PORTSMOUTH, Va. — It's been almost a month since the disappearance of a 77-year-old Portsmouth man who was last seen when he was discharged from a hospital.
Police said Roger Hammond was last seen May 2 near the 3600 block of High Street.
His family says he's very vulnerable not just because of his age but because he's without his medication. In the time that his older brother has been missing, Larry Jackson says he's made a decision to honor a promise he once made to him if he can be brought home.
"I always would tell him, 'We're going to go to an Eagles game.' If I can find him we are going to go. That will be like a highlight for him," said Jackson
According to Jackson, Roger previously lived in Philadelphia but he was no longer able to care for himself. Their other brother brought him down to Portsmouth Virginia so he could be close to his siblings.
A few weeks ago, Jackson said Roger was having a mental crisis and was taken to the hospital by police. His family found out that he was discharged and they haven't seen him since.
On Monday, Portsmouth police confirmed that officers gave Hammond a ride to the hospital but did not stay with him since the call was a voluntary transport and police are only required to stay under emergency custody.
Jackson said he's circled the area where Hammond was last seen from scouting out homeless shelters to putting up flyers and making posts on social media.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, more than 600,00 people go missing every year.Specifically in Virginia, there are 339 open missing person cases.
Jackson believes he's learned the hard way how serious and heartbreaking a missing person's case can be.
"You never think that it can happen to you, that it can happen to your family," he said. I wish to God I knew more but I don't," said Jackson.
The police have asked businesses on or near the area of the 3600 block of High Street to check their cameras to see if Hammond has been spotted but so far there's been no video or tips that have come in related to the case.
Jackson said he has a request to the public, to say something if you see something or someone.
"I would encourage anybody who happens to see Roger to take a minute even if it's not him, there's a chance it could be and call the police," said Jackson.
News 3 asked Portsmouth police about why Hammond is not part of a senior alert.
"The alert you’re asking about would only put up billboards on the Highway if he was missing in a vehicle," said Victoria Varnedoe, a spokesperson for the police department. "He meets the criteria but it wouldn’t do much more than what we have already done. A senior alert would not send alerts to phones like an AMBER alert or Ashanti alert."
Anyone who has information about where Hammond might be is asked to call the police department's Special Victims Unit at 757-393-8536 or the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
