Man with autism, missing for nearly a month, reunited with mother after being found in Taylorsville

SALT LAKE CITY — A man with autism who had gone missing near the University of Utah nearly a month ago was finally reunited with his mother Wednesday.

University of Utah Police said 29-year-old August Beckwith was spotted in Taylorsville, which is more than a dozen miles south from where he went missing on Nov. 17.

His mother, Lori Beckwith, had previously said they had just left the hospital when he ran off down Wakara Way. She was vocal about rallying community support to find him, because August is autistic, nonverbal and on crucial medications.

“It’s very concerning that, especially with this time of year where it’s starting to get cold, it’s very concerning having somebody (out there) with the lack of resources that he had,” said Captain Reuben Torres with University of Utah Police.

Since August went missing, flyers had been posted throughout the community and a search effort, including dozens of volunteers, was organized. Torres said they had been in communication with Lori about the search efforts nearly every day. 

Finally, after three-and-a-half weeks with no word, Torres told KSL NewsRadio the good news.

“We received information from Taylorsville PD that they had found August in a fast food restaurant,” Torres said. “They identified him and called up mom, and she positively identified him. Then he was taken to a medical facility to get checked out.”

Shortly after, Utah’s Department of Public Safety canceled the endangered missing person advisory, saying August was located and reunited with his mother “alive and well.” 

Lori posted on Facebook about her relief, as well as her gratefulness to everyone who assisted in the search.

Torres did not have any information about August’s whereabouts for the last three weeks or how he ended up more than a dozen miles south in Taylorsville.

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