Ward was last seen in Horry County, South Carolina on June 17, 2007. That morning, he played with his dog, took a shower, changed clothes and left the house. He told his family to call him on his cellular phone if the dog got loose. They tried to call him half an hour later, but he didn't answer. He also missed Sunday dinner with his family, and he didn't take his mother to a doctor's appointment as promised, which is uncharacteristic of his behavior. He has never been heard from again.

Only hours after Ward missed the doctor's appointment, police pulled his white Mitsubishi Gallant from the Little Pee Dee River at the Gunter's Island boat landing. The keys were in the ignition, his cellular phone was in the trunk and the battery and sims card were inside the car, but the new stereo and sound system Ward had installed the day before he disappeared were missing.

Ward was employed with a temporary employment agency at the time of his disappearance; his most recent job was at a Coca Cola plant. His hobbies include music and fishing. His case remains unsolved. His family believes he met with foul play and is now deceased.