Post by hi224 on Nov 22, 2020 21:45:42 GMT
It has been 18 years, and nothing has come up. That’s highly unusual.”
-Detective John Gadja, 2012
Overview
James “Jimmy” Cole was born on September 6th, 1972, and was later adopted by Dorothy and Ronald Cole. The middle brother of three, Jimmy lived, by all accounts, a normal life. Jimmy had a girlfriend of three years, Mary, had a job at the K&J Maintenance Co., and lived with his parents in suburban Severna Park, Maryland. According to his family, Jimmy had no enemies, and had no history of disappearing. However, in the early hours of April 11, 1994, that’s exactly what the 21-year-old Jimmy did.
On the evening of April 10, 1994, Jimmy and his brother, Jeff, spent the night out drinking. At a strip mall only four blocks from their home, they visited the Shangri-La restaurant and cocktail lounge, where they drank and sang karaoke, then the Gingerbread Man Restaurant (both of which no longer exist). At 10 p.m., Jeff went home, but Jimmy decided to return to the Shangri-La. Jimmy finally left the Shangri-La at 1:30 a.m. According to a waitress at the Shangri-La named Donna Robbins, Jimmy was alone and visibly intoxicated when he left. Robbins stated that Jimmy “wasn’t very drunk, but he slurred his words.” Jimmy’s house was only four blocks away, and Jimmy often walked home after spending nights at the bars, as he didn’t own a car. After he left the Shangri-La, no one ever saw Jimmy Cole again.
After Jimmy did not come home, his family began to search the neighborhood, looking along possible routes he may have taken. Based on his habit of taking shortcuts, it’s likely that Jimmy took the Baltimore & Annapolis (B&A) Trail at least part of the way (see imgur link below). With no trace of him, his family reported him missing on either April 11 or 12.
Photoset 1: Area Maps
imgur.com/a/jpK2nL0
In May of the same year, a witness who said he knew Jimmy claimed he saw him buying coffee at a Taco Bell in Pasadena, MD, approximately 4 miles from where Jimmy was last seen. An article in the Baltimore Sun from May 15, 1994, states that the witness claims to have spoken to Jimmy. The alleged conversation was casual, and the witness only contacted police after seeing a missing person poster with Jimmy on it. However, the sighting has never been confirmed, and Jimmy’s parents do not believe that the witness actually saw Jimmy there. The sighting seems dubious, as the witness claimed to have known Jimmy from Chesapeake High School, a school which Jimmy never attended or visited, according to his father. The witness passed a polygraph, so it’s possible he genuinely believed that he knew and saw Jimmy, but was mistaken.
Because Jimmy was adopted, it took over a decade to obtain comparison DNA samples from a biological relative.
In 2012, Search and Rescue teams combed the B&A Trail in Severna Park, hoping to find some evidence. Detective John Gadja of Anne Arundel PD stated that some items were collected, but it was “unknown whether they [were] related to human or animal remains.” There were plans for further testing, and Jimmy’s mother expressed hope for some answers, but nothing ever came of the search. Without a trace of Jimmy for the past 26 years, we are left to only speculate about what happened to him.
Theories
Theory 1: Jimmy left town of his own accord.
I find this theory unlikely due to a number of factors. Jimmy did not take any of his belongings or money with him, and did not pick up his last paycheck from his job at K&J Maintenance Co. It also seems unlikely that Jimmy would have been able to leave town effectively, as he had no car, likely little money, and was drunk. Additionally, Jimmy’s girlfriend, Mary, spoke to him on April 10 and reported that he was in good spirits. No one involved in the case has hinted at any reason that he would feel the need to leave town.
Theory 2: Jimmy was met with foul play on his way home.
Again, I find this theory unlikely. There is no identifiable suspect or motive for premeditated murder, and a crime of opportunity would require too many logical jumps: Jimmy was targeted in the 4 blocks he had to walk home, the murderer decided to kill him in a residential area, no one heard any struggle or found any evidence of one, and the killer was able to easily remove and hide a body without leaving a speck of evidence.
It is worth noting that Jimmy’s mother, Dorothy, worried that something bad happened to him, as he took short cuts along bicycle paths (AKA the B&A trail) from the restaurant to his home. However, Jimmy’s father, Ronald, said the bike trail was well-lighted.
Theory 3: Jimmy died on his way home of accidental causes.
When it comes to a drunk person disappearing suddenly, it’s safe to round up accidental drowning or death from exposure as the usual suspects. However, there are no bodies of water between the Shangri-La and Jimmy’s house (see Photoset 1). Additionally, the B&A trail segment Jimmy likely would have taken is right next to houses and has few trees and bushes to hide a body (see Photo Set 2). It’s unlikely that Jimmy would have died of exposure or drowning in four blocks, and even more unlikely that he would not have been found if he died in those four blocks. This means that Jimmy would have to deviate from the route home in order to die from accidental causes.
