Daniel Joe Braden

Braden, circa 2016

  • Missing Since 08/19/2016
  • Missing From St. Joseph, Tennessee
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 08/17/1972 (51)
  • Age 44 years old
  • Height and Weight 6'0 - 6'4, 170 - 180 pounds
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Silver and black 1994 Ford Ranger with a stepside bed
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown eyes. Braden's head was shaved at the time of his disappearance. He has a scar on his chin and a tattoo of a Tasmanian devil on the left side of his chest. Braden's nickname is Shawn, and he may use the alias names Joseph Braden, River Lawson and/or Shawn Oliver.

Details of Disappearance

Braden and a friend, Janson Brewer, left St. Joseph, Tennessee on August 19, 2016. The two men were driving Janson's silver and black 1994 Ford Ranger with a stepside bed, en route to Florida. The purpose of the trip is unclear; they may have gone fishing, or may have gone to go pick up a vehicle.

The pair may have stopped at a mall in Florence, Alabama at 2:00 p.m. on August 20. They apparently never arrived in Florida and have never been heard from again, and their truck has not been located. They were reported missing on August 19.

Braden has ties to eastern Tennessee and to Panama City Beach, Florida. The circumstances of his and Brewer's disappearance are unclear, but Brewer's family believes they were murdered. Their cases remain unsolved.

Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated August 10, 2019; three pictures added.