In the early morning hours of December 20, 2020, 72-year-old Lacy Bunch disappeared from his home on Bell Street in Enfield, North Carolina. He was last seen at his residence around 3:30 a.m. His sister, who was staying with him at the time, heard the front door shut at approximately 6:00 a.m. and discovered he was gone when she got out of bed. The weather that morning was cold, with sleet falling, yet Lacy had left without his coat or shoes. He also left behind his glasses, money, and identification. Concerns for his well-being were heightened because he suffered from dementia and may not have been taking his medication.
Immediately following his disappearance, a Silver Alert was issued for the endangered man. The Halifax County Sheriff's Office, along with numerous volunteers, initiated an extensive search of the area surrounding his home. The search efforts were considerable, involving as many as 90 volunteers on foot, search dogs, and helicopters from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and North Carolina Forest Service. Investigators searched nearby woods and a pond, and reviewed video surveillance footage from the area, but found no sign of him. Despite these thorough searches, no clues to his whereabouts were discovered.
The disappearance of Lacy Bunch remains an unsolved case, leaving his family and community without answers. He was described as a Black male, 5'5' tall and weighing about 130 pounds, with short, graying red hair and brown eyes. At the time he went missing, he was likely wearing a dark-colored t-shirt and gray pants. The circumstances of his disappearance are troubling, given his vulnerable state due to dementia and the fact that he left home unprepared for the weather without any personal belongings. The Halifax County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate, and his case is one of two missing person cold cases in the county.
Last Seen: Dec 20, 2020
