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Crime Solvers Central
298 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP59119) and 2 other sources
In the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, concern grew for a 50-year-old man named Joel Lopez who had seemingly vanished. His sister officially reported him missing to the Philadelphia Police Department on August 15, 2018. She informed the authorities that the last time she had any communication with her brother was much earlier, back in March of 2017. Over a year had passed without a word, prompting her to finally seek official help. At the time of his disappearance, Joel was described as a Hispanic male, standing between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighing between 150 and 160 pounds. He had black hair and brown eyes.

The circumstances surrounding Joel's disappearance were, and remain, quite vague. His sister's report indicated that she had not heard from him for an extended period, which created a significant gap in the timeline of his last known activities. Investigators were told that he could possibly be in the Kensington area of Philadelphia, a detail that provided a potential, albeit broad, geographic focus for any search efforts. Despite this piece of information, there were no specific details released about the clothes he was last seen wearing, or if he had any distinctive physical features that could aid in his identification.

The lack of concrete information has made the investigation into Joel Lopez's disappearance challenging. No public information has been made available regarding his personal life, his state of mind at the time he was last in contact with his sister, or any potential reasons why he might have ceased communication. The case is an unsettling one, marked by a prolonged period of silence before an official report was filed. The overview of the case is one of a man who seemingly faded out of contact with his family over time, with the official missing person report marking a formal acknowledgment of a separation that had begun long before. The lack of any publicly available updates or developments since the initial report leaves his whereabouts unknown and the case unresolved.

Last Seen: Aug 15, 2018

Links to Additional Sources (2)

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Possible Unidentified Matches (10)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

84%Moderate
John Doe — Staten Island, New York - unidentified case UP84078
John Doe — Staten Island, New York
UP84078 • Found May 26, 2021
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 35–50 vs 50 when missing
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 84%68 mi away
TimingFound 3 years after last seen
Height 100%5'6" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 97%178 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
83%Moderate
John Doe — Camden, New Jersey
UP77333 • Found Aug 13, 2020
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 45–55 vs 50 when missing
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 100%3 mi away
TimingFound 24 months after last seen
Height 100%5'7"–6'1" vs 5'7"–5'9"
83%Moderate
John Doe — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UP70353 • Found May 7, 2020
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 35–50 vs 50 when missing
Race 60%White
Location 100%5 mi away, same county
TimingFound 21 months after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 100%166 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
83%Moderate
John Doe — Elmhurst, New York - unidentified case UP58733
John Doe — Elmhurst, New York
UP58733 • Found Jul 6, 2019
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 30–50 vs 50
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 80%83 mi away
TimingFound 11 months after last seen
Height 84%5'5" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 100%143 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
Name: same last name as tentative name (Obdolio Lopez Gomez)
82%Moderate
John Doe — Staten Island, New York - unidentified case UP82373
John Doe — Staten Island, New York
UP82373 • Found Jul 8, 2021
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 35–50 vs 50 when missing
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 85%65 mi away
TimingFound 3 years after last seen
Height 100%5'7" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 62%203 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
81%Moderate
John Doe — New Brunswick, New Jersey - unidentified case UP72674
John Doe — New Brunswick, New Jersey
UP72674 • Found May 9, 2020
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 30–50 vs 50 when missing
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 90%49 mi away
TimingFound 21 months after last seen
Height 84%5'5" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 90%183 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
81%Moderate
John Doe — Manhattan, New York - unidentified case UP140932
John Doe — Manhattan, New York
UP140932 • Found Mar 3, 2025
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 50–60 vs 50 when missing
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 81%79 mi away
TimingFound 7 years after last seen
Height 100%5'9" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 90%183 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
80%Moderate
John Doe — Queens, New York - unidentified case UP94144
John Doe — Queens, New York
UP94144 • Found Jul 29, 2022
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 30–50 vs 50 when missing
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 80%83 mi away
TimingFound 4 years after last seen
Height 100%5'6" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 100%137 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
80%Moderate
John Doe — Brooklyn, New York - unidentified case UP78208
John Doe — Brooklyn, New York
UP78208 • Found Feb 18, 2021
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 35–55 vs 50 when missing
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 82%76 mi away
TimingFound 3 years after last seen
Height 100%5'6" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 81%190 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
80%Moderate
John Doe — Staten Island, New York - unidentified case UP90326
John Doe — Staten Island, New York
UP90326 • Found Dec 13, 2020
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 30–50 vs 50 when missing
Race 100%Hispanic
Location 85%64 mi away
TimingFound 2 years after last seen
Height 84%5'5" vs 5'7"–5'9"
Weight 88%125 lb vs 150–160 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.