$5K reward now offered after man disappears in East Point

East Point missing man search brings reward

East Point police are offering a reward for information on the disappearance of 20-year-old Derek Samuel, whose phone was last tracked to a wooded area off Red Wine Road.  

EAST POINT, Ga. - A $5,000 reward is being offered to anyone with information on the disappearance of 20-year-old Derek Samuel.

According to the East Point Police Department, he was reported missing by two friends who last saw him leaving the Target at Camp Creek Marketplace on April 29.

East Point police investigation

What we know:

Investigators said a review of surveillance footage showed Samuel did not appear in distress.

"Not looking over his shoulder as if someone was following him, normal everyday walk," said Lt. J.L. Watkins, East Point Police Dept. Public Information Officer.

Where Samuel went after the target is a mystery, according to Lt. Watkins.

"He would not just run away from life itself; that was never him. Derek was a fighter, he would never, never do that," said Tameeka Ford-Baker, Derek's aunt.

Missing person search gaps

What we don't know:

Investigators do not know whether Samuel walked away from the Redwine Road area voluntarily or if someone took him away from the location. It remains unclear who turned off his phone, though police believe either Samuel or someone else deactivated it. 

Family requests closure

What they're saying:

The 20-year-old has a twin sister who he was known to speak with on a daily basis. Authorities were able to ping his last cellphone location to a wooded area near the 3700 block of Redwine Road.

"The last we know of the cellphone was that Monday night before he went missing," Watkins said. "We believe he cut it off or someone cut it off."

East Point Police searched the wooded area over the weekend along with a location in Lithonia but told FOX 5 they found no signs of Samuel.

"We don’t know if he walked away or if someone did get him, take him away from the area," Watkins said.

Samuel’s family said as the days go on, concerns about finding him alive grow.

"We need to find him now. If he’s not here with us, we want to at least be able to say goodbye or have something to be able to see him again before we let go," Ford-Baker said.

What's next:

East Point Police is the only agency involved in the missing person investigation as of Tuesday evening. Watkins said the agency hasn't planned another search for Samuel yet.

Anyone with tips on the case is asked to reach out to police.