May 5, 2025 | By: Kelila Ritchie

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

Eric “Paul” Akridge was a simple man. He often spent his days working, fishing, watching sports, and spending time with his close-knit family. Tragedy struck the Akridge family on May 3, 2021, when Paul disappeared without a trace. “Growing up, I couldn’t go anywhere without someone asking me how is Paul doing or what is he up to these days. It’s the same thing now except the question is, are there any updates on Paul,” said Paul’s sister, Celena Julius.

Paul went missing after leaving his sister’s house in Keystone Heights, Florida on May 3, 2021. The 50-year-old was last seen on surveillance footage leaving his sister’s house after dropping off his parents’ car, wearing a bucket hat with his face seemingly covered. Paul’s family spoke to him every day. His sister, Mary Akridge, says her brother Paul was “compassionate, kind, and would never say no to requests for help, even from strangers.” It was considered abnormal for Paul not to reach out to his siblings or his parents for days on end, as they talked every day. Although his family often awaited his calls, they knew something was wrong after Paul’s Facebook status went offline. Four years later, Paul has still not been found.

Paul grew up in Keystone Heights, Florida, with his three sisters, Valerie, Mary, and his younger sister, Celena. “Paul was the favorite; he was the only boy in the family,” said Celena.  Sports played a significant role in Paul’s upbringing. He was the MVP on many teams. Paul played baseball, basketball, and occasionally, football. Though a jack of all trades, Paul’s heart always led him back to baseball. He was a star baseball player in his high school days, playing both shortstop and pitcher. Paul is described by his family as being “extremely athletic.” After graduating from high school in 1988, Paul’s passion for the game of baseball landed him a spot on the Santa Fe Community College baseball team before transferring to the University of Florida after two years. Paul was used to having ample play time on the field, but after transferring to the University of Florida, he became a relief pitcher with minimal playing time. After his first season, Paul transferred to Warner Southern, a smaller university, to play baseball and finish out his college career.

Family is very important to the Akridges. It’s the only thing that matters. “I used to follow him everywhere when we were younger,” said Celena. “We were like twins; we were born 15 months apart, but being so close in age, we shared a special bond.” Paul was best friends with his immediate family. He never missed a family event. “We were always together. He was very active in all of our lives, every holiday he was around.” Paul spent a lot of his childhood freshwater fishing with his father.  “Our dad had a love for fishing, and Paul was in his shadow every time they had a chance to go,” said Paul’s sister, Valerie. This was a hobby Paul took with him well into his adulthood. He often competed in fishing tournaments at Santa Fe Lake in Gainesville every Wednesday night. A tradition that his sister Valerie said “often yielded a prize for the biggest fish of the day.”

“This always brought a smile to our faces because we knew he loved it, he was very competitive,” said Celena. These tournaments brought joy to Paul’s life and gave him something to look forward to weekly.

“He was always the best at whatever he participated in,” said Alvers. “But unfortunately, all of these things in the end were not enough to stop his drastic turn into drug abuse.” Paul’s drug use began in college and slowly became an issue throughout the years, which eventually landed him in trouble with the law. Paul’s family often encouraged him to do the right thing and turn himself in, but to no avail. After years of drug use, Paul was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension after being hospitalized.

Three days before his disappearance, Paul called his sister, Celena, with a chilling message. “Celena, they’re going to get me. When they get me, you’re not going to have me anymore. I don’t know what they’ll do to me, but they will dispose of me. They have more resources and money than the police.” He told his sister that he “doesn’t want her to live the rest of her life not knowing what happened to him.” When his younger sister asked who he was referring to, Paul couldn’t give an answer. On the day he went missing, Paul spent the morning working on his car. After spending a couple of hours on the project, Paul went to his parents’ nearby home to pick up their car to drive to Palatka for car parts. Paul returned from Palatka to his sister’s house, where he was last seen on surveillance at 5:10 p.m. In the surveillance footage, Paul is seen wearing a hat with his face covered as he drops off his parents’ car. That was the last time anyone saw or heard from Paul. Police suspect Paul was picked up by someone and taken somewhere where something possibly happened to him.

It has been four years since the Akridge family last saw Paul. “If he were to show up today, I would be thrilled. I would just hug him and let him know how much he was loved and missed. I would feel complete again,” said Paul’s mother, Denise Akridge. Since Paul’s disappearance, his family has been unable to fully grieve due to the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. “You wonder every day, every hour, what happened to Paul,” said Denise. Paul told his sister Celena before his disappearance that he felt he was “dealt the wrong hand from both sides.” Denise added, “Someone knows something, and that someone needs to come forward with where Paul is.”

In the year following Paul’s disappearance, Paul’s father, his lifelong best friend, often sat by the window awaiting his son’s return. Celena says her father died of a broken heart, one day after Paul’s 51st birthday.

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Anyone with information concerning Eric “Paul” Akridge’s disappearance is asked to call the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at 904-264-6512. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

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