Just as we recently asked readers to empathize with the family of Cynthia Carver, the Newsoms resident who has gone missing since Feb. 22, so too do we ask the public to aid those officials seeking Ronell Stephens of Franklin, who was last seen on Feb. 6.

His case is not as sinister — Carver is believed to have been abducted — Stephens seems to have just walked away while no one was looking. The man was last seen at the Martin Luther King Center on Oak Street on Feb. 6, but has not been seen in the city since. But his disappearance is made all the more concerning because, as the family explained, Stephens has dementia. That condition is no less serious; if anything, it’s too familiar, often found among older adults.

Whether you know the family or not, please be on the lookout for Stephens; his picture is available at our website, www.tidewaternewscom. Our hope is that he could be staying with someone who has not heard or read of the man’s disappearance.

If you have information as Stephens’ location, call the the police at 562-8575 or 911.