Recent search for missing gay Madison County man fails;
searchers hope someone will help them locate body
Madison County resident Jimmy Martin’s mysterious disappearance remains unsolved, and his family’s heartbreak goes on.
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| Jimmy Martin |
A two-day search for his body Oct. 13-14 by Texas EquuSearch failed to find any trace of Martin, 33, last seen by his family on Aug. 6 in his hometown of Normangee, which is south of Dallas on Interstate 45.
Frank Black, organizer of the search, said about 30 people turned out to look for Martin’s body in an area that is covered by woods and brush and dotted with stock tanks. The search area is located near the residence of a person of interest in the case, he said.
“It really was discouraging,” Black said. “I’m hoping with the next search we can go ahead and bring him home to his mother, who is a teacher. She’s very distraught over everything.”
Black said Martin’s mother, law enforcement officers and the searchers now feel certain Martin is dead.
“If we can find him, it will help the police with their investigation,” Black said. “But also it would be a way for the mother to bury her son and she can go out there on Christmas and his birthday or whatever and put flowers on his grave.”
A relative of the missing man said that Martin’s mother was too distraught to be interviewed, but the family issued a written statement.
“The Martin family is deeply wounded by the catastrophic loss of Jim Craig, the youngest son of Kay Martin and her late husband, Julius. She and her surviving son, Mike, are currently enduring the worst pain imaginable. This crime has left a hole in the soul of the Martin family and has broken the hearts of numerous friends and relatives grieving this most difficult and senseless loss.”
The statement added that the family’s sorrow is intensified by the lack of information regarding the events surrounding Martin’s disappearance and suspected murder. They pleaded for anyone with information about him to come forward.
“It is most important to the family that the dignity of the life of a beloved son, brother and friend be restored by bringing him home.”
The date of the next search will be announced in the hope that more volunteers turn up to help find Martin’s body, Black said. The searches are being carried out on foot, on horseback and on four-wheelers, he said.
The area that needs to be searched comprises several hundred acres, and only a portion of it was searched last weekend, Black said.
“We had a lot of people who were gung ho to go out there and find him,” Black said. “We expected more people to show up and help and could have used them. Naturally, the more people you’ve got, the more area you can cover.”
The searchers have been on the look out for burial sites, Black said.
“Even though it’s been a little over two months since he disappeared, we still think we would be able to recognize a burial site,” Black said. “It would leave some kind of trace of disturbed land. We were prepared to dig.”
Black said he is also hoping that anyone who has information about Martin’s fate or has heard anything about it will come forward. If more specific information is received about the location of Martin’s body, cadaver tracking dogs could be used to quickly find him, he said.
After Martin was last seen with someone else driving his car, the burned out vehicle was found two days later near downtown Normangee.
Anyone with information about Martin should contact the Madison County Sheriff at 936-348-2755, Texas Equusearch at 877-270-9500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-252-TIPS or e-mail findjimmartin@yahoo.com
E-mail webb@dallasvoice.com
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 19, 2007