More than a week after Joseph James Turner wandered away from his family outside a downtown Birmingham bus station, the 82-year-old remains missing, and his daughter says he has now gone without his daily medication for over a week. Turner, who suffers from dementia and is not originally from the Birmingham area, was last seen walking outside the Greyhound Bus Station on Morris Avenue on September 26.
His daughter, April Smith, who lives with Turner, said he had been attending his younger brother’s funeral memorial when he asked a neighbor for a ride to the bus station and was dropped off there. According to WBRC 6 News, he was seen walking inside the station for several minutes before heading out toward 4th Street. Smith described the agonizing silence since then: “Nobody’s seen him since then. It’s like he fell off the face of the earth, like nothing.”
Police say Turner’s last known location was the Greyhound station at 1801 Morris Avenue around 4:45 p.m. that Saturday, after he wandered away from his family and got a ride to the address, according to WAFF 48 News. The station’s report notes he was last known to be wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, black Crocs with no socks, and a white or grey bucket hat. He is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall and 152 pounds, with brown eyes and gray hair.
Surveillance Footage Shows Final Known Sighting
Turner was last captured on surveillance camera near 4th Street around 4:45 p.m. the day he disappeared, per the same account from WBRC 6 News. The family says he has reportedly been seen a couple of times since, though he remains missing despite those leads. Turner’s family has said he may be confused, raising concern for his safety the longer he goes without his medication.
As reported by ABC 3340, Turner is an 82-year-old Birmingham man who has been reported critically missing, and authorities confirmed he has brown eyes and gray hair. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has issued a missing and endangered person alert for Turner, underscoring the urgency officials have placed on finding him.
Family and Community Members Push for Answers
Michael Jones, speaking about the search, said simply that Joseph Turner has a family looking for him. Family and police have asked residents and business owners near downtown Birmingham, Morris Avenue, and 4th Street to check their security footage from the afternoon of September 26, hoping a camera caught something investigators have missed. They have also asked the public to share Turner’s photo on social media in hopes it reaches someone who has seen him.
Those who know Turner describe him as someone who loves to lace up a pair of skates, a small personal detail his family has shared as they keep pushing for his safe return. Smith said her father needs help, and the family is asking anyone with information to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Birmingham Police Department at 205-328-9311, or to reach April Smith and the family directly at 205-529-9372.
