Against the Current
On the evening of March 31, 2005, James "Jimmy" Farrence Jr. mysteriously disappeared from Carbondale, Pennsylvania.
Jimmy had less than $60 cash on hand, did not drive, and suffered from Myotonic muscular dystrophy . He was extremely friendly and trusting; a well-known local in the Carbondale area.
Family, friends, and residents of Carbondale believe that Jimmy's disappearance involved foul play. Jimmy was the survivor of a brutal hate crime in 2003. Jimmy was beat with a tire iron; his face and head needing serious reconstructive surgery. Doctors thought his chances of survival were slim, but he pulled through. Both men charged with the crime were released from jail before Jimmy disappered-- one of them, just nine days prior.
Jimmy's cell phone records show that he contacted the local police department the same evening he disappeared at 6:39 p.m. The officer that Jimmy spoke with that evening has admitted to "blowing Jimmy off".
For nearly a year, family and friends searched desperately to find Jimmy--organizing search and rescue efforts, addressing state legislatures and municipality representatives, networking with missing person organizations, and pressing authorities to continue with an investigation.
On September 20, 2005 Jimmy's torso was recovered near the Lackawanna River in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Later on March 11, 2006 his skull was found--just 15 miles from where he was last seen alive. Suspiciously, the only items recovered with Jimmy were a pair of boxer shorts. No other items have ever been found.
Jimmy's suspicous death has sparked an online network movement dubbed "Justice for James". Our mission is to gain community support and awareness of Jimmy's story, gain insight regarding the circumstances of Jimmy's disappearance, and encourage officials to proceed with a thorough investigation.
It is the opinion of Justice for James supporters that local police failed to actively pursue Jimmy's case as a crime. One officer even joked to family that Jimmy was "probably just hitchhiking across America". The family continues to search for answers into Jimmy's mysterious death and is demanding accountability from local authorities. Currently, the family is trying to have Jimmy's case relocated to the jurisdiction in which his remains were found.
To learn why the family has lost confidence in the local police department, you can view the things gone wrong blog .
To learn more about Jimmy's disappearance, you can view news, media, and blog links .
Please support Justice for James by sending a friend request and spreading the word about Jimmy's story.
If you have information about Jimmy's disappearance or death, please contact
[email protected]. There is a reward for information which leads to an arrest and conviction.
Thank you for supporting
Justice for James Farrence Jr.
