Man fears the worst nearly a year after best friend’s disappearance

CHARLOTTE — A man wants to continue the search for his friend who disappeared around Thanksgiving last year without a trace.

It’s been nearly 10 months since Isaac Traore vanished along Clanton Road. Though his best friend is now renewing calls to continue the search, he said he fears the worst.

Traore has been missing since Nov. 25, 2023. Police said he walked away from his apartment complex, which is in a community for people experiencing homelessness.

His best friend, Tim Williams, said Traore is special. They met in a shelter when Williams himself was experiencing homelessness. Since then, Williams has gotten back on his feet, but he said his friend still faced challenges.

Williams said Traore immigrated to the U.S. from Africa’s Ivory Coast in the 1990s. He said he worked multiple jobs until he developed medical problems, including seizures and dementia.

“It’s been almost a year. Isaac takes 38 pills a day, twice a day, for his seizures and his brain stuff,” Williams said. “If he doesn’t take them then he doesn’t exist.”

It’s a tragic thought for Williams. He said Traore was the first person to visit him after he was hit by a car years ago, despite Traore’s own medical issues.

But Williams said he isn’t the only one in need of closure.

“He has an ex-wife and a son that he was just getting to a point where he was knowing them,” Williams said. “Getting to know and have that contact and relationship with his son.”

He’s a man with a smile Williams says he hopes he sees again.

“Here is a man that spent his entire life helping family and friends. And yet we can’t even spend the time to find him,” Williams said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Traore left the apartment on his own and was last seen at a nearby store. Detectives believe he may be living within an unhoused community.

Detectives said as the investigation continues, they’re asking anyone with information on Traore’s whereabouts to call 911.

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