West Columbus billboard sparks search for missing man after 18 years
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The search for a man who vanished from his Hilltop home has reached 18 years and his family remains aggressive in their efforts.
Andrew “Andy” Chapman disappeared on Dec. 8, 2006. At 32 years old, Chapman vanished without taking his vehicle or any personal belongings.
This week, a billboard was unveiled in the 2800 block of West Broad Street, near the North Hague Avenue intersection, a couple of miles from where Andy was last seen. The billboard was donated by the Season of Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to funding DNA testing and bringing awareness to cold cases.
The billboard is expected to receive 500,000 views over the next six months, according to the Season of Justice. At the time of his disappearance, Andy was 6 feet tall and weighed 175 pounds.
Additionally, In March 2024 the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation released a new photo to spark the investigation. A BCI forensic artist created a facial reconstruction model to produce an age-progression image of what Andy, who would be 50, might look like today.
Andy’s family members originally believed in December 2006 that his disappearance was related to his struggle with addiction, stemming from a car accident in 2004. But after not hearing from him for about three months, they filed a missing person’s report in March 2007.
Several months prior to his disappearance, Andy requested money from his retirement fund. At the end of November 2006, a short time before he vanished, Andy received a check for close to $39,000, according to Andy’s sister Aimee Chapman.
Aimee said the check was originally mailed to an address Andy was evicted from a month prior, so his family doesn’t know how he ended up getting the check. The check was cashed a car was purchased for about $14,000, Aimee said.
His last known address was on Whitethorne Avenue, where he lived with two roommates. Aimee claims that in July 2007, a family member of one of Andy’s former roommates transferred the car title into their name without the knowledge of Andy’s family, who originally didn’t know the car existed.
Aimee believes the car and the money Andy received may be related to his disappearance. There is no trace of the rest of the money Andy took out from his retirement fund.
“You don’t disappear and leave the car you just bought,” Aimee said. “There’s no trace of the money and no trace of Andy.”
This past summer Chapman's family organized the first-annual "Andy Chapman March for the Missing" to raise awareness on missing persons such as Andy and others like like Danny Fout, who went missing from the Hilltop area in 2019.
The reward raised by the Chapman family to anyone who can offer information leading to Andy’s location has now reached $4,800. Central Ohio Crime Stoppers urges anyone with information to call 614-461-TIPS (8477) or visit www.centralohiocrimestoppers.org and e-mail your tip, which can be anonymously.