Jim and Nance Case, the father and stepmother of missing doctor Graham Case, who was last seen leaving his Medford home June 22, were on hand for a training event for regional search and rescue crews this weekend. Crews planned to search by air in several areas between Medford and Klamath Falls. 

The case of missing radiologist Graham Rhode Case, who was last seen driving away from his Medford home 11 months ago, is a focus of a weekend training exercise of the California Oregon Regional Search and Rescue Task Force (CORSAR).

The 10 counties that make up the task force will train this weekend near Lost Creek Lake, using everything from K-9s and equines to aviation and marine search techniques.

Sgt. Shawn Richards, commander of Jackson County Search and Rescue, said the weekend event, which involves some 400 law enforcement and search and rescue personnel, is a good opportunity to look for Case by air. The search will cover rural areas between Medford and Klamath Falls. 

When crews last searched by air and land for the father of three within the week that he went missing June 22, a broad area was searched and trees had more foliage in late June than they do now.

Richards said Case’s car, a white 2014 Mercedes GL450 SUV with license plate number WC26068 and a large red “kissing lips” sticker on back, should have proven easier to spot than other vehicles.

“I honestly thought during hunting season he would turn up,” Richards said Thursday.

“Graham was a very intelligent man, and I think he planned it so that it would be very difficult to find him. I think he didn’t want a family member to find him right after it happened.”

Family members were with the crews Thursday in case something was found.

Case’s father and stepmother, Sherwood residents Jim and Nance Case, offered previously unreported details on the case.

Prior to his disappearance, Case traveled with family members to Mexico but was experiencing a range of health issues, including chronic back pain, for which he wore a brace, and struggles with his mental health.

Case lost his wife, April Case, with whom he shared three children, to an aggressive form of brain cancer July 31, 2022.

Nance Case said the 47-year-old was severely depressed and exhibiting concerning behavior while in Mexico with family. Originally refusing to make the trip, Case relented “for the kids’ sake,” Nance Case said.

At one point during the trip, Case left his children with two aunts who were on the beach and swam into the ocean until he could no longer be seen. One of his sisters swam after him.

“We knew he was struggling. After what happened on the beach, we sent Graham back early from Mexico. His mom flew to Salt Lake from Medford to meet him,” she said.

“We wanted to surround him with support because we knew he was in really tough shape.”

Case would spend one night at home, running a few errands and retrieving his dog from a kennel.

Family members said he had a conversation with his mother, Denise Rhode, before driving away from his Medford home two days after returning from Mexico.

“She was folding some clothes and went downstairs to put some clothes away. When she came back upstairs, he was driving out the driveway. She thought they had had a good conversation, so at first she thought maybe he was running an errand,” Nance Case said.

Graham Case had been prone to taking two- and three-hour drives in the months prior to the Mexico trip, family members said, but this time was different.

Within a week of his disappearance, search and rescue crews scoured areas around Jackson and Josephine counties. Case left with no cell phone on his person; he had lost the phone in Mexico. A look at his financial records turned up zero activity. And his SUV was manufactured in a year for which tracking is no longer possible.

Case, 47, is described as white, with brown hair and brown eyes, 6 feet 3 inches tall, and weighing 230 pounds.

Case’s dad said he never thought a year would pass without any leads.

“We assumed the car would be found and he would be found over the course of summer, or at the very latest during hunting season in the fall,” the dad said.

Nance case added, “A year ago right now, we were anticipating this family trip to Mexico. I just remember seeing how truly impacted he was by his physical and his life events and his emotional distress. … We knew he was struggling, but we never expected this.”

Richards said he hoped the weekend search would bring some closure for the family.

The trainings are held to ensure search and rescue teams from various areas have similar training and can prove useful when called to assist one another.

Jim Case was grateful for the extra effort in his son’s case.

“It’s a closure. You’ve finally got an answer. I didn’t think it was gonna be as important as it is.”

Richards said he’s long had a policy to not suspend missing persons cases.

“There are quite a few agencies that — once they feel they’ve made due diligence on a case — they’ll suspend. In cases like this, if we have a training, we’ll hold a training in an area where we can also work a case,” Richards said.

“We never stop looking.”