Crime Solvers Central
Crime Solvers Central
302 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 (MP143626)
In the summer of 1998, a 27-year-old man named Joseph Melvin Hankerson vanished from Atlanta, Georgia. He was last seen by a female friend on the afternoon of July 15, 1998. Following his disappearance, those who knew him were interviewed, and searches were conducted in areas he was known to frequent, but these initial efforts to locate him were unsuccessful.

Joseph was a Black / African American male, standing between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall, and weighing between 250 and 270 pounds. He had black hair and brown eyes. At the time he went missing, he was 27 years old. The Atlanta Police Department was the primary agency investigating his case.

Over the years, the investigation into Joseph Hankerson's disappearance has grown cold due to a lack of new leads. His case remains an active missing person report, a lingering mystery for his family and the community. The circumstances surrounding what happened to him after he was last seen by his friend that July afternoon are unknown. The overview of the case is one of an abrupt disappearance with no clear evidence to indicate what may have occurred, leaving his case unresolved for decades.
Last Seen: Jul 15, 1998

Links to Additional Sources (0)

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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.

82%Moderate
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia - unidentified case UP10228
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia
UP10228 • Found Apr 7, 2004
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 18–29 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%5 mi away, same state
TimingFound 6 years after last seen
Height 100%6'0" vs 6'0"–6'2"
Weight 8%127 lb vs 250–270 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
80%Moderate
John Doe — Lawrenceville, Georgia - unidentified case UP90201
John Doe — Lawrenceville, Georgia
UP90201 • Found Jan 19, 1999
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 25–45 vs 27
Race 100%Black
Location 95%29 mi away, same state
TimingFound 6 months after last seen
Height 100%5'7"–5'11" vs 6'0"–6'2"
79%Possible
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia - unidentified case UP60757
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia
UP60757 • Found Jul 24, 2017
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 28–42 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%4 mi away, same state
TimingFound 19 years after last seen
Height 52%5'7"–5'8" vs 6'0"–6'2"
Weight 100%228 lb vs 250–270 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
79%Possible
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia - unidentified case UP8642
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia
UP8642 • Found Mar 30, 2011
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 30–45 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%9 mi away, same county
TimingFound 13 years after last seen
Height 100%6'1" vs 6'0"–6'2"
78%Possible
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia - unidentified case UP468
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia
UP468 • Found Mar 8, 2004
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 82%Est. 35–55 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%9 mi away, same county
TimingFound 6 years after last seen
Height 100%5'11" vs 6'0"–6'2"
Weight 22%140 lb vs 250–270 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
77%Possible
John Doe — West Point, Georgia - unidentified case UP2112
John Doe — West Point, Georgia
UP2112 • Found May 24, 2002
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 30–45 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 82%76 mi away, same state
TimingFound 4 years after last seen
Height 100%6'1" vs 6'0"–6'2"
Weight 42%159 lb vs 250–270 lb
77%Possible
John Doe — Jonesboro, Georgia - unidentified case UP2107
John Doe — Jonesboro, Georgia
UP2107 • Found Apr 6, 2002
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 75%Est. 34–57 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 97%20 mi away, same state
TimingFound 4 years after last seen
Height 84%5'10" vs 6'0"–6'2"
Hair 100%Black vs Black
76%Possible
John Doe — Decatur, Georgia - unidentified case UP99400
John Doe — Decatur, Georgia
UP99400 • Found Aug 2, 2020
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 38–52 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%9 mi away, same state
TimingFound 22 years after last seen
Height 100%6'0" vs 6'0"–6'2"
Weight 0%106 lb vs 250–270 lb
76%Possible
John Doe — Anderson, South Carolina
UP60643 • Found Dec 22, 2001
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 19–29 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 72%114 mi away
TimingFound 3 years after last seen
Height 100%5'10"–6'0" vs 6'0"–6'2"
76%Possible
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia - unidentified case UP31
John Doe — Atlanta, Georgia
UP31 • Found Jun 25, 2004
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 25–35 vs 27 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%9 mi away, same county
TimingFound 6 years after last seen

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.

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