NC NC - James 'Martin' Roberts, 19, Boone, 21 April 2016

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Police still searching for Boone student 2 years later

BOONE, N.C. -- Martin Roberts went missing from Boone, North Carolina on April 21, 2016. He was 19 at the time.

[...]

Video, obtained by the police department, shows Martin standing at a bus stop. But it appears that he never got on that bus.

The video is the last time Roberts can be accounted for.

The search began after a note was found in Roberts' bed. The note did not say that Martin was planning to hurt himself, but it didn't say he wasn't either.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Martin Roberts you are asked to contact the Boone Police Department at (828) 268-6900.

http://www.spectrumlocalnews.com/nc...nt-martin-roberts-still-missing-2-years-later
e9916a1cd884449b9057cd525cf1cbc5.jpg

Town of Boone PD post: https://www.facebook.com/boonepolice/posts/1101114769909694:0
 
Watching Martin's Investigation Discovery's Disappeared episode right now. ‘Disappeared’

I couldn't find the direct link to the episode. But I'm sure it will be on their website now or soon. I'm still watching it so I haven't heard anything new yet. .but I'm only about ten minutes in; hopefully they've got something new.
 
It does bother me that they're still not disclosing certain parts of the letter that Martin wrote because "it is personal." I'm not saying that because I'm nosey. I'm saying that because it has been two years...Idk it seems to me I would release any and all info I could with the hopes it would help in some way. (Given I know; I am not in this situation so it is easy for me to say.) But what could be in that letter that they don't want disclosed? Are they embarrassed by something? It just is off-putting to me.

^^Jmo/Moo/Jmho/Imo/Etc^^
 
I just finished watching the Disappeared episode, this is the first time I have heard about Martin's disappearance. I agree Elisaa, the note probably contains something embarrassing to the family and they don't want it disclosed. I also agree that the gaps in his days where he said he was one place/with certain people, but then it was discovered he wasn't there/with them, is likely the key to this case. He didn't have a car, where was he going and who was he with during those "gaps"? I wonder if he had another cell phone that nobody knew about?

The thing about this case is that it was discovered that he was missing very quickly, largely because of the note. He didn't have a car. He was last seen walking down a busy street (chance meeting with cousin/bus surveillance). People were looking for him...where could he have gone in such a short time? I wonder if it was planned for someone to pick him up, he walked until he knew that no surveillance cameras were around and someone picked him up there? Someone knows something, why haven't they come forward?

I wonder if Martin was questioning his sexuality. I wonder if he was seeing someone in secret. Maybe that person helped him to leave his old life behind to start a new one? Or, took advantage of the fact that their relationship was a secret and did harm to him? I really hope not.

From what I understand, he had a debit card. I wonder if LE looked at his purchases over the past week or two and then went to those places to see if there was video footage to show whether anyone was with him. Someone unknown to his circle of friends.

I feel like a lot is being held back in this case, which is quite frustrating!

MOO
 
I just watch the Disappeared show and I think they don't want to disclose some parts of his letter because it's personal and it wouldn't help with the search for him. I agree it might have something to do with his sexuality, like he feels he is gay. He was embarrassed and ashamed of some of things he did so he covered them up.

The detective said the note didn't mention he was going to harm himself but most suicide notes don't mention anything about harming themselves. Just because he didn't mention wanting to harm himself doesn't mean he didn't plan on doing it.

I think he either committed suicide (but he didn't have to leave to do that) or left to start a new life somewhere where he could start fresh, be unknown. If he did do that he should contact his parents and let them know. Leaving them to wonder is heartbreaking.
 
‘Disappeared’ Episode About Missing App State Student Airs on Investigation Discovery
Published Monday, June 11, 2018 at 9:48 am

Snipped:

Roberts was featured in an episode of “Disappeared” that aired on Sunday night on Investigation Discovery. The show included interviews with family, friends, Boone Police Department and Appalachian State University campus police members who are still hoping for a break in the case.
Click to expand...

https://www.hcpress.com/news/disapp...-student-airs-on-investigation-discovery.html
 
Elisaa444 said:
It does bother me that they're still not disclosing certain parts of the letter that Martin wrote because "it is personal." I'm not saying that because I'm nosey. I'm saying that because it has been two years...Idk it seems to me I would release any and all info I could with the hopes it would help in some way. (Given I know; I am not in this situation so it is easy for me to say.) But what could be in that letter that they don't want disclosed? Are they embarrassed by something? It just is off-putting to me.

^^Jmo/Moo/Jmho/Imo/Etc^^
Click to expand...
did he get expelled after his DUI?
 
RE James Martin Roberts

Missing Person


After watching the recent "Disