elijah hoard was found safe and reunited with his family on Tuesday night (ET), Chicago police said, after he went missing following a drop-off at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and never boarded a scheduled flight to France.
What happened when Elijah Hoard disappeared at O’Hare?
Chicago police said the 23-year-old had been reported missing after he was last seen at O’Hare. His family said elijah hoard had been visiting his father in Chicago and was set to return home to France, but never got on the flight.
His father, Antwon Hoard, said he dropped his son off at O’Hare on a Friday and later learned that he did not check in for the flight. Antwon Hoard said the phone had been off since Friday evening and that his son did not have much money to be on his own for more than a few days.
Separate details shared by police and family members described the last known movements at the airport. Elijah Joseph Hoard was last seen Feb. 27 at O’Hare, and surveillance footage showed him going through security, waiting at his departure gate, and later leaving Terminal 5 and heading toward another terminal. Chicago police described what he was wearing at the time: a brown hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and cream-colored shoes.
What changed after Victor Wembanyama amplified the search?
The search drew broader attention after NBA star Victor Wembanyama used Instagram stories to ask the public for help and urged anyone with information to contact local authorities in Chicago. In one post, Wembanyama wrote that his friend had been missing from Chicago O’Hare since Feb. 27 and asked for information to be shared with authorities.
Wembanyama also tagged other prominent athletes in an effort to widen the appeal. Chicago police had issued a missing persons alert describing Elijah Hoard and noting that he may be in need of medical attention.
Family members said there were health concerns as well. Antwon Hoard said his son suffers from mental illness and had been reluctant to return home to France after spending time in Chicago. Elijah’s sister, Anaia Hoard, said her brother suffers from schizophrenia and cannot go without his medication, adding that her family was trying to remain calm while waiting to hear from police before drawing conclusions.
What happens now that Elijah Hoard has been located?
Chicago police said Elijah Joseph Hoard was located Tuesday and reunited with his family. Police did not immediately provide additional details on how he was found, and further information about the case has not been released.
What is clear from statements in the search period is the narrow window of information the family was working with: a last confirmed sighting at the airport, a flight that was never boarded, and a phone that had gone off. The combination of official alerts, surveillance-based last-known movements at Terminal 5, and amplified public appeals created a more visible search effort in the days before police confirmed he was safe.
With elijah hoard now reunited with his family, the public-facing focus shifts from locating him to understanding the unanswered questions that remain, which Chicago police have not addressed publicly.
