Baltimore Police dive team joins search for missing 27-year-old Branson Oduor

Emily Costa was getting ready to delete Hinge and take a break from online dating when Branson Oduor messaged her.

He was cute, she thought, and had photos that looked like he lived life “big.” So she replied, and her gut was right.

“He is very outgoing and sociable … lives life to the fullest,” said Costa, 25. “He helps me get out of my shell and helps me not take life too seriously.”

April 5 marked 1 1/2 years the couple have been together. They were planning to try Fogo de Chão. But Oduor, 27, went missing in the early hours of April 4.

The last time friends and family heard from him was in front of The Horse You Came In On Saloon after a night out.

It was around 1 a.m. on April 4. Some reported seeing the Germantown man, who moved to Baltimore a few years ago, riding his bike early Saturday. But phone calls from his mother and his girlfriend went unanswered. He was officially reported missing on Sunday, according to the Baltimore Police Department.

The Baltimore Police dive team joined the investigation Thursday afternoon, said James Moses, a spokesperson for the department.

“They will be conducting patrols and scanning the waters immediately adjacent to the piers, focusing on identifying any abnormalities beneath the surface,” he said.

Missing person flyers about Oduor’s disappearance are posted on poles across the city. The Baltimore City Missing Persons Unit, as well as the Southern and Central districts, are searching for him. Police reviewed CCTV footage that showed Oduor running northbound on South Broadway from Thames Street. They made their rounds collecting security footage from nearby businesses who have outdoor cameras.

Early Wednesday, police found his electric bike, which had an Apple AirTag, near the 600 block of South President Street.

Baltimore Police shared another photo of Oduor on social media asking for the public’s help finding him on Thursday.

Millicent Oduor, Branson Oduor’s mother, got a call from his girlfriend on Sunday reporting him missing.

“Even when he’s busy, you will text him or call him, and then he will call you back immediately,” Millicent Oduor told WJZ, a media partner of The Banner. “But he didn’t call.”

Costa said he had gone out Friday night with a friend.

“I just don’t know where he is,” Costa said.

Amidst the continued search for Oduor, Costa said, she’s been leaning on her roommate, classmates, friends and parents for support. Several of them are gathering Friday around 10 a.m. at James Joyce Irish Pub and Restaurant, where Costa said a security guard took his bike to prevent him from riding it, to hand out flyers.

‘Something is truly unsettling about it’

More than 3,000 people are reported missing each year in the city, according to the Baltimore Police Department. Moses said the missing persons unit is staffed with four detectives who are assigned to critical-risk cases, such as children under 13 years old, those who are cognitively impaired and older people.

All nine districts also have a designated missing persons liaison responsible for investigating cases in their jurisdiction.

Since the beginning of the year, 552 people have been reported missing in Baltimore, according to data provided by the Baltimore Police Department. Of them, 424 are Black and 35 are 26 to 35 years old. Most of the people who have gone missing in 2026 are under 17.

About 40% of those who go missing nationwide are people of color, said Natalie Wilson, co-founder of Black and Missing, an organization that raises awareness of missing persons. Organizers put out flyers with the missing person’s information, taking one burden off of the family, Wilson said.

The organization included Oduor’s information and missing notice on its website after The Banner contacted it for an interview.

Awareness is key and time is of the essence when it comes to missing cases, Wilson said. It’s why people should spread awareness and share information with authorities. Those who feel uncomfortable reaching out to law enforcement can use Black and Missing’s tip line, Wilson said.

“There are so many unknowns, and as time goes on, it will become more difficult and challenging to put the pieces of the puzzle together,” Wilson said.

There are a lot of surveillance cameras in the area, Wilson said, and there were people at the bar with Oduor that night.

“He went out, as many of us do, for a night with friends and then not to return home,” she added. “Something is truly unsettling about it.”

Meanwhile, operations at The Horse You Came In On Saloon were business as usual Thursday — except more intense carding after the incident. Representatives of the saloon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Anyone with information on Branson Oduor’s whereabouts should call police at 410-396-2499 or dial 911.

This article has been updated.