COLUMBIA, MO — The Columbia Police Department says a 56-year-old man who was reported missing Thursday night has been found safe Friday morning. Michael Marvel had been last seen around 9:15 p.m. on Oct. 22 in Columbia, and police issued a public safety alert after learning he has dementia.
Officers later updated the alert shortly before 9 a.m. Friday to say Marvel had been located. The department had asked for the public’s help as it searched for him after he disappeared in the area near Providence Road and Nifong Boulevard.
Police said Marvel was last seen near Santiago Drive
According to Columbia police, Marvel was last seen in the 3700 block of Santiago Drive, a residential area near Providence Road and Nifong Boulevard. That location helped narrow the search after he was reported missing late Thursday.
The department’s initial post did not give details about where Marvel may have gone after he was seen there. Police also did not immediately release information about his condition when he was found, only that he had been located.
Public safety alerts like this often move quickly because a missing adult with dementia can be vulnerable to confusion, disorientation, or harm. In this case, police moved from the report of a missing person to a location update within hours.
Public safety alert highlighted his dementia diagnosis
Columbia police said in the alert Thursday night that Marvel has dementia, a detail that made the search more urgent. When someone with dementia goes missing, authorities often treat the case as time-sensitive because the person may not be able to find their way back or communicate their needs clearly.
The department asked for the public to help spread the word while officers worked to find him. No additional search details were released in the update, but the alert indicates police considered the circumstances important enough to notify residents quickly.
The timeline stretched from Thursday night into Friday morning
Marvel was last seen around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, according to the police post, though the department’s alert was issued Thursday night. By Friday morning, Columbia police had already confirmed that he was no longer missing.
The timing suggests officers and the community had only a short window to help before the case was resolved. The department’s final update came just before 9 a.m., closing out a brief but urgent missing-person search.
Residents were asked to watch for clues around southeast Columbia
Because Marvel was last seen near Providence Road and Nifong Boulevard, the search centered on a familiar southeast Columbia corridor. Police did not list any specific vehicle, clothing description, or possible travel direction in the update provided Thursday night.
Even so, the alert shows how local authorities rely on nearby residents and drivers when trying to locate a missing person quickly. Those neighborhood-level notices can speed up a search when the person may have wandered away from a known area.
Police have not released additional details after the update
After saying Marvel had been found, Columbia police did not immediately provide more information about where he was located or whether he needed medical attention. The department’s brief update ended the missing-person alert and confirmed the search was over.
For now, the key facts are that Marvel was reported missing Thursday night, police identified him as a person with dementia, and he was located Friday morning. The department has not publicly added further details to the case update.
