Ward was last seen in Horry County, South Carolina, on the morning of June 17, 2007. That day, he played with his dog, took a shower, changed clothes, and left home around 10:00 a.m., telling his family to call his cellphone if the dog got loose. Approximately 30 minutes later, his family attempted to reach him, but he did not answer. He later missed Sunday dinner and failed to take his mother to a scheduled doctor’s appointment—both highly uncharacteristic of him. He has not been seen or heard from since. Just hours after Ward failed to show up for the appointment, authorities recovered his white 2003 Mitsubishi Gallant from the Little Pee Dee River at the Gunter’s Island boat landing. The keys were still in the ignition, and his cellphone was found in the trunk, with the battery and SIM card inside the car. However, the new stereo and sound system he had installed the day before his disappearance were missing.