Eight months after Chaz Simmons vanished from downtown Pittsburgh, his family gathered on the Sixth Street Bridge to release balloons — on what would have been his birthday. The milestone, falling on Sunday, brought together relatives who have spent eight months organizing search parties, posting flyers and pleading with the public for any sign of him.
Simmons has been missing since early March 8, according to WPXI, which reports he left his workplace in the 900 block of Penn Avenue before disappearing. His sister, Jenae Davis, told the station the family remains hopeful that Simmons will come home, and that they are still fighting and looking for him. “Any help we can get is much appreciated,” Davis said, according to the outlet's reporting.
Simmons's son, Kayden Simmons, said he misses his father and hopes he returns, per the same WPXI account. The family has asked the public to keep an eye out for Simmons as their search reaches eight months without resolution.
What Investigators Know About His Final Hours
Earlier reporting filled in more detail about the night Simmons disappeared. Surveillance images showed him walking toward Sixth Street on Penn Avenue around 3:42 a.m. on March 8, and investigators said he left sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., the station's earlier report noted. Relatives said Simmons stopped answering calls and text messages on March 10, two days after he was last seen.
Family members said Simmons had recently started working as a cook at Sienna Mercato. Cameras tracked him after he left the restaurant, including footage of a man believed to be him walking toward the Clemente Bridge at 4:02 a.m.
A Widening Search Across Nearby Communities
In the weeks after Simmons disappeared, relatives said they searched hospitals, shelters and surrounding communities, including Plum, Verona and Oakmont, looking for any trace of him. Pittsburgh Police have said he may be at risk. Simmons was described at the time as 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing around 150 pounds, with a black goatee and a neck tattoo reading “Yalilnda.”
A NamUs missing persons listing for Simmons, case MP158670, lists March 8, 2026, as his date of last contact, consistent with the family's timeline. Simmons was described as 30 years old.
Simmons's case drew broader attention in June, when the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette included his family alongside that of another missing man, Jay Ketter, in a series tied to Missing Person Awareness Day on June 6. About five months later, the family's search has not let up, even as the facts of what happened to Simmons after he left his workplace remain unknown.
For now, the family's message is the one Davis gave voice to on the bridge where balloons rose into the sky this week: they are still here, and they are still fighting.
