Urgent Plea: Help Find 81-Year-Old Gwendolyn Thomas, Missing in Detroit

There's a palpable sense of worry spreading across Detroit's west side right now, as police, alongside a very anxious family, are making an urgent plea to the public. They need our eyes, our help, to find 81-year-old Gwendolyn Thomas, who hasn't been seen since Friday night. It’s truly heartbreaking, especially knowing she lives with dementia, which makes her disappearance all the more dangerous and time-sensitive.

Gwendolyn was last spotted at her home, tucked away in the 20000 block of Marlowe Street. If you know that area, it's roughly near 8 Mile Road and Evergreen Road – a pretty busy part of town, really. The time was around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026. Just imagine the last goodbyes, the last moments of normalcy, before everything changed. The uncertainty must be agonizing for her loved ones, hoping against hope.

When she vanished, Gwendolyn was dressed in some pretty distinct clothes: a gray hooded jacket, a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, black sweatpants, and black tennis shoes. Take a moment to picture that outfit, because every detail, no matter how small it seems, truly counts in these situations. She’s described as being 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes. Again, these aren't just statistics; they're vital clues that could lead her back home.

The Detroit Police Department, specifically their 8th Precinct, is working tirelessly on this case. But they can’t do it alone; they rely heavily on community involvement. If you've seen Gwendolyn, even if you think it was just a fleeting glimpse or something insignificant, please, please pick up the phone. Your information could very well be the missing piece of this puzzle, the one detail that brings her home. You can reach the 8th Precinct directly at 313-596-5800. And if you’d rather remain anonymous, which is totally understandable, Crime Stoppers is always an option at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

Let’s all keep Gwendolyn in our thoughts and, more importantly, keep our eyes open. An 81-year-old woman with dementia, out alone in the city, is incredibly vulnerable. Every second truly matters. Let's unite and bring Gwendolyn home safely to her family, where she belongs.