On the morning of December 19, 2018, the life of a Cleveland, Ohio family was unassumingly altered. Benton E. Zastawnik, known to his loved ones as Ben, was at his home on Plymouth Road. His wife saw him sleeping when she left for work that day; however, upon her return, the 59-year-old was gone. The circumstances of his departure were immediately alarming. Ben had left without any of his essential personal belongings; his wallet, keys, and phone were all left behind at the residence.
The absence of these items suggested he had not planned to be gone for long, yet he has not been seen or heard from since. He was believed to have simply walked away, as he did not have a vehicle or a bike.
Ben is a white male, standing six feet tall and weighing around 185 to 195 pounds, with brown eyes and graying hair that he often kept shaved. He had a distinctive mustache and goatee at the time he went missing. His appearance is further marked by several tattoos, including a lion on one of his shoulders, a tiger with greenery on his chest, a small gecko near his groin, and a face surrounded by flames on one of his calves. When he was last seen, he may have been wearing a bluish-grey sweatshirt, a black Pink Floyd hooded sweatshirt, and possibly a long leather jacket. He was also likely wearing black Milwaukee motorcycle boots and his gold wedding band. Critically, Ben required daily medication for seizures and neuropathy, a nerve condition in his legs that limited his mobility, all of which he left behind.
The years following Benton Zastawnikï s disappearance have been filled with unanswered questions and continued pain for his family. Shortly after he went missing, his family offered a reward for information, desperate for any lead that might bring him home. Law enforcement, including the Cleveland Police Department, has sought help from the public, but few details about the case have been made available. The investigation into what happened to Ben remains open. His case is a distressing example of the profound mystery that can suddenly envelop a person's life, leaving a void for those who knew and loved him. The overview of the case highlights a man who vanished from the security of his own home, leaving behind every essential item, including the medication he depended on, and stepping out into a mystery that endures to this day.Last Seen: Dec 19, 2018
