CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A Clay County family is desperately looking for answers about a man who has been missing for two years, fearing the worst has happened.
Loved ones of Paul Akridge, 50, said he feared for his life days before his disappearance in May 2021, when he was last seen leaving ahis sister’s home in Keystone Heights.
“He called me on the 30th of April, and he said, ‘They’re gonna get me. And then when they get me he won’t have me.’ He said ‘They will probably kill me.’ And he said, ‘I do not want you to live the rest of your life not knowing what happened to me,’” said Celena Julius, Akridge’s younger sister.
On Wednesday, News4JAX met with Akridge’s mother, siblings, and in-laws, who are sticking together in their push to find out what happened to their loved one. Akridge was a student athlete who once played baseball for the Florida Gators, they said. While he had vices, they said he was a kind and caring person who loved his family.
“There is a lot of anguish, not knowing you have to put in the back of your head and carry it,” said Denise Akridge, Paul’s mother. She said his father died “with a broken heart” shortly after his disappearance.
Clay County Sheriff’s Office Detective Dan Cassani, who has been working on Akridge’s disappearance since day one, believes this is a homicide case.
He also noted while Akridge was a good person, he struggled with drug addiction and that may have contributed to his demise.
“I’m very confident that people know what happened,” said Detective Cassani.
Detective Cassani said he believes no one has come forward out of fear of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
Akridge’s family also has the support of Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook, who is making a plea to whoever has answers to come forward.
“It’s frustrating for us, it’s sad for us, because the detectives, myself, everybody in this agency becomes invested in these crimes. I can’t go out to Keystone Heights without somebody asking me. Do you know what happened to Paul? Do you have any more evidence on what happened to Paul? And we have to say no we don’t,” Sheriff Cook said. “So not only is the family invested in finding their loved one, we, as an agency are invested in finding this person and our community as a whole. When you have people that are missing, that leaves a hole in the community.”
There is a $17,000 reward for information leading detectives to Akridge, which includes finding his body.
Officials said that with hunting season coming up, there will be more people outdoors that could potentially spot something related to this case. They are encouraging everyone who spots something suspicious to come forward and report it to authorities.
People with information are invited to come forward by sending a tip to First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. You can remain anonymous.
Akridge’s case is one of three unsolved missing person cases in Clay County.
Detectives are also asking for help solving the 2010 disappearance of Christopher Yant and the case of Yvonne Belcher, who went missing in 2000.
If you know anything about any of these three cases call Crime Stoppers or the Sheriff’s Office at 904-264-6512.