In 2008 Perry was diagnosed with bladder cancer which was operated on, but reemerged in the midst of financial troubles which prompted the help of The Hero Initiative.

"[5] Perry released a statement in praise of the help he received from The Hero Initiative which stated, "The Initiative gave me the breathing room to get some Medicaid and food stamps, and while we are always in danger of losing our home, electricity and belongings at any moment, I will always be grateful from the depths of my heart for the past six months of fairly solid home life I have had with my little boy.

According to news reports, Stephen Perry and his roommates, Roxanne and James Davis, disappeared from their home in Zephyrhills, Florida, in May 2010, with the last sighting of him being on May 9.

In the parking lot of a motel in Tampa, Florida, on May 16, police found a severed arm in a van registered to Perry following complaints of a foul smell.

[1] The police also investigated whether there was a connection with a $10 million winning lottery ticket that was bought at a nearby store just before Perry disappeared.