Family and friends of a Gwinnett County man who went missing nearly a month ago in Habersham County continue searching for him. They shifted their focus to Clayton on Monday after a woman in Tiger told investigators she thought she saw Joel Rosenbaum in the area.
The 65-year-old Lawrenceville man disappeared after his release from the Habersham County Detention Center on January 26. Before his release, Harold Rosenbaum says he notified jail officials his brother was mentally ill. Joel walked away from the jail with nothing but the clothes on his back and his driver’s license.
Previous searches around Clarkesville and Tallulah Gorge came up empty.
Joel’s niece, Naomi Sullivan, helped to organize Monday’s search. Members of the St. Ives Country Club in Johns Creek, where Rosenbaum worked, also participated, along with people from the local community.
‘It’s been hell’
“It’s been hell, not knowing where somebody is, wondering if they’re alive or dead—and starting to try to make plans of where you’re going to bury them,” says Harold Rosenbaum. He says he desperately tried to get help for his younger brother before he disappeared, but the system thwarted him at every turn.
Harold says Joel has battled depression and bipolar tendencies for years, but his illness became more noticeable over the last several months. Two days before Joel’s arrest, Harold tried admitting him to a hospital in Snellville for psychiatric care. Joel refused and the doctor wouldn’t admit him. Harold then went before a Gwinnett County probate judge to get an order to have his brother committed. The judge wouldn’t sign it because Joel was not considered a threat to himself or to others, Harold says.
The next day, Joel was gone.
His family believes he may have been traveling through Habersham on his way to Cherokee, North Carolina. When they picked up his car from the impound lot, they found a packed bag, Joel’s cell phone, jacket, car keys, and wallet.
Harold says Joel’s mental illness likely caused the behavior he demonstrated that led to his arrest. His family says Joel doesn’t drink or do drugs.
“He’s sick and he needs professional help, something that we’re not capable of giving him,” says Joel’s other brother Phil Rosenbaum.
Family members question why the sheriff’s office did not contact them before releasing Joel from jail since they were aware of his mental state. Jail officials reportedly told them it was Joel’s decision not to call.
“There’s been a lot of grief and some anger on my part,” says Harold. “I also have a lot of resentment, not to anybody in particular, just the way it was all handled.”
Outpouring of support
Days after his disappearance, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office issued a Mattie’s Call for Joel and assigned investigator George Cason to his case. The family has kept in close contact with Cason as they search for any hint of hope they can find.
“Some days are better than others,” says Sullivan, “and I think all of us are trying to stay as busy and proactive as possible.”
Joel’s friends and family are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to him.
As hellish as this experience has been for them, the tremendous outpouring of community support has been comforting.
“It’s been unspeakable how selfless and kind these people are who are volunteering their time to assist us in our searches,” says Sullivan, adding the family has been “touched by the hearts of others.”
