta Twp. man