CHICAGO—In an unsettling turn of events, Elijah Hoard has been reported missing after being dropped off at Chicago O’Hare International Airport by his father. The 23-year-old was supposed to board a flight back to France on Friday.
Chicago police are actively searching for Hoard, whose family has expressed concern over his disappearance, noting that he never boarded the plane.
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The young man had been visiting his father in Chicago for the past ten days. The last confirmed sighting of Hoard was in a photo taken with his father at the airport on Friday, just before his scheduled departure.
Antwon Hoard, Elijah’s father, revealed that his son failed to check in for his flight, raising alarm over his whereabouts.
“As far as I knew, Elijah was going to check in and board his flight. However, he never did. His bags weren’t registered, and he hasn’t been seen since. We suspect he might still be around the airport, but we really don’t know,” Antwon Hoard stated.
“To my knowledge he was going to just register his ticket and get on the flight but for whatever reason he never took the flight his bags weren’t registered, and he never checked in, so what we’re thinking is he could possibly be floating around the airport or something, but again, that’s the last we’ve seen of him,” Antwon Hoard said.
Antwon Hoard says his son suffers from mental illness and was reluctant to return home to France after spending time in Chicago.
“Everything seemed pretty normal the first eight days, but the last two days his whole mood had swung, and he was really adamant about not going back home, and he didn’t want to go home,” Antwon Hoard said.
Chicago police have officially reported him missing and are now looking into surveillance cameras around O’Hare airport.
The father says Elijah’s phone has been off since Friday evening, and he doesn’t have much money to be on his own for more than a few days. The family is now hoping anyone around the airport may help find his son.
“Obviously when you have a missing child it’s all unsettling, but I’m not the type of guy that’s going to be nervous or overreact until we have more information,” Antwon Hoard said.
Elijah is about 6’3″ and 220 pounds, and he was last seen in a brown hoodie.
Anyone who may see him has been asked to call Chicago Police.
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