Kansas City police are asking for the public's help finding Richard Bower, a 78-year-old man who needs medical attention and whose family has not been able to locate him. Bower was last seen Wednesday afternoon driving a gray Subaru Outback, and investigators say time matters because of his medical needs.
The Kansas City Police Department posted an urgent appeal early Thursday, writing that “Bower is in need of medical attention and family has been unable to locate him,” according to a statement from kcpolice
. The department asked that anyone who finds him call 911 immediately or reach its Missing Person Unit at 816-234-5043.
According to KMBC, Bower has been diagnosed with dementia and was last seen around 3 p.m. Wednesday near 17 W. Dartmouth Road. The seed police post, however, lists his last-seen location as the 100 block of W. Dartmouth Road, so the exact spot where he was last spotted remains unclear between the two accounts.
Description and Vehicle Details
Bower is described as standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a red polo shirt and blue jeans, per the same station's report, and was driving a gray Subaru Outback bearing Missouri license plate JC3H1R.
The Kansas City Police Department is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and says on its website that it investigates missing-person cases in which the individual is endangered by medical problems or a life-threatening situation. Per the department's missing persons guidance, there is no waiting period required before someone can be reported missing, and its Missing Persons Unit can be reached anytime at 816-234-5043. Anyone needing to file a report in person can do so at any police station or by calling the department's non-emergency line, 816-234-5111.
Most Cases Resolve Quickly, But Urgency Remains
KCPD notes that the vast majority of reported missing persons are located or voluntarily return home within 48 to 72 hours of being reported, according to the department's own guidance. That statistic offers some context but does not speak to the outcome of Bower's specific case, which remains open as of the department's Thursday appeal.
Cases involving elderly residents with cognitive conditions have drawn similar urgency from Kansas City police before. In a case reported by KSHB, police searched for 74-year-old Willie Combs, who suffered from Alzheimer's and needed immediate medical attention after walking away from his residence near 16th and Lawn Avenue. That report said Combs was found safe roughly three days later.
For now, Kansas City police continue to ask residents to watch for Bower and his vehicle. Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or the department's Missing Person Unit.
