The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday released a timeline of events in the ongoing search for Joel Rosenbaum. The 65-year-old Lawrenceville man disappeared on January 26 after being released from the Habersham County Detention Center.
He was last seen around 7 p.m. on January 26 walking past the Chevron gas station on Monroe Street, less than a half mile east of the county jail.
Habersham County Public Information Officer Rob Moore issued the following statement on April 4 after the latest search for Rosenbaum failed to turn up any new leads:
“As with every missing person, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office takes this case very seriously and hopes for successful location of Mr. Rosenbaum. Our hearts go out to his family and friends, who have described him as a friend to all. We are not sure Mr. Rosenbaum is still in the area at this time, as there have been possible sightings in the Rabun County area. Unfortunately, without new information, a sighting, or a tip that provides a possible starting point, we have to rely on the public to report any contact or possible sightings of Mr. Rosenbaum so that we can deploy resources to that area. Today (Tuesday), we brought in a world-renowned canine tracking team with a very successful track record, but found no indication that Mr. Rosenbaum is or has been in the area around where he was last seen.” – Rob Moore, Public Information Officer, Habersham County Sheriff’s Office
Timeline as of April 4, 2023
- Jan. 26 – Joel Rosenbaum, 65, of Lawrenceville was released from the Habersham County Detention Center in Clarkesville following his arrest on traffic charges and left on foot with the clothes on his back (grey and red Atlanta Falcons shirt, black pants, and white tennis shoes) and his driver’s license.
- Feb. 2 – A search party, made up of Rosenbaum’s friends, volunteers, state, and local law enforcement personnel canvassed the Clarkesville area, but turned up no new information and no new leads in the case.
- Feb. 10 – Habersham County Sheriff’s Office again asked for the public’s help, publicizing a $10,000 reward offered by Rosenbaum’s family for information leading to his whereabouts.
- Feb. 20 – Friends and family of Rosenbaum concentrated their search efforts in the Clayton, Georgia area after a Rabun County woman reported she thought she had seen him in that area. Habersham County Sheriff’s Office investigators also followed up that lead during that search effort.
- April 4 – Specialty tracking dogs were brought in to assist Habersham County Sheriff’s Office investigators with the ongoing search effort, but uncovered no evidence that he is still in the area.
What we know:
- The last known sighting of Mr. Rosenbaum in Habersham County was at a convenience store a couple of minutes’ walk from the Habersham County Detention Center in Clarkesville, where the clerk saw him walking toward the downtown square.
- Searches in Clarkesville and Tallulah Falls uncovered no new leads.
- The Atlanta native is 5-foot-6, 140-150 pounds.
- Rosenbaum’s family is offering a reward leading to his whereabouts.
How can the public help?
Anyone with information or who has seen Rosenbaum is asked to contact Investigator George Cason at the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office at (706) 839-0560 or submit an online tip at https://www.habershamsheriff.com/tips
