CANTON, Ohio — The search for a Canton man, who disappeared under suspicious circumstances, is intensifying.
While police continue to look for 26-year-old Ryan Godbey, family members and friends have posted between 100 and 200 flyers on trees, telephone poles and various buildings, including Ryan's apartment and the LGBTQ+ nightclub where he was last seen.
"We need help from the community to find Ryan!" is written on the flyers, which also urge people to contact Canton police if they have any information on the mysterious disappearance.
"I love him. My mom loves him. Our family loves him. The LGBTQ community loves him. We just want Ryan home," said his mother, Jackie Godbey, as she fought back tears.
Ryan, who also goes by "JJ", performs as a drag queen, but he didn't show up for a weekend performance that he was excited for, and that was just one of many reasons the family had cause for alarm.
Judy Jamsion, Ryan's grandmother, said she hardly goes a day without talking to Ryan.
"Bring him home. I see him every day— talk to him every day— but I don't know where he is. I'm scared," Jamison said.
Ryan was last seen at "Darlin's Crew" bar on Cherry Avenue NE late on Thursday night, June 19. According to his mother, Ryan sent a text to a friend before 12:30 a.m. Friday. There has been no sign of him since then.
Not knowing where Ryan is or what could have happened to him is agonizing for his family.
"Pure hell. That's it. Period. You don't know. You wonder. You're afraid," Jamison said.
Adding to the fear, Jackie said there appeared to be some sort of struggle inside Ryan's apartment on 17th Street NW.
"There were definitely signs of a struggle in the apartment when the Canton Police Department did their search. It is, I would say at this point, considered a crime scene," she said.
Canton police said detectives are "acting with an increased sense of urgency", but they would not answer questions about the case on Tuesday or Wednesday.
A News 5 crew spotted detectives looking for possible surveillance video near the nightclub on Wednesday.
According to Jackie, Ryan's bank card and driver's license were found by an ODOT crew on I-77 near the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday morning.
Family members said it's also concerning that the pills Ryan needs to take for epilepsy and mental health disorders were found in his apartment.
In addition, Jackie said Ryan's three cats were also found inside the apartment, and he would never leave them alone.
"I saw so many people online say, 'Oh, he has just gone off somewhere, or he'll show up.' It's not that. This is something that's very serious," said Ryan's Friend, Dakota Rosier.
While the family continues to post flyers around town, they're begging anyone with information to come forward.
"I can't even think anymore. I just want him to come home and be safe," Jamison said.
Ryan is white and stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds. He has brown hair and eyes.
Anyone with information about Ryan's whereabouts is asked to contact the Canton Police Communication Center at 330-649-5800 or the Canton Police Detective Bureau at 330-489-3144.
