"I sit in my chair at night and look out at the road, hoping I might see him," Dwight Elliott said, fighting back tears.
"We have a lot of cars coming up and down through here, and maybe he will get out of one of these cars, but nothing," he continued.
The family has heard nothing from Rakeem, whom they call "Rock."
"That's not his usual behavior. He has the same clothes. No ID. He calls home every day. He comes home. After at least three or four days, we knew something was wrong," Elliott said. "We haven't heard from my son since that night."
That night was January 12, 2025.
Rakeem was driving with his brother when they had an argument, which the family describes as common. Elliott said Rakeem got out of the car along I-40 at the Hammond Road Exit and started walking. His brother sped off and went home.
"It was about a five-minute exchange from the time he came in the house, from the time he told me where he put him out. I was back there in about 10 minutes," Elliot said.
Raleigh Police said an NCDOT camera at I-40 and Garner Road showed Rakeem walking along the interstate on the same day he was last seen.
Investigators noted the challenge of the case is that Rakeem did not have his cell phone or wallet, and there are no leads.
Over the past year, the family has searched for Rakeem along Hammond Road, Wilmington Street, and other communities near I-40, hoping someone would have seen him.
"We haven't found a body, but when you don't know where someone is it's hard and it's nothing I can do as a father this hurts," said Elliott.
Rakeem has missed two birthdays and the family's annual beach trip every August. His father prays he will return this year.
"He loved the beach. Hopefully, he'll be back," said Elliott.
The family is planning another search for Rakeem on March 14. If you have any information about his disappearance, contact the Raleigh Police Department at 919-996-3335.