My opinion:
After reading about this case all day, I finally said fuck it, I live 40 minutes away, I might as well go check out the area for myself and walk the B&A trail. Based on my research and my visit to Severna Park, I have formed an opinion about what happened.
Photoset 2:
imgur.com/gallery/CWlUagp
I believe that when Shangri-La neared closing time, Jimmy wasn’t ready to go home yet. Maybe he was in a particularly good or bad mood, or maybe he just wanted to keep the evening going. He began walking back home along the B&A path, but instead of turning onto Stewart Way to head home, he kept walking along the trail, eventually crossing Robinson Road. Jimmy liked the woods; Police Corporal Jay Schline, a detective with the police Missing Persons Unit, said during the 2012 search that Jimmy was “a camper” and “would sleep in the woods sometimes.” As one walks further along the B&A trail, towards Cattail Creek, suburbia falls away, leaving only a dense layer of trees. At 1:30 a.m., the woods would have been pitch black. Jimmy, despite being experienced in the woods, was drunk and may have panicked. He could have fallen and hurt himself, tripped into cold water, or just walked in circles. The low temperature for the area on April 11 was around 44 degrees, meaning Jimmy could have easily succumbed to hypothermia if he got wet or drunkenly laid down to sleep it off. I think Jimmy died in the woods on the morning of April 11. He may have unintentionally hidden himself in the process (e.g., terminal burrowing or finding a secluded place to sleep), and was further shielded by wearing earth tones that wouldn’t catch the eye of a search party. There is no mention of search dogs until 2012, 18 years after Jimmy went missing. By then, he would likely be completely skeletonized and buried under years of dirt and leaves, making him near impossible to find. I think it’s unlikely that Jimmy’s body will be found, but for the sake of his family, I hope it is.
Discussion Questions:
What do you think happened to Jimmy? Was his death accidental or more sinister? If you think his death was an accident, did it happen in the four blocks between the bar and his house? If not, why would Jimmy walk past his house into pitch black wilderness at 1:30 a.m.? After 26 years, do you think Jimmy's remains will ever be found?
Jimmy was last seen wearing a burgundy and green baseball shirt, blue jeans, a green Loyola baseball cap, and beige and black hiking boots. He had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, and a tattoo of a black widow spider on his right forearm.
If you have any information regarding Jimmy’s case, please contact the Anne Arundel County Police Department 410-222-8050 (Case number: 94713201 or 1994-71320)
Sources:
charleyproject.org/case/james-arthur-cole
patch.com/maryland/severnapark/trained-canines-search-b-a-trail-monday-for-clues-in-90ccb82d42
www.doenetwork.org/cases/1521dmmd.html
-Detective John Gadja, 2012
Overview
James “Jimmy” Cole was born on September 6th, 1972, and was later adopted by Dorothy and Ronald Cole. The middle brother of three, Jimmy lived, by all accounts, a normal life. Jimmy had a girlfriend of three years, Mary, had a job at the K&J Maintenance Co., and lived with his parents in suburban Severna Park, Maryland. According to his family, Jimmy had no enemies, and had no history of disappearing. However, in the early hours of April 11, 1994, that’s exactly what the 21-year-old Jimmy did.
On the evening of April 10, 1994, Jimmy and his brother, Jeff, spent the night out drinking. At a strip mall only four blocks from their home, they visited the Shangri-La restaurant and cocktail lounge, where they drank and sang karaoke, then the Gingerbread Man Restaurant (both of which no longer exist). At 10 p.m., Jeff went home, but Jimmy decided to return to the Shangri-La. Jimmy finally left the Shangri-La at 1:30 a.m. According to a waitress at the Shangri-La named Donna Robbins, Jimmy was alone and visibly intoxicated when he left. Robbins stated that Jimmy “wasn’t very drunk, but he slurred his words.” Jimmy’s house was only four blocks away, and Jimmy often walked home after spending nights at the bars, as he didn’t own a car. After he left the Shangri-La, no one ever saw Jimmy Cole again.
After Jimmy did not come home, his family began to search the neighborhood, looking along possible routes he may have taken. Based on his habit of taking shortcuts, it’s likely that Jimmy took the Baltimore & Annapolis (B&A) Trail at least part of the way (see imgur link below). With no trace of him, his family reported him missing on either April 11 or 12.
Photoset 1: Area Maps
imgur.com/a/jpK2nL0
In May of the same year, a witness who said he knew Jimmy claimed he saw him buying coffee at a Taco Bell in Pasadena, MD, approximately 4 miles from where Jimmy was last seen. An article in the Baltimore Sun from May 15, 1994, states that the witness claims to have spoken to Jimmy. The alleged conversation was casual, and the witness only contacted police after seeing a missing person poster with Jimmy on it. However, the sighting has never been confirmed, and Jimmy’s parents do not believe that the witness actually saw Jimmy there. The sighting seems dubious, as the witness claimed to have known Jimmy from Chesapeake High School, a school which Jimmy never attended or visited, according to his father. The witness passed a polygraph, so it’s possible he genuinely believed that he knew and saw Jimmy, but was mistaken.
