79-Year-Old Vanishes After Leaving Wife in Parking Lot

In the quiet town of Columbia, Mississippi, a seemingly ordinary day turned into an unnerving mystery when 79-year-old Delmar Blake disappeared without a trace. What should have been a routine morning preparing for a trip became the last time anyone would see Delmar—leaving his family desperate for answers.

Delmar, who was in the early stages of dementia, has now been missing since August 1st, and his disappearance has raised questions that no one can yet answer.

That morning, Delmar and his wife, Rita, set out to fuel up their 2001 GMC Sierra—a short-bed truck with a toolbox in the back—before heading out on a road trip to Jackson, Mississippi, about 90 minutes away. They stopped at a gas station behind a Sonic in Columbia, but in a strange and alarming turn of events, Delmar’s confusion took over. He collided with construction equipment multiple times, driving in an erratic and disoriented manner. Rita, desperate to stop the situation from escalating, stepped out of the truck, hoping that Delmar would follow or at least stop the vehicle.

Instead, Delmar drove off. His phone was at home, and Rita’s phone was still in her hand. In just a few minutes, Delmar disappeared from view, leaving his wife standing in the parking lot, confused and terrified.

The last confirmed sighting of Delmar came minutes later, captured on CCTV footage showing his truck speeding east on Columbia Pervis Road at 70 mph. After that, he vanished—leaving only questions in his wake. Where was he going? Why was he driving east? Did he know where he was headed, or was his dementia clouding his judgment, leading him deeper into confusion?

Delmar’s dementia adds a layer of complexity that makes the search all the more urgent and unpredictable. Delmar’s actions could be influenced by fleeting memories, confusion, or a desire to return home, but no one can say for sure. The clock is ticking, and every hour that passes feels like a lifetime to his family.

With Delmar’s mental state in mind, the team has plotted 25 key locations to search, focusing on 13 primary areas where Delmar may have instinctively gone. Four of these locations are boat ramps, as the dive team knows all too well how often missing vehicles end up in the water. They have already scoured rivers, lakes, and remote roads, but the search must continue until all possibilities are exhausted.

For Delmar’s family, the emotional toll is overwhelming. Rita Blake replays the events of that fateful morning over and over in her mind, wondering if there was something she could have done differently. The last image of her husband driving away, lost and confused, haunts her every moment. The uncertainty is unbearable: Is Delmar out there, alive and waiting to be found? Or is this a search that will end in tragedy?

"Our mission is to bring hope and closure to families like Delmar Blake’s. With each case, time is critical, but so is our determination. We won’t stop searching until we’ve done everything in our power to bring him home." – Jared Leisek, Founder of Adventures With Purpose

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[All.Outta.Pocket]

If you have a family member with any stage of dementia you should put a tracker in there car if they still drive

[jeannietaylor]

With my experience with dementia patience, they have the need and desires to go back where they grew up, where Mom and Dad raised them, the one place that made them feel safe and happy. I do not know his childhood or anything, just a statement to help in the search God Bless yall and his family, praying he will be found alive healthy, happy, and safely.

[jasonwatzka]

This is heartbreaking. But I always wonder why in the hell do they let someone with dementia drive in the first place.

[AdamBirlew]

My cousin informed me, hes 8 years younger than me

[jimwest]

Driving licences need to be taken away when they have dementia.

[WaynJul]

When my mom was 82 she got disoriented and had to pull over. Fortunately a Godly couple
pulled over and guided her back home. She gladly gave up her car keys to me and did not want to drive anymore. Perhaps this is what happened to this man. She had dementia.

[sheilabostic]

If my dad ever gets dementia I'm taking his car. I couldn't stand not knowing. 😢

[angeldust]

He has onset dementia, this is so so sad. I pray the family finds Delmar, & some sort of comfort & peace. ❤️‍🩹❤️

[eleonoragarcia]

I always watch your videos hoping that the number of those found will be higher than the start. It saddens me that families don't find their missing loved ones. Jared, you do a great job, I sincerely hope that life will reward you for what you give. I also hope that those loved ones return home. Greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽

[helenneilson]

I don’t think he’d slow down or turn. What would happen if he just kept going straight at every chance?

[SharonOrum-hboh]

Soooo Glad to see you back on you tube I love watching your videos you have found soooo many vehicles with or without body's 🙏💯 you ALL are a amazing gift for so many hoping to see more of your uploads while you search.. thank YALL all adventures with a purpose 💯🙏🥰❤️

[agoodmeme]

He’s either in two places I’d think at the moment. One: he’s in the water, either via river or lake. Two: he veered off the road due to his speeds and ended up in the wood line somewhere. As his wife stated he never really drove that fast so there’s a chance he lost control somehow and ended up in the woods. Now he could have easily lost control and ended up in the water, it’s really a difficult guessing game here, weather there’s a slightly sharp turn in the road or an intersection he mistook for something else… either way at those speeds, your gonna find the truck with parts missing that would be able to help identify something is there. ie: skid plate or part of a bumper after making heavy contact with the ground/water. I know I’ve said a lot but in really fascinated with this and how in depth it is. Hopefully he’s found soon, even now as I type this in October I hope he’s found so he can be laid to rest.

[joedebeer]

Is it possible with dementia being at play that he was fixated on the trip he was planning and started driving there and had an accident enroute

[debbyc]

My mom has dementia and all she wants to do is go home her childhood home. Maybe check out the route.

[StormSpottersTN]

Keep searching. I pray he will be found one day so his family will know where he is.

[jefffillinger]

This is heartbreaking we can only pray hes found

[SM-pcio]

Nice of the officer to call and offer help if they need it.

[scottvaughan]

So what’s up with your fuzzy partner? Why is he under disguise?

[feathers]

I love the sound of the boat cruising through the water. If yall did a video with just that for about 8 hours, i would go to sleep listening to it every night. Its so soothing.

[donlynefullofpeace]

Jared, you use to say, never leave a stone un - turned. I would of check every body of water. With Dementia, they are unpredictable.