The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has cancelled the Silver Alert for Robert Stidham, an 83-year-old man from Mt. Juliet, after he was found safe in Sevierville. Stidham, who has a medical condition that could affect his capability to get home, went missing earlier and had last been observed driving northbound on Rutledge Pike near the Blaine city limits around 8:30 p.m. EST.
In a statement obtained by FOX17, it was shared that Stidham is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 280 pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes; he was wearing a light-colored t-shirt, gray joggers, and tan boat shoes at the time of his disappearance, driving a black 2022 Honda HRV with Tennessee license plate 440BBYV. A license plate reader technology played a key role in locating Stidham, with the alert activating in East Tennessee where it signaled his trajectory toward Sevierville, thus prompting a swift notification to local authorities who located him unharmed.
The Mt. Juliet Police Department expressed gratitude for the Advanced Response Communication Center operators and praised the efficacy of License Plate Reader technology in this instance, which according to a WSMV report, was instrumental in the successful location of Stidham. The police department quickly notified Sevierville Police, who found him safe.
Upon Stidham's discovery, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation took to social media to update the public and thank them for assisting in the safe recovery of the missing man, their message underscored by a collective sigh of relief among all parties involved in the search—families, authorities, and a community holding out hope for his well-being were satiated with good tidings in this fortunate outcome.
