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Selma, Johnston County

Selma: Missing man David Graham, 75, found safe and reunited with family

Selma Police Chief Justin Vause said Graham was found Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Medical Mall in Smithfield after a staff member recognized him and called 911. He was reunited with family and evaluated at a hospital as a precaution.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Alexandru Stanciu · Published · Updated

The Johnston County courthouse in Smithfield

File photo: Ammodramus (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • Selma Police Chief Justin Vause announced Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, that David Graham, 75, had been found safe and reunited with his family.Confirmed by Selma Police Department, via JoCo Report and The Johnstonian News (Nov. 4, 2026)
  • A staff member at the Medical Mall in Smithfield recognized Graham and called 911. He was evaluated at a hospital as a precaution.Confirmed by Selma Police Department, via JoCo Report (Nov. 4, 2026); The Johnstonian News (Nov. 4, 2026)
  • Graham was reported missing Tuesday, Nov. 3, after he was last seen walking westbound in the 400 block of East Griswold Street in Selma between about 4:50 and 5 a.m. Police said he may have a cognitive impairment.Confirmed by Selma Police Department, via JoCo Report and The Johnstonian News (Nov. 3–4, 2026)
  • He is described as a white man, about 5 feet 1 inch to 5 feet 4 inches tall, with white hair, and he wears glasses. During the search, police gave two possible clothing descriptions. One is plaid pajama pants and a white or gray T-shirt. The other is a black windbreaker jacket, blue jeans and black shoes.Confirmed by Selma Police Department, via JoCo Report and The Johnstonian News (Nov. 3, 2026)
  • Before he was found, officers checked public transportation records and contacted emergency medical services, local hospitals, family and friends. Police and fire department drone teams were used, and officers canvassed the neighborhood.Confirmed by Selma Police Department Facebook post, via The Johnstonian News (Nov. 3, 2026)
  • Agencies that helped with the search included the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Emergency Management, Johnston County Emergency Management, bloodhound units from the Harnett County Sheriff's Office and the Cary Police Department, the Smithfield Police Department, Johnston County Communications, the Selma Fire Department and Johnston County EMS.Confirmed by Selma Police Department, via JoCo Report and The Johnstonian News (Nov. 4, 2026)

Still unknown

  • How Graham got from Selma to the Medical Mall in Smithfield
  • How long hospital staff expected to keep him for evaluation

What this means for you

Public safety
This story is not an official or emergency notice. Graham has been found. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Instructions from Selma Police Department, via JoCo Report and The Johnstonian News

Selma police say Graham has been found safe and reunited with his family.

What happened

In Selma, David Graham, the 75-year-old man police had asked the public to help find, was located safe on Wednesday, Nov. 4, and reunited with his family.

Selma Police Chief Justin Vause announced the update, according to JoCo Report and The Johnstonian News. A staff member at the Medical Mall in Smithfield recognized Graham and called 911, JoCo Report said, citing the department. He was evaluated at a hospital as a precaution.

Graham was reported missing Tuesday, Nov. 3, after he was last seen walking westbound in the 400 block of East Griswold Street between about 4:50 and 5 a.m. Police said he may have a cognitive impairment.

He is a white man, about 5 feet 1 inch to 5 feet 4 inches tall, with white hair, and he wears glasses. During the search, police gave two possible clothing descriptions: plaid pajama pants with a white or gray T-shirt, or a black windbreaker jacket with blue jeans and black shoes.

The search

Before he was found, officers checked public transportation records and reached out to emergency medical services, local hospitals, family and friends, the department said in a Facebook post reported by The Johnstonian News. Police and fire department drone teams were used, and officers canvassed the neighborhood.

The agencies that helped included the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Emergency Management, Johnston County Emergency Management, bloodhound units from the Harnett County Sheriff's Office and the Cary Police Department, the Smithfield Police Department, Johnston County Communications, the Selma Fire Department and Johnston County EMS, the department said through those two newsrooms.

Related coverage

What we don't know yet

Police have not said in the accounts we reviewed how Graham got from Selma to Smithfield, or how long hospital staff planned to keep him for evaluation.

This site is not an emergency service. If someone is in danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No outlet photos of Graham are used here.

Why it matters

Graham had been missing for more than a day and police said he may have a cognitive impairment. The search drew local, county and state help before he was found safe Wednesday.

Updates

  1. Nov 4, 2026, 8:08 PM

    Selma Police Chief Justin Vause says David Graham was found safe Wednesday at the Medical Mall in Smithfield after a staff member recognized him and called 911. He was reunited with family and evaluated at a hospital as a precaution. Developing label and the public call-for-help removed.

  2. Nov 4, 2026, 3:57 AM

    First published while Graham was still missing. Police asked anyone who saw him to call 911.

Sources

  1. Missing Selma Man Found Safe, Reunited With Family (JoCo Report, Nov. 4, 2026: Selma Police Chief Justin Vause; found at Medical Mall in Smithfield after staff member recognized him and called 911; hospital evaluation as a precaution; agencies assisting listed)

    Official sourcePublished by Selma Police Department, via JoCo Report · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 8:05 PM

  2. Missing Selma man found safe, reunited with family (The Johnstonian News, Nov. 4, 2026: Selma Police Department announcement; Chief Justin R. Vause; hospital evaluation; list of agencies that assisted)

    Official sourcePublished by Selma Police Department, via The Johnstonian News · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 8:05 PM

  3. Selma police seek public's help in locating missing man (The Johnstonian News, Nov. 3, 2026, quoting the Selma Police Department's Facebook post)

    Official sourcePublished by Selma Police Department, via The Johnstonian News · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 3:55 AM

  4. Selma Police Searching For Missing 75-Year-Old Man (JoCo Report, Nov. 3, 2026)

    Published by JoCo Report · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 3:55 AM

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