Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos

James Martin Roberts











Roberts, date, approximate 2016; Age-progression to age 24 (date, approximate 2020); Roberts's forearm tattoo
Date Missing 04/21/2016
Missing From
Boone, North Carolina
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 08/19/1996 (26)
Age 19 years old
Height and Weight 5'9 - 5'11, 140 - 150 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description An Appalachian State University windbreaker, a black shirt with three-quarter-length sleeves, khaki shorts, gray shoes (possibly New Balance brand), white socks and a white golf visor.
Medical Conditions Roberts may be in need of medical attention for unspecified reasons.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Roberts has a tattoo of blue, black and red mountains on in the inside of his left forearm and a tattoo of a quote from a Bob Marley song in black lettering on the right side of his ribcage. A photo of the forearm tattoo is posted below this summary. Roberts goes by his middle name, Martin.
Details of Disappearance Roberts was last seen walking away from the Appalcart bus stop at the corner of Rivers Street and Blowing Rock Road in Boone, North Carolina on April 21, 2016, near the Holmes Convocation Center at Appalachian State University. He has never been heard from again.
He is from Kernersville, North Carolina and was living in Boone and and attending Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute at the time of his disappearance. The last phone conversation he had with his father was normal, and Roberts said they'd talk to tomorrow, but he never called and didn't reply to his father's text messages.
Several days later, Roberts's father became concerned and contacted his son's landlord, who spoke to his roommates, who checked Roberts's room. He wasn't there and he'd left behind his cellular phone and other electronic devices, as well as a note.
The note was vague, but said Roberts was leaving because he had not taken advantage of opportunities he had and he was disappointed in himself. The note did not specifically mention that he planned to harm himself, and his father did not interpret it as a suicide note. Extensive searches of the area turned up no evidence as to his whereabouts.
Roberts had initially enrolled at Appalachian State University after high school, and joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, but took a semester off to work at home and then enrolled at the community college to boost his academic performance.
His friends said he seemed to take his schoolwork more seriously and was more quiet and reserved and less social on his return to school. His grades did improve and he was set to return to Appalachian State in the fall.
Roberts is a talented soccer player and also enjoys hiking and camping, particularly around the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Appalachian Mountains. He didn't have access to a vehicle when he went missing, and because of the circumstances of his disappearance, his family is concerned for his safety. His remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Boone Police Department
828-268-6900
Other
NamUs
The Watauga Democrat
WXII News 12
MyFox 8
The Winston-Salem Journal
WNCN
NBC News
The Bristol Herald Courier
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Missing Person Photos

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 unknown. 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 to 5 percent 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. A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images 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.

Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos