Varnell Middleton Jr. was 19 years old when concern for his safety became public in Jackson, Mississippi. According to the NamUs missing person entry for case MP157776, he was listed as missing from Jackson in Hinds County, with March 10, 2026 recorded as the date of last contact. NamUs described him as a young man of American Indian or Alaska Native and Black or African American race or ethnicity, with black hair and brown eyes, standing between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall, and
weighing somewhere between 130 and 200 pounds. The case carried no listed NCMEC number, no listed medical examiner or coroner case number, and no public entries for distinctive physical features, clothing, accessories, transportation, or documents.
The known timeline began before the March 10 last-contact date. A public report from Darkhorse Press News, citing the Jackson Police Department, stated that Varnell had left his home in February 2026 but remained in contact by text message until March 10. After that final known communication, his silence became troubling enough that police asked for the public’s help. NamUs added a more specific detail about the final known location, stating that after he was last spoken to through text on March 10, his last known location was the OYO Hotel on I-55 in Jackson. Together, those details left investigators and loved ones with a narrow but painful trail: a young man who had been away from home, still communicating for a time, and then suddenly no longer reachable.
The Jackson Police Department was identified as the investigating agency, with the agency case number listed by NamUs as 26-04-06288. The public NamUs profile listed the department’s address as 327 East Pascagoula Street in Jackson and provided the main phone number as 601-960-1234, while the Darkhorse Press News report said anyone with information about Varnell’s whereabouts was asked to contact Jackson police at 601-960-1800 or 601-720-7588. The case was reported to the agency on April 20, 2026, the same date the available case materials indicate the NamUs image associated with his profile was uploaded.
The public information available about Varnell’s disappearance was limited, but what was released painted a deeply human picture of uncertainty. He was not described through a long list of possessions, vehicles, or last-seen clothing; instead, the case rested on a few stark facts: he had left home, stayed in touch for a while, was last contacted by text on March 10, and was associated with the OYO Hotel on I-55 as his last known location. For his family and those who cared about him, the gap between that final text contact and the later public appeal would have been filled with worry, searching, and unanswered questions.
The attached case data indicates that the case resolution status is Alive, meaning Varnell Middleton Jr. has been found alive and this is no longer an active missing persons case. The exact date he was found is not clear from the available information, so no specific recovery date can be stated. In overview, Varnell’s case began as the disappearance of a 19-year-old Jackson man whose last known contact was by text on March 10, 2026, whose last known location was connected to the OYO Hotel on I-55, and whose case was investigated by the Jackson Police Department after being reported in April 2026; it was later resolved with the most important outcome his loved ones could hope for: he was located alive.Last Seen: Mar 10, 2026
