Family of missing MS Coast man ‘faithful’ he will be found, but ‘desperate’ for answers
Editor’s note: The body of Joseph Ladnier was found Friday in Alabama.
The family of a South Mississippi man who has been missing since Christmas Eve says they are faithful he will be found, but desperate for information.
Joseph “Joe” Edwin Ladnier, 60, of Hurley, was last seen locally at 8 a.m. Dec. 24 leaving his home on Begonia Street in Hurley, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. He was planning to visit his son, Joey, on Lily Patch Lane in Moss Point but he never arrived.
Ladnier’s daughter, Taylor Manning, told the Sun Herald that his family — which includes his wife, Lori, and his 10 adult children and 14 grandchildren — has been searching for him and chasing any possible leads.
“The family has remained strong and faithful that he will be found and returned home safely. We have received immense support from surrounding communities,” Manning said.
On Thursday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department announced that the search for Ladnier is no longer in its jurisdiction. Sheriff John Ledbetter said in a news release that Ladnier was last seen early Dec. 24 in Wilmer, Alabama, and that there was no reason to believe foul play was involved in his disappearance.
Ladnier is a former law enforcement officer and Navy veteran who owns a gym where he is a fitness coach. Manning said Ladnier has also won multiple world titles in powerlifting and loves the outdoors.
“[He’s] always been a family man,” Manning said. “Been married to Lori for 15 years and has a service dog, Legend, both of whom he loves tremendously.”
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which issued a Silver Alert for Ladnier on Monday, Ladnier was wearing blue jeans and a long-sleeved shirt when he went missing. Ladnier also has a nautical sleeve tattoo on his right arm.
The sheriff’s department described Ladnier’s vehicle as a 2004 red or maroon Toyota Tundra, with Mississippi disabled license plate DB0034Q.
Ladnier has not used any of his bank cards and his vehicle tag has not been scanned by any local or interstate tag readers since he went missing, according to investigators.
Ladnier left his home without his cell phone, according to a Facebook post.
Manning says they’re running into problems with people not reporting possible sightings of Ladnier to law enforcement, but instead messaging friends or posting about it on social media.
According to Manning, this makes the search harder, “because it leaves us behind his route and if he is outside of Jackson County jurisdiction, it limits what they are able to do if there is no official reports made,” Manning said.
As time goes on since Ladnier was last spotted, Manning worries as Ladnier recently had a kidney transplant and needs his anti-rejection medication on a daily basis.
The sheriff’s department asks that anyone with information on his whereabouts please call the sheriff’s department at 228-769-3063 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898 or use their app P3 Tips.
This story was originally published December 27, 2023 at 1:47 PM.
