Crime & Safety

Missing Michigan Man Spotted in Cleveland Area

Parents tracking 33-year-old man through credit card purchases, but haven't been able to reach him.

Police are trying to locate a 33-year-old Oakland Township, MI, man reportedly missing since March 26 and apparently on the move.

Herbert Thomas Rhode has been missing since he left his parents’ home in Oakland Township and began traveling by bus and taxi, according to Rhode's father, Herbert W. Rhode, who says he has been tracking his son's credit card activity online. 

In February, Rhode was diagnosed with a mental disorder that affects his perception of reality, according to Oakland County Sheriff’s reports.

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Rhode's father said his son had been seeking treatment for the disorder when he went missing. Last Wednesday, Oakland County Probate Court granted guardianship of Rhode to his father, who filed the missing person report the next day with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office substation in Oakland Township.  

According to the police report, Rhode’s last known location is Philadelphia, where his father said Rhode's credit card was used to pay for food on April 18. Rhode has been traveling throughout the Midwest and East Coast since he left his parents' home, stopping in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Nashville, TN, Indianapolis, Harrisburg, PA, and Charlotte, NC.

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"That's part of the illness he has," the father said. "He's paranoid that people are watching him, so he keeps moving around.

"He went from Charlotte to Philadelphia and paid a guy $1,500. His sense of reality isn't real at this time, and unfortunately, he has resources to (travel)."

Rhode has a master's degree in finance, completed law school and practiced law in Richmond, VA, until about a year ago. Then, according to his father, Rhode had a psychotic episode in January that forced his parents to get involved.

"We brought him back here to get help," Herbert W. Rhode said. "Unfortunately, we figured it out and started to get him help, but then he just decided to take off, and we haven't seen him since."

Herbert Thomas Rhodes is listed in the NamUs Missing Persons System. His physical description is as follows:

Nickname: Bert
Age: 33
Height: 
71-72 inches
Weight:
 175-190 lbs
Eye color: Hazel
Complexion: Medium
Facial Hair: Stubble

If you have information concerning Rhode's whereabouts, please contact either local law enforcement or the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Substation in Oakland Township at 248-652-4617.


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