Missing
William James Simon
Simon, approximately 2008; Simon's cab
Date and time person was reported missing : 03/21/2008
Missing location (approx) :
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
Black
DOB : 12/09/1947 (73)
Age at the time of disappearance: 60 years old
Height / Weight : 6'2, 200 pounds
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: African-American male. Gray hair, brown eyes. Simon has scars on the right side of his abdomen. He has a receding hairline and wears eyeglasses. His nickname is Willie.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Simon's roommate reported him missing on March 19, 2008, but he was last seen two days later was last seen in Fayetteville, North Carolina. At 12:30 p.m. on March 20, he visited his wife at work. They were separated, but still talked every day.
That night, Simon, a cabdriver for L&M Taxi Service, called his boss and said he was taking a passenger to Raleigh, North Carolina. Bank records indicate he was still alive between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. the next day, Friday, March 21. This was the last sign of him. He has never been heard from again.
Simon's cab, a red Ford Crown Victoria with the L&M Taxi Service logo on the doors, was found abandoned Friday evening near a radio tower off Rosser Street in Spring Lake, a town near Fayetteville. Simon's family Bible was on the front seat. His loved ones stated he's very religious and would have taken the Bible with him if he'd left of his own accord. A photograph of Simon's cab is posted with this case summary.
Simon lived in a mobile home in the 1500 block of Gillespie Street at the time of his disappearance. He is the oldest of twelve children and left behind his wife, one son, two grandchildren and three dogs. He is described as a friendly, generous and dependable man with no enemies, and he had no criminal history or substance abuse problems. Foul play is suspected in his disappearance, which remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
910-323-1500
September 2021 updates and sources
News 14 Carolina
NBC 17
The Fayetteville Observer
NC Wanted
WRAL 5
Unsolved in the News
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
