BEAUMONT, Texas — Edwards Phillips’ family wants him back home. The 71-year-old man seemed to have vanished in late October of 2021, and his case has left investigators baffled.
Phillips’ family is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can help provide a break in the case.
“It's sad because we don't have a closure,” Patrina Phillips, Edward Phillips’ wife, said. “We don't know what's going on. We just need somebody, please, to come forward and tell us something if you know something because this is really hard on a family.”
Phillips was last seen on a city bus at the intersection of 4th and Sarah Street in Beaumont on October 21, 2021. His family said he just seemed to have vanished.
“I knew right away something was wrong,” Patrina Phillips said.
Patrina Phillips said on the day her husband went missing, she went hours without hearing from him. This was unusual for Edward Phillips.
“So, I called the police,” Patrina Phillips said.
After she called the police, officers determined the last person to see Edward Phillips was the driver of the bus he was last seen on.
“He was on a city bus,” Detective Jason Torres with the Beaumont Police Department said. “He got off at 4th and Sarah, probably between 8 and 9 p.m. at night. That's the last time anybody has seen him.”
Detective Torres said despite their best efforts, Beaumont Police have not gotten any leads as to where Edward Phillips may be or what could have happened to him.
“We have searched the whole area that he lives in,” Detective Torres said. “We've put up a drone. We've had a community walk through the neighborhood. We've checked abandoned houses, hospitals, jails, all around the area, and we have not been able to locate him.”
The detective said it is unusual for a case like this to not have any leads.
Police are encouraging those who work in the medical field or with people experiencing homelessness to look closely at Edward Phillips' picture and name. Investigators believe it's possible that he could have a medical emergency, may have given someone the wrong name, or could be simply confused.
Anyone with information that could lead to the location of Edward Phillips is encouraged to call Beaumont Police Department.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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