Sitharamanjaneyulu Potiny Missing Person Case

Jan 07, 2026

Jan 07, 2026

Sitharamanjaneyulu

Potiny

73

72

63 inches

165 lbs

Other

Male

In the late summer of 2025, concerns grew for the well-being of 72-year-old Sitharamanjaneyulu Potiny, a resident of Tucson, Arizona. On August 29, 2025, he was reported missing by his family. Home surveillance footage captured him walking away from his residence in the middle of the day. At the time of his disappearance, Mr. Potiny, a male of 'Other' race/ethnicity with graying hair and brown eyes, stood at five feet, three inches tall and weighed around 165 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark shirt, dark pants, and sandals. Compounding the urgency of his disappearance was the fact that he suffered from a medical condition that could cause him to become confused and easily lost. An official Silver Alert was issued to solicit the public's help in locating the vulnerable adult. The investigation into Sitharamanjaneyulu's disappearance took a dark turn as days turned into weeks. Initial reports indicated he was last seen on foot near his home, but the focus of the investigation soon shifted. Information surfaced suggesting that a family member had driven him to the top of Mount Lemmon, a popular and rugged recreation area near Tucson, and he had not been seen since. This revelation led Pima County Sheriff's Department detectives to focus their attention on his 42-year-old son, Vamsi Potiny. After several days of investigation, authorities established probable cause and arrested Vamsi on September 3rd, initially on charges of vulnerable adult abuse and endangerment. Despite the arrest, the elder Mr. Potiny was still considered a missing person, and the search for him continued, with authorities believing he may have been in the vicinity of the Mount Lemmon Trailhead area. As the investigation progressed, the outlook for Sitharamanjaneyulu's safe return grew increasingly grim. In early December 2025, the Pima County Sheriff's Department's homicide unit secured an arrest warrant for Vamsi Potiny on new, more severe charges, including manslaughter and kidnapping. These charges stemmed from the ongoing investigation into his father's disappearance. Authorities revealed that Vamsi admitted to leaving his father, who had memory issues and did not speak English, on Mount Lemmon with some food, water, and a note. Despite extensive searches, Sitharamanjaneyulu Potiny has not been located. The case, which began as a missing person report for a vulnerable adult, has tragically evolved into a criminal investigation centered on the actions of his son, leaving a family and community grappling with a profound loss and the deeply unsettling circumstances of his disappearance on Mount Lemmon.

Aug 29, 2025

Tucson

Arizona

Pima County

Tucson

No

184488

Pima County Sheriff's Department

Tucson

Arizona

Pima County

85714

Regina Manzanedo

Detective

1750 East Benson Highway, Arizona

5203514600

County

Law Enforcement

https://www.pimasheriff.org/

250829283

2025-08-29

Pima County Sheriff's Department

Gray or Partially Gray

Brown

Brown

08/15/2026