Police, Family Seek Answers In Man's Disappearance

EMERSON, GA — The family of a man who has been missing for nearly a month braved reporters and joined Bartow County Sheriff's Office officials to call on the public to help them find their loved one. Freddy "Seth" Morgan has been missing since May 24, and sheriff's office investigators are hoping residents can lend a hand in providing any details that could help him return home to his family.

Sheriff's office spokesperson Sgt. Jonathan Rogers said Morgan left his home on Taff Road near Taylorsville around 5:30 a.m. May 24 and clocked in to his job at ZEP products in Emerson around 6 a.m. He was picked up by a vehicle belonging to a local taxi company around 12:51 p.m. on the same day and taken to the McDonald's at 1130 West Avenue.

The agency released surveillance photos of Morgan inside the fast food restaurant. The 30-year-old was wearing a bright blue hoodie, dark blue work pants and brown leather work boots. After leaving McDonalds, he took the same taxi to his cousin's home in Cartersville and that is the last known area where Morgan was seen, Sgt. Rogers said.

Morgan, who did not own a vehicle, is described as a black male who is 5'11'' tall, weighs around 190 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. He had a short, jawline beard and a buzz-style haircut.

Sgt. Rogers said detectives obtained Morgan's phone records, which revealed Morgan last used his phone around 4 p.m. May 24 when he sent some text messages to a friend. That friend, he notes, asked Morgan if he would need a ride later in the day from work, "as is normal custom" for that person to give him a ride from his place of employment, Rogers notes. Morgan responded by saying he may need to be retrieved later, but that he did not need transportation at that time.

"Since that time, there has been no activity on his phone," Sgt. Rogers added, noting Morgan has not retrieved his last two checks and no one has come forward stating they've seen or talked to him.

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Calhoun Field Office is helping the sheriff's office and Emerson police in the investigation into Morgan's disappearance. After learning Morgan's last known location, BCSO deputies carried out a general search of that area and plan to conduct more searches in the future. He also said investigators are focusing on the area of Morgan's cousin's residence, and the extended family has been cooperative.

Morgan's parents, Deidre and Freddy Morgan, said it is out of the ordinary for their son to vanish. If they didn't speak to him directly, other members of their family talked to him on a regular basis. When they last spoke to him on May 24, "everything seemed normal," and there was no indication that he would leave and not return, Deidre Morgan said.

"It's the most difficult thing that you could ever go through," she said, later adding that their reliance on God is what's keeping the family going at this point. "We loved Seth, we miss him, we want him to come back home to us. We want to know where he is." She also said the family hopes and prays that someone will come forward with information that could aid in their son's return.

Freddy Morgan said the family came forward because his disappearance is "abnormal." He noted his son, who has a seven-year-old child, has no medical issues or history of disappearing. June 17 was also the first Father's Day his son missed, as the family always came together to enjoy each other's company, Morgan said.

"We want to hear his laugh and see his smile," he added.

Anyone with information about Morgan's whereabouts is asked to contact the Emerson Police Department at 770-386-6696. You can also call 9-1-1 or the Bartow County Sheriff's Office at 770-382-5050.

Images via Bartow County Sheriff's Office