AZ AZ - James Hendrickson, 12, Tucson, 12 June 1991

NamUs

Doe Network

NCMEC

Charley Project

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
• Missing Since: June 12, 1991 from Tucson, Arizona
• Classification: Endangered Missing
• Date Of Birth: May 15, 1979
• Age: 12 years old
• Height and Weight: 5'5, 140 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Dark blond hair, blue eyes. James has a scar on the top of his head. His nickname is Jimmy.
• Clothing/Jewelry Description: A white t-shirt with a design, blue shorts and white shoes.

Details of Disappearance
James spent the night of June 11, 1991 at his babysitter's cousin's house in the 700 block of West Paris Promenade in Tucson, Arizona. He was staying there while his parents were out of town. The following morning, he said he was walking home. A witness saw James walking near Oracle Road and Grant Road. This was the final confirmed sighting of the child. James may have stopped at the 7-11 or Circle K convenience store in that vicinity before attempting to head to his home. He has never been seen again.

James resided in the 200 block of east Delano Street in Tucson in 1991, and was scheduled to enter the sixth grade at Amphi Middle School in the autumn of that year. He did not have a history of running away from home, but he was considered a streetwise boy and the police initially believed he left of his own accord.

James's father lives in Michigan and had not contacted his son for several years prior to 1991. His mother left the state after her son's disappearance, but she's since returned and remains in touch with law enforcement. A male suspect was questioned in the years following 1991, but he was never charged in James's case. Foul play is suspected in his disappearance.



"24 years later, sister of missing Tucson boy searches for answers in brother's disappearance"

http://www.scrippsmedia.com/kgun9/news/24-years-later-sister-of-missing-Tucson-boy-searches-for-answers-in-brothers--307240651.html

Tacho still holds on to hope for answers about how he brother vanished, even after 24 years.

"Do you think he's still alive?" 9 On Your Side asked.

"I do not," Tacho said, "I do not and it took me a long time to realize that, but now we're just asking for closure."

Click to expand...

James is still missing

Bumping.

Another bump...

James A. Hendrickson – The Charley Project

James' birthday is on 5/15. If he is still alive he will turn 39 years old.

It has been 28 years since 12-year-old Jimmy Hendrickson disappeared.

Every year since he went missing, his sister Tammy Tacho, releases balloons on June 12, the day he vanished.

Authorities said on June 11, 1991, Hendrickson spent the night at the home of a relative of his babysitter.

The next morning he reportedly walked home and hasn’t been seen since.

“My emotions right now are all over the place because I know in my heart soon we’re done,” said Tammy Tacho, Jimmy’s sister. “I just ask people to come forward with more information.”

If you have any information on Hendrickson’s disappearance, you are asked to contact 88-CRIME.

12-year-old boy still missing after 28 years

Sister of missing 12-year-old pleads for answers 28 years after his disappearance



Jimmy was 12 years old at the time, and was known for his blue eyes and blonde hair. However, it was his humor that his sister, Tammy Tacho, loved and remembers most.

"He liked to tell jokes, play jokes, it was never a dull moment when he was around," said Tacho.
---
Jimmy told Tacho and her mom he didn't want to go with them, so they decided to let him stay behind with a trusted family friend, Angelica.

"We could still see him out of the back of the station wagon waving at us, in those red sweat pants, who would have known that would be the last time we'd see him," said Tacho.

Tacho said Jimmy and Angelica, the family friend, along with others, had gone to a football game at a local school that night. They had also gone to a barbecue and later that night that trusted family friend had allowed Jimmy and another boy to sleepover with Angelica's cousin.
---
The next day, Jimmy was nowhere to be found.
---
When Jimmy first disappeared back in 1991 police listed him as a runaway. Tacho said foul play wasn't considered until much later.
---
In 2016, 25 years after Jimmy had disapearence, Tacho said she decided she wanted to take some action. She wanted to find out every single detail she could about what police knew when it came to her brother, so she went directly to police.

"I got that police report when Jimmy was 25 years missing," she said, “I call it Jimmy’s bible because it’s so thick and it has so much information in it.”

