Boston Police are asking for the public's help finding Robert Kern, an 84-year-old man who was reported missing Saturday after he was last seen near the intersection of Dartmouth Street and Boylston Street in Back Bay. Kern is described as a white male, 5 feet 4 inches tall, with a thin build, and he was last seen wearing a black jacket, green pants, and a beige hat with the words “Sharon Melon” written on it.
According to Newport Dispatch, the Boston Police Department is actively working to locate Kern and has asked anyone with information to call 911 or reach District D-4 detectives directly at (617) 343-5619. The district, headquartered at 650 Harrison Avenue in the South End, covers Back Bay, the South End, The Fenway, and Lower Roxbury, according to the Boston Police Department.
The spot where Kern was last seen sits at the edge of one of the city's busiest public crossroads. The report notes that Dartmouth Street forms the western boundary of Copley Square, while Boylston Street forms its northern boundary, a hub anchored by the Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, and the MBTA's Copley Green Line station, per Wikipedia. Copley station connects directly to four Green Line branches and numerous bus routes across the metro area, meaning a disoriented traveler could end up well outside Back Bay within minutes, according to Moovit.
Tip Line Open for Anonymous Leads
Community members who may have spotted Kern but prefer not to speak directly with police can submit information anonymously through the CrimeStoppers tip line. Tips can be called in at 1-800-494-TIPS, sent by text with the word TIP to CRIME (27463), or submitted online through Boston Police CrimeStoppers, the report states.
Massachusetts has had a formal framework for these searches since 2010, when the state established its Silver Alert community response system under Mass. General Laws c. 6A, § 18L. The system alerts public and private safety departments when someone with a cognitive impairment like dementia goes missing, according to Mass.gov.
Why the First Hours Matter So Much
Roughly 135,200 Massachusetts residents aged 65 and older were living with Alzheimer's disease in 2024, with about 220,000 unpaid family caregivers supporting them across the Commonwealth, per the Alzheimer's Impact Movement. Research from the Alzheimer's Association, cited by AgingInPlace.org, indicates roughly 60% of people living with dementia will wander from caregivers or familiar settings at least once during their condition, often triggered by disorientation or an attempt to reach a once-familiar place.
The stakes of that first day are steep. The Cleveland Clinic has reported that up to half of missing individuals with dementia who are not located within 24 hours suffer severe physical injury or death, underscoring why police and volunteers typically move fast once a report comes in.
Searches like this one don't always end in tragedy. In August, police in nearby Malden located an 84-year-old woman with Alzheimer's safe within 24 hours after an overnight search aided by widespread public bulletin distribution, as Hoodline previously reported. Statewide, Dementia Friendly Massachusetts, run by the Massachusetts Councils on Aging, trains businesses, transit workers, and first responders in more than 100 municipalities to recognize and assist disoriented seniors they encounter in public.
Anyone who sees Robert Kern or has information about his whereabouts is urged to call 911 or District D-4 detectives, or to reach out anonymously through CrimeStoppers.