Because Jimmy was adopted, it took over a decade to obtain comparison DNA samples from a biological relative.
In 2012, Search and Rescue teams combed the B&A Trail in Severna Park, hoping to find some evidence. Detective John Gadja of Anne Arundel PD stated that some items were collected, but it was “unknown whether they [were] related to human or animal remains.” There were plans for further testing, and Jimmy’s mother expressed hope for some answers, but nothing ever came of the search. Without a trace of Jimmy for the past 26 years, we are left to only speculate about what happened to him.
Theories
Theory 1: Jimmy left town of his own accord.
I find this theory unlikely due to a number of factors. Jimmy did not take any of his belongings or money with him, and did not pick up his last paycheck from his job at K&J Maintenance Co. It also seems unlikely that Jimmy would have been able to leave town effectively, as he had no car, likely little money, and was drunk. Additionally, Jimmy’s girlfriend, Mary, spoke to him on April 10 and reported that he was in good spirits. No one involved in the case has hinted at any reason that he would feel the need to leave town.
Theory 2: Jimmy was met with foul play on his way home.
Again, I find this theory unlikely. There is no identifiable suspect or motive for premeditated murder, and a crime of opportunity would require too many logical jumps: Jimmy was targeted in the 4 blocks he had to walk home, the murderer decided to kill him in a residential area, no one heard any struggle or found any evidence of one, and the killer was able to easily remove and hide a body without leaving a speck of evidence.
It is worth noting that Jimmy’s mother, Dorothy, worried that something bad happened to him, as he took short cuts along bicycle paths (AKA the B&A trail) from the restaurant to his home. However, Jimmy’s father, Ronald, said the bike trail was well-lighted.
Theory 3: Jimmy died on his way home of accidental causes.
When it comes to a drunk person disappearing suddenly, it’s safe to round up accidental drowning or death from exposure as the usual suspects. However, there are no bodies of water between the Shangri-La and Jimmy’s house (see Photoset 1). Additionally, the B&A trail segment Jimmy likely would have taken is right next to houses and has few trees and bushes to hide a body (see Photo Set 2). It’s unlikely that Jimmy would have died of exposure or drowning in four blocks, and even more unlikely that he would not have been found if he died in those four blocks. This means that Jimmy would have to deviate from the route home in order to die from accidental causes.
My opinion:
After reading about this case all day, I finally said fuck it, I live 40 minutes away, I might as well go check out the area for myself and walk the B&A trail. Based on my research and my visit to Severna Park, I have formed an opinion about what happened.
Photoset 2:
imgur.com/gallery/CWlUagp
I believe that when Shangri-La neared closing time, Jimmy wasn’t ready to go home yet. Maybe he was in a particularly good or bad mood, or maybe he just wanted to keep the evening going. He began walking back home along the B&A path, but instead of turning onto Stewart Way to head home, he kept walking along the trail, eventually crossing Robinson Road. Jimmy liked the woods; Police Corporal Jay Schline, a detective with the police Missing Persons Unit, said during the 2012 search that Jimmy was “a camper” and “would sleep in the woods sometimes.” As one walks further along the B&A trail, towards Cattail Creek, suburbia falls away, leaving only a dense layer of trees. At 1:30 a.m., the woods would have been pitch black. Jimmy, despite being experienced in the woods, was drunk and may have panicked. He could have fallen and hurt himself, tripped into cold water, or just walked in circles. The low temperature for the area on April 11 was around 44 degrees, meaning Jimmy could have easily succumbed to hypothermia if he got wet or drunkenly laid down to sleep it off. I think Jimmy died in the woods on the morning of April 11. He may have unintentionally hidden himself in the process (e.g., terminal burrowing or finding a secluded place to sleep), and was further shielded by wearing earth tones that wouldn’t catch the eye of a search party. There is no mention of search dogs until 2012, 18 years after Jimmy went missing. By then, he would likely be completely skeletonized and buried under years of dirt and leaves, making him near impossible to find. I think it’s unlikely that Jimmy’s body will be found, but for the sake of his family, I hope it is.
Discussion Questions:
What do you think happened to Jimmy? Was his death accidental or more sinister? If you think his death was an accident, did it happen in the four blocks between the bar and his house? If not, why would Jimmy walk past his house into pitch black wilderness at 1:30 a.m.? After 26 years, do you think Jimmy's remains will ever be found?
Jimmy was last seen wearing a burgundy and green baseball shirt, blue jeans, a green Loyola baseball cap, and beige and black hiking boots. He had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, and a tattoo of a black widow spider on his right forearm.
If you have any information regarding Jimmy’s case, please contact the Anne Arundel County Police Department 410-222-8050 (Case number: 94713201 or 1994-71320)
Sources:
charleyproject.org/case/james-arthur-cole
patch.com/maryland/severnapark/trained-canines-search-b-a-trail-monday-for-clues-in-90ccb82d42
www.doenetwork.org/cases/1521dmmd.html