A 67-year-old Mississippi man, Marvin “Jeff” Jaggers, who had been missing for a week was found “alive and well” on Saturday, Pontotoc County fire services coordinator Adam Patton told Newsweek.
His daughter, Molly Jaggers, has said her father suffers from dementia.
Newsweek has reached out to the Pontotoc Sheriff’s Department for comment via email on Saturday. Newsweek has also reached out to Molly Jaggers for comment on Instagram on Saturday.
The Context
An estimated 57 million people worldwide had dementia in 2021, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Wandering is a major concern for people with dementia, along with forgetfulness, confusion, personality changes and frequently losing or misplacing items. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that “six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once; many do so repeatedly.”
According to nonprofit MissingSippi, over 360 people are missing in the Magnolia State as of late April.
What To Know
On Saturday morning around 10:30 a.m., seven days after he first went missing, Jaggers was found “alive and well” by the Pontotoc Sheriff’s Department, Patton told Newsweek in a phone call. He was found approximately 3.5 to 4 miles from his home, Patton said.
He was then transported to the North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo for evaluation.
Jaggers was last seen on May 10 around 11 a.m. The following day, on May 11, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation issued a Silver Alert regarding Jaggers who they identified as an “at-risk/ missing person.”
Over the past week, volunteers and search and rescue teams from Pontotoc County, the city of Pontotoc, Union County, Calhoun County and Mississippi Task Force One, among other groups, had been actively searching for the man, Patton said.
His daughter, Molly, wrote in an Instagram post days ago that her father “may be disoriented, as he has not had his blood pressure or dementia meds in 4 days now.” She urged people to continue looking for her father.
She added: “We have searched with drones and rangers for miles around the surrounding farm land and channels. We have also searched all of his childhood homes, schools, neighborhoods, and friends in Tupelo.”
Local signs raising awareness of Jaggers’ disappearance were posted in nearby areas, offering a $10,000 reward. Previous award amounts were $1,250 and $3,000.
What People Are Saying
Molly Jaggers wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday: “We just found my Daddy!
Praise God he is alive after 7 days of no water or food or meds! Pray for his recovery!”
Mark McLarty, a family friend of Jaggers, told local outlet WTVA earlier this week: “The relentless caring and compassion these guys have got, I mean, they’re out here from 7 at night til 5 in the morning, go get three hours of sleep…they’re back out the next day. It’s a very tough time, but it’s inspiring and I know the family appreciates everybody that’s been here since Saturday.”
What Happens Next?
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation announced they have canceled their Silver Alert on Jaggers, writing on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday “He has been located and is safe.”
When asked if Jaggers has been discharged from the hospital, Patton said “not to my knowledge.”
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