Deputies are asking Boynton Beach residents to keep an eye out for Brian Smisek, a 49-year-old man last seen walking away from an assisted living facility near Old Congress Road on Sunday evening. He is described as roughly 6 feet 2 inches tall, about 180 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office made the appeal in a post from its official account, urging anyone with information about Smisek’s whereabouts to come forward. According to PBSO, Smisek was last seen leaving the facility sometime during the evening of September 6. The agency, which handles law enforcement and missing person cases across unincorporated Palm Beach County and several contract municipalities, is directing tips to its 24/7 non-emergency dispatch line at 561-688-3400.
Old Congress Road cuts north-south through unincorporated Palm Beach County near the borders of Boynton Beach and Lantana, a stretch dotted with residential neighborhoods, commercial centers, and licensed care facilities, according to Elderlife Financial. PBSO has not said which specific facility reported Smisek’s departure, and it remains unclear whether the agency has formally requested a state Purple Alert or Silver Alert tied to his case.
What The Law Requires When Someone Goes Missing
Florida law leaves no room for delay in cases like this. Under Florida Statute ยง 937.021, law enforcement agencies are barred from imposing any mandatory waiting period before accepting a missing person report, and must log the details into state and national crime databases within two hours of receipt, per the Florida Senate. That statute helps explain why PBSO moved quickly to put out a public appeal rather than waiting a day or more after Smisek was reported missing…