Pasco County deputies are asking the public for help finding Brandon Johnson, a 51-year-old man who was last seen around 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 23, in the Elfers Parkway area of Port Richey. Johnson has been classified as missing and endangered, and investigators say he was wearing a hat, a gray t-shirt and gray shorts while carrying a black backpack when he disappeared.
According to Tampa Free Press, Johnson stands about 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs roughly 175 pounds, and has blue eyes and brown-and-blonde hair. The outlet reports that Pasco County deputies issued an appeal for information about Johnson. Anyone who has seen Johnson or knows his whereabouts is asked to call the Pasco Sheriff's non-emergency line at 727-847-8102, option 7.
The Pasco Sheriff's Office also published a bulletin about Johnson on Thursday.
Why Johnson Was Classified as Endangered
Under Florida Statute § 937.0201, a missing adult aged 26 or older is legally classified as a missing endangered person when law enforcement suspects the individual is endangered or a potential victim of criminal activity, according to the Florida House of Representatives.
State law also shaped how quickly deputies moved once Johnson was reported missing. Florida Statute § 937.021 legally prohibits law enforcement agencies from imposing any mandatory waiting period before accepting a missing person report, explaining why Pasco County deputies began search operations right away rather than delaying, per the Florida Senate.
State Resources Beyond the Local Search
Beyond the initial database entry, Florida maintains a dedicated clearinghouse for cases like this one. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement operates the Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse under Florida Statute § 937.022 to provide continuous analytical and investigative support for missing person cases, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The clearinghouse functions as the state's central hub for missing person alerts and intelligence.
Florida also has a newer alert mechanism for vulnerable adults who don't fit the elder-focused Silver Alert system. Under state law updated in July 2024 through HB 397, local agencies can issue Local Purple Alerts for missing adults with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities who do not meet Silver Alert criteria, the FDLE notes. It remains unknown whether investigators consider Johnson's case a candidate for that type of alert.
Searching Along the Anclote River
The area where Johnson was last seen carries its own geographic challenges. Elfers Parkway runs alongside the Anclote River in an unincorporated stretch near Port Richey and New Port Richey marked by residential lots and riverfront terrain, according to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty. That riverfront terrain has complicated searches in the corridor before — in June 2012, Pasco Sheriff's deputies and emergency crews conducted a water recovery operation along the 3800 block of Elfers Parkway after a body was discovered in flooded waters near the Anclote River, per the New Port Richey Patch.
It is unknown whether investigators suspect foul play, medical vulnerability, or disorientation in Johnson's case, and the sheriff's office has not indicated which factor, if any, is driving the search.
For now, Pasco County investigators are continuing to seek public tips as they work to locate Johnson.
