JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida ranks third in the nation for open missing person cases, and families of missing adults often feel forgotten. Events like Florida Missing Adults’ Day are crucial for showing these families that they are seen, heard, and loved.
RELATED: Missing Adult Day sheds light on unsolved cases and offers hope to Florida families
One such family is that of John Rowan Jr., who has been missing for 24 years. His father, John Rowan Sr., is in hospice, but a recording of him singing a song for his son was played for families in similar situations—missing a loved one, gone without a trace.
Wanda Sanders, whose daughter Whitney was last seen at a club on Kings Road in 2013, shared her emotional journey.
“No one saw her, her friends looked, no one saw her, she never came back,” Sanders said.
Whitney’s disappearance has left her family with unanswered questions, and her daughter, who was just 2 years old at the time, is now 15 and still asking for her mother.
“She always asked for her mom, she had a relationship with her. That’s how I know my daughter wouldn’t just walk away,” Sanders said.
The family of Paul Akridge is also seeking closure. Paul, a Gator fan and baseball player who loves to fish, was last seen in May 2021. His sister, Valerie Laveers, expressed her concerns.
“We are pretty sure something detrimental happened to Paul. He would have found a way to contact us by now.”
Paul’s sisters hope for his return, especially as their mother is ill and in need of closure.
“The worst part is not knowing the truth and being given false hope,” Celena Julies, Paul’s sister said.
These families, like many others, live with the constant trauma of the unknown.
“You really can’t take any stories as if this is the one. So every time we get a text or a message we are like keep your fingers crossed hopefully we will learn something say a small prayer and then usually when the shoe drops it wasn’t anything,” Laveers said.
If you have any information regarding either of these cases you are asked to call Jacksonville’s Sheriff’s Office or crime stoppers.
