“RIP. Hope They Figure Out What Happened”: Lifting Community in Shock Over Powerlifting Legend’s Mysterious Death

Joe Ladiner one of the pioneer and greatest powerlifters from the 1980s has passed away. He was found dead at the age of 60 years old. Ladiner, a former bodybuilding champion had been missing since Christmas Eve and the police had been looking for him. Unfortunately, the search ended on December 29, when Jackson County Sheriff’s Department recovered an abandoned truck with Ladiner’s body inside on the Chunchula Landfill Road in Mobile County.

Needless to say, once the news broke, tributes from fans, followers, and colleagues from the bodybuilding and fitness community have been pouring in.

Joe Ladiner’s mysterious death: Case still open

The search for Ladiner had been on for multiple days, and the first clue in the investigation was his abandoned truck. When the truck was found, it was parked and undamaged. This led to the powerlifter’s daughter, Taylor Manning hoping that her father was alive and maybe on foot. Unfortunately, that was not the case. 

After Ladiner went missing, Manning, one of his 10 children, reached out to followers on TikTok with the hashtag #bringjoehome. Ladiner had recently undergone a kidney transplant shortly before he had gone missing and needed anti-rejection medication regularly.

On Thursday, Jackson County Sheriff Ledbetter had informed the media that the former powerlifter had been last seen on Sunday in Wilmer, Alabama. His truck was found in Mobile County, which is 27 miles from where he was last seen. The Jackson County sheriff’s department had to use K-9 units to recover Ladiner’s body, some 200 yards away from his vehicle.

While previously the Jackson County Sheriff had ruled out foul play in his disappearance, the Mobile County Sheriff is yet to determine the cause of his death, leading to some undeniable doubts about his mysterious demise. As of right now, the case remains open.

Condolences pour over for the legendary figure

Bodybuilding veteran Dave Palumbo was among the first to break the news of his fallen comrade. Soon enough media houses and social media pages picked it up and since then the powerlifting and bodybuilding community has been in utter shock. Ladiner was the first man ever to break the record of 2,100lbs in bench press, deadlift, and squat just at the age of 19 weighing 220lbs. But this was not his only achievement. Family and friends tell stories of him being a kind and generous man who never forgot his roots and always gave back to the community. 

So, it’s only natural that the world is mourning the loss of this great man.  “My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, his friends, and his loved ones. Rest in Peace, Joe. 🙏🏼🌹.”

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One follower wrote, “Damn RIP. Hope they figure out what happened to him.” Another fan shared, “R.i.p so sad right before the new years.”

One follower said, “My Condolences RIHP he was my age.” A person gave a bittersweet comment and wrote, “Rest in Power big fella,” while another fan penned, “He was super strong Rest in Paradise.”

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Hopefully, the police can determine the cause of death and finish their investigation soon, providing much needed closure to Ladiner’s family and friends.