On a spring evening in Columbus, Indiana, 25-year-old Joseph "Joey" William Ross vanished under troubling and mysterious circumstances. On May 13, 2018, between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m., Ross was at a friend's home in the 50 block of South Amherst Place in the Amberley Addition neighborhood. He had been brought to the residence by a friend to cool off after a domestic dispute with his fiancée in his hometown of Brownstown earlier that day. According to witnesses at the home, Ross left the residence on foot, walking down the driveway and into the darkness of the nearby woods. It was reported that he was carrying a shotgun but had no money or cellphone with him.
The night he disappeared, there were reports of gunshots in the area, prompting a search, but investigators found no shotgun, shell casings, or any trace of Ross. A resident of the house where he was last seen claimed that Ross was suicidal, a detail that has been a point of contention in the investigation. Law enforcement officials have stated that they could not find any other information to corroborate the claim that he was suicidal. His father noted that disappearing without any contact with his family was out of character for his son. At the time of his disappearance, Joseph Ross was described as a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 135 to 145 pounds, with blond hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a green O'Reilly Auto Parts work shirt.
In the years that have followed, the search for answers in Joseph Ross's disappearance has continued. The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department has kept the case active, periodically renewing calls for any information from the public, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including deputies from Jackson and Jennings counties and the Indiana State Police, have been involved in the investigation and search efforts, which have included the use of tracking dogs. Despite these extensive searches and an ongoing investigation, no signs of Ross have been found. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unclear, leaving his family with unanswered questions and a sense of profound loss. The case of Joseph Ross is a somber reminder of a young man who seemingly vanished without a trace, and the enduring pain his absence has caused for his loved ones.
Last Seen: May 13, 2018
