WICHITA, KS — Wichita police said 72-year-old Robert Falterman has been located and is safe, prompting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to cancel a statewide Silver Alert that had been issued for him.
The update ended a public search that had asked Kansans to help find the Wichita man after he was reported missing over the weekend. Authorities had said he was last seen walking on foot Sunday evening in east Wichita.
Silver Alert issued after Sunday evening disappearance
The Wichita Police Department asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to issue the alert after Falterman’s whereabouts became unknown. The statewide notice was meant to widen the search beyond Sedgwick County and bring in help from the public.
Officials said Falterman was last seen around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, heading east from the 5000 block of East 21st Street in Wichita. The alert described him as a white male with long gray hair and blue eyes.
He is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs roughly 170 pounds, according to the notice. He was last reported wearing a gray T-shirt and blue jeans.
Public asked to watch for Falterman or his vehicle
During the search, authorities asked anyone who saw Falterman or his vehicle to call 911 immediately. People with other information were told to contact the Wichita Police Department at (316) 268-4111.
The alert was issued because officials said Falterman has pulmonary, cardiac and cognitive disabilities. Those medical conditions added urgency to the effort to find him and make sure he was safe.
Silver Alerts are used in Kansas to help quickly spread information when an older adult is missing and may need assistance. In this case, the notice circulated statewide until police reported that he had been found.
Why the alert mattered in Sedgwick County and beyond
Police had not said how Falterman went missing, only that he was last seen walking away from the 5000 block of East 21st Street. The route placed him in a busy part of Wichita, which made broad public awareness important.
Statewide alerts can help when a missing person may have moved beyond a single neighborhood or when time is critical. In Falterman’s case, the combination of his age, disabilities and unknown location led officials to seek assistance across Kansas.
Wichita police confirm safe recovery
After the alert was issued, the Wichita Police Department reported to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation that Falterman had been located. Officials said he was now safe, and the Silver Alert was canceled.
No additional details about where he was found or how he was located were released in the notice. The key update for residents was that the search had ended without further public action needed.
What the public was told during the search
The KBI’s notice gave a clear physical description to help people identify Falterman if they spotted him. It also emphasized the clothing he was last seen wearing so that witnesses could recognize him more easily.
Authorities relied on the public to share information quickly if they saw him or knew where he might be. That request is standard in missing-person alerts, especially when a person may be vulnerable and time matters.
With Falterman found safe, the statewide search effort has ended, and officials no longer need the public to continue looking for him.
Kansas alert system used for vulnerable missing adults
The case shows how Kansas uses Silver Alerts to spread information fast when older adults disappear. The system allows law enforcement to ask drivers, neighbors and businesses to stay alert for a specific missing person.
For Falterman, the alert included his last known location, appearance, age and medical concerns. Once Wichita police confirmed he had been found, the warning was withdrawn and the public search closed.
