NEW INFORMATION! 1/22/16 PLEASE HELP When the face on the milk carton is your Daddy’s. PLEASE HELP

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UPDATE 1/22/16 10:19 EST: Video surveillance from a convenience store has been recovered that shows Lamar on the morning that he went missing, several hours before he was seen at the salon in Cleburne County. We now know that he was wearing: a brown plaid long-sleeve button down, jeans, brown Merrell brand shoes, and a camouflage hat! Please get this post and information shared immediately! 

YOU CAN ALSO VISIT THE CARROLTON, GA POLICE DEPARTMENT FACEBOOK PAGE AT https://www.facebook.com/carrolltonpd/ THERE IS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF HIM WALKING, PLEASE NOTICE HIS GAIT. PERHAPS IT’S BECAUSE I KNOW HIM WELL, BUT I IMMEDIATELY KNEW IT WAS HIM FROM THE WAY HE WALKS.

** Please know that the clothing description that we shared was based on all the information we had at the time. We are thankful to have more specific information to get out. We are so thankful to the individual who was able to get us started with a general description. Now that we know specifics, PLEASE GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE MASSES!

Missing: Lamar Putnam, 79. Last seen in Cleburne, County, Alabama on January 16, 2016. He was wearing a brown plaid long-sleeve button down, jeans, brown Merrell brand shoes, and a camouflage hat He is 5’8” and 170 lbs. If you have ANY information, please call 911 immediately and tell them that a Mattie’s Call has been issued for his return. 

My entire life, I’ve had to explain that even though I technically only had 2 siblings officially, that I really had a dozen or so more. Growing up, if I couldn’t find my parents, I knew had 4 more sets of parents to call for anything from a skinned knee to bailing me out of jail. (Well, maybe only a couple I would have called for that.) When Molly died, the stories of my “friend family” suddenly clicked with many of my friends. They were in awe of the support and love that surrounded us. We were beyond appreciative, but we weren’t surprised. For my parents’ entire marriage, that was the norm. Hilary might have penned the words, “It takes a village,” but my my parents group of friends embodied the philosophy long before the Clintons emerged from Arkansas.

Each extra parent that I have fulfills a distinct role. I know that I can talk Robert into just about anything. I even convinced him to let me skip school in middle school because he needed me to record an advertisement for a campaign at 7:30 A.M., but i turned into a day-long adventure. I know that Slick (Jane) will always be the one to tell me all about how tiny my legs were when I was a baby, and that no matter how ugly or stupid I feel, she will convince me otherwise.  Robin has always been the fun one who made us goodie bags for every occasion, let us eat all the junk food we wanted, would let us talk to her for hours about nothing. She instilled in me a deep love for casinos and laughing until I pee on myself. Her husband, Lamar, has always been the soft-spoken, gentle giant that every girl needs in her life. He never lets you come into or leave his presence without a hug and kiss. You never wonder if he loves you or not, because he never forgets to say it. He took us on adventures on tractors and cows as children, and he gave us stern advice as teenagers and adults when  we needed it. We would have been mad at someone else, but Lamar never gave advice from a judgmental perspective, it was always from his deep well of love and concern. His nature commanded respect and instilled comfort.

Since this past Saturday, January 16, our group has once again been brought to our knees with tragedy. This tragedy is unlike anything we have experienced. From a devastating cancer diagnosis and quick decline to death with one of our mamas, to the tragic story of Molly, nothing could prepare us for this. Our Lamar has disappeared. Once again, the pages of the fictional tales we have read, and the scenes from cinematic masterpieces have become our real life. Lamar has Alzheimer’s Disease. On Saturday morning, he left the house early in his son’s old GMCTrailblazer. It was not unlike him to leave early in the morning to go check on his cattle and visit friends. But, Robin’s worries grew as the hours passed and he didn’t answer his cell phone. Later in the day, the vehicle he was driving was located in Cleburne County, Alabama, near a bridge that crosses the Tallapoosa River, off of Highway 431.

An army of foot soldiers, canines, divers, water vessels, and helicopters have canvassed the area where his car was found since Saturday night. Countless government agencies have lent resources to the effort. A close family friend hasn’t slept in days as he has led the charge to find him. Nothing has surfaced. We believe he had on a black hat. It has not been found. We also believe he had on white tennis shoes, and as far as we know, they remain on his feet. No thread of clothing. No copy of his driver’s license that he kept with him. Nothing. Nothing. People do not just vanish from this Earth.

 

 

Let me say that again. People do not vanish from this Earth. We are hopeful and in prayer that he is somewhere safe, warm, dry, and probably confused. Unfortunately, we are also keenly aware of the stabbing sensation in our hearts that signifies the reality that, with each passing hour, the chances of our prayers coming to fruition diminish. But, we are not giving up.

Lamar has 4 children: Len, Cindy, Katie, and Carson will not give up  until they know where there Daddy is. As their extended family, we aren’t giving up either. Since I got the call on Saturday evening, I have played out about 23, 342 scenarios as to what could have happened. I know that that number barely scratches the surface. So, I have to keep the probable scenarios grounded in the truths that I know about Lamar.

• Lamar is kind and gentle. He would not be a threat to anyone.
• Lamar is in excellent physical condition. He could walk for miles and miles.
• Lamar has spent his life working on the land with cattle. He has excellent instincts. If he was cold, he could fashion a shelter to keep him warm.
• Lamar can talk to anyone. While we are not certain what decade of his life his mind is currently in, he could talk to anyone and easily convince them of where he thought he needed to go.
• Lamar hasn’t had his medicine since Friday. This could mean that he truly does not know that he lives on Ferndale Road in Carrollton, Georgia.
• Lamar could be a poster child for the fountain of youth. You would not look at Lamar and have any idea that he will be 80 years old in March. He is not feeble. He is not stooped over. He has good balance. He does not slur his words. He has a smile and a twinkle in his eye that put even the most anxious of souls at ease.
• Lamar is 5’8” and approximately 170 lbs.
• Lamar was wearing an orange and white checked shirt and khaki pants.
• Lamar loves children. He is drawn to them and they are drawn to him. The same is true of his relationship with dogs and cows.
• Lamar has lived in Athens, GA; Moreland, GA; Carrollton, GA; Calhoun, GA; Americas, GA; and Fairborn, GA. There is a likelihood that he could believe one of those towns to still be his home. If you know someone there, please alert them.

This is where you come in. I’ve been told by a reputable media source that blog posts going viral have a way of sparking the interest of national media. A Mattie’s Call has been issued. But, from our understanding, that only goes out 40 miles from where the car was found. If he hitched a ride with someone, his soothing voice and lively stories could make a 100 mile car ride feel like 100 yards. With his listening ear, a person could talk for 200 miles before he’d interrupt them. So, he could be ANYWHERE. Please share this post. Please share it again. Please tell everyone you know to share it. We do not want this to be some sensationalized, Nancy Grace spectacle. All we want is for EVERY PERSON in the country to be looking for him. 

In these last 4 days of absolute terror, I have had an overwhelming sense of gratitude about one thing. Molly has not had to experience this hell. Molly was the baby of our friend family. She and Lamar had a special bond. I’ll never forget the pain and emotions that overtook him when she died. Had Molly been alive right now, we would not have been able to keep her out of the river looking for her Lamar. I don’t know if her precious heart could have handled the realities of this world that we are in. For her sake, along with his children’s and his wife, all of whom I love as if they were mine, I will not stop until we find him. With every ounce of my soul, I beg you, PLEASE HELP US!

Lamar, we all love you more than meat loves salt. We pray that our Molly is guiding you back to us.

EGG