SHIPROCK, New Mexico — Lathan Samuel Benally, a 49-year-old man, went missing in February 2025 after last being seen at the Coconino County Detention Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Navajo Police Department reported. He’s 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 140 pounds, with brown eyes and black-and-white hair, and he’s got a disability that’s got his family extra worried.
Lathan Benally was at the jail—police aren’t saying why he was there or how he left—but that’s the last solid spot they’ve got on him. He’s from the Shiprock area, and since he vanished, no one’s heard a peep. The Navajo Police Department’s Shiprock District entered him into the National Crime Information Center, so every cop out there’s got his name flagged, but it’s been over a month with no sign.
His disability could mean he’s struggling out there—maybe lost or needing help—and he didn’t have a car or phone tied to him when he went missing. Officers are checking Flagstaff, a good 200 miles from Shiprock, and asking around the Navajo Nation, but leads are thin. They’re hoping someone’s seen him walking or hitching a ride somewhere between.
If you’ve spotted Lathan Benally or know where he might be, call the Shiprock District at 505-368-1350 or 505-368-1351. Shiprock’s a hub on the reservation, right off Highway 491, and his folks just want him home safe.