The police report is about one inch thick. It includes statements taken by Tucson Police Department officers, tips different people had called in, some of it from back in the day.
---
"I’m very upset because once you read that report you know Jimmy is no longer missing, you know he’s been gone since that night that he disappeared.”

Tacho said years ago a person told one of her kids they knew what happened to Jimmy. She said she met up with this person who told her that her brother was no longer alive.
---
Now, Tacho says she just prays for justice. She prays police get a big break and bring the person who she believes hurt her brother in, so she, her mom, and her brother can give Jimmy a proper place to rest.

12-year-old missing for decades, sister pleads for answers

Jimmy Hendrickson's 1991 Disappearance Still Haunts Tucson Family

Cagle said:

The next morning he reportedly walked home and hasn’t been seen since.

Click to expand...

According to his Charley Project profile, a witness saw James walking near Oracle Road and Grant Road. This was the final confirmed sighting of the boy.

Al Ka said:

Jimmy told Tacho and her mom he didn't want to go with them, so they decided to let him stay behind with a trusted family friend, Angelica.

"We could still see him out of the back of the station wagon waving at us, in those red sweat pants, who would have known that would be the last time we'd see him," said Tacho.

Tacho said Jimmy and Angelica, the family friend, along with others, had gone to a football game at a local school that night. They had also gone to a barbecue and later that night that trusted family friend had allowed Jimmy and another boy to sleepover with Angelica's cousin.
---
The next day, Jimmy was nowhere to be found.

Click to expand...

Reminds me of this boy. He's wearing a light blue or white shirt with a logo on it. Looks like him also FL - FL - Port St Joe, 2 Children 96UMFL & 66UFFL, bound & gagged in photo, Jun'89

Sleuthster said:

Reminds me of this boy. He's wearing a light blue or white shirt with a logo on it. Looks like him also FL - FL - Port St Joe, 2 Children 96UMFL & 66UFFL, bound & gagged in photo, Jun'89

Click to expand...

The photo was found in 1989....2 years prior to disappearance of James.

James A. Hendrickson – The Charley Project

Last updated June 17, 2021; details of disappearance updated.

Details of Disappearance
James spent the night of June 11, 1991 at his babysitter's cousin's house in the 700 block of West Paris Promenade in Tucson, Arizona. His mother and sister went out of town and he chose not to go, but to stay with a babysitter instead. The babysitter let him stay the night at her cousin's house along with a four-year-old nephew. The following morning, he said he was walking home.

A witness saw James walking near Oracle Road and Grant Road. This was the final confirmed sighting of the child. James may have stopped at the 7-11 or Circle K convenience store in that vicinity before attempting to head to his home. He has never been seen again.

James resided in the 200 block of east Delano Street in Tucson in 1991, and was scheduled to enter the sixth grade at Amphi Middle School in the autumn of that year. He did not have a history of running away from home, but he was considered a streetwise boy and the police initially believed he left of his own accord.

The four-year-old who was with James before he disappeared told police he knew where James was at. He said two bad men had come in, wrapped James in a blanket and taken him away to Mexico. The boy led them to the Santa Cruz River adjacent to a local sports park, and said that was where Mexico was. A search of the area turned up nothing, however. The babysitter's cousin had a criminal history, including allegations of sexual deviancy, and he failed a polygraph about James's disappearance, but he has never been charged.

James's father lives in Michigan and had not contacted his son for several years prior to 1991. His mother left the state after her son's disappearance, but she's since returned and remains in touch with law enforcement.Foul play is suspected in his disappearance.

Updated NamUs link

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

James' photo is shown age-progressed to 43 years.

Have you seen this child? James Hendrickson

I find it amazing that a 4-year-old boy would guide them to where he thought Mexico was... and give as many details as he knew
where he was and that they wrapped him in a cloth and took him away...
Maybe that was what really happened... although it has all the appearance of being a kidnapping, there is always the possibility that he has escaped...
rest in peace

So the babysitter, knowing her cousin had a criminal history, allowed her friend's precious son to spend the night at his house? And LE was never able to even come close to solving the case? And no one was held accountable.
Such a tragedy. My heart goes out to his mother and sister.