Jan 28, 2026
Jan 28, 2026
Ronelle
Stephens
61
61
6'0 inches
200 lbs
Black
Male
In the winter of 2019, concern grew for the well-being of a 61-year-old man named Male Ronelle Stephens. On February 4th of that year, he was with family members at Southampton Memorial Hospital in Franklin, Virginia. At some point between 1:13 and 2:30 in the afternoon, he walked out of the hospital and has not been seen or heard from since. At the time he went missing, he was described as a Black male, standing 6 feet tall and weighing around 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was believed to be wearing either a green shirt and green pants or shorts with white shoes and a black beanie hat, or a blue sweater with white writing on the front, dark-colored pants, and white shoes. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance are particularly worrying because he suffers from dementia and may be in need of medical attention. His sudden departure from the hospital without a trace left his family and authorities with many unanswered questions. Mr. Stephens was known to be a frequent visitor of the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which led to the possibility that he may have traveled to Richmond, Virginia, with some speculation that he could be in the south side of the city. Despite these leads, the search for him has yielded few results. The passage of time has not diminished the hope of finding answers, but the lack of new information has made the case increasingly difficult. The overview of the case is a poignant reminder of the silent struggles many individuals with dementia and their families face. A man, in a moment of possible confusion, vanished from a place of care, leaving behind a family to grapple with his absence. The details, though sparse, paint a picture of a vulnerable individual who disappeared unexpectedly, and the ongoing search for him highlights the persistent effort to bring him home safely.
Feb 04, 2019
Franklin
Virginia
Franklin
Franklin Police Departmen
757-562-8575
07/05/2026