Crime & Safety

Local Man Still Missing in Myrtle Beach

Johnny Lamar Brown, 44, of Cartersville, who is considered special needs, never returned from an Aug. 3 walk while on vacation in South Carolina.

Although tipsters have reported sightings of the Cartersville man missing in Myrtle Beach for nearly a month, Johnny Lamar Brown has not been found.

Brown, 44, never returned from an Aug. 3 walk in the South Carolina beach town. He and his family were vacationing, according to Myrtle Beach police.

"He left his wallet and all his belongings in the hotel room," authorities said in a press release. "Mr. Brown is confused easily and has a speech impediment, making him hard to understand."

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Brown, an African-American man who stands about 5-feet-6-inches tall and weighs about 146 pounds, has special needs and may be easily frightened, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database.

Since he disappeared during his family's first trip outside Georgia, tipsters have reported several sightings of Brown in different areas of Myrtle Beach, WPDE News Channel 15's CarolinaLive.com reports.

Find out what's happening in Cartersvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"Biggest challenge we've faced is people have delayed calling us. We've gotten information two to four days old, which has really hindered us," Lt. Eric DiLorenzo told the TV station. "So we do urge, if you do see him, call us immediately, even if you think it's him, might be him."

Anyone with information on Brown's whereabouts should call Myrtle Beach police at 843-918-1382.

The family, members of which had remained in the Myrtle Beach area, is accepting donations at bank branches via the "John and Ruby Brown To Help Bring JB Home" fund.   

"There's been a time or two that I have sat outside and thought that I've seen him and I would sort of walk up to them and look at them to see if it's him, when it wasn't," Brown's mother, Ruby, said after two weeks of searching, according to CarolinaLive.com.    

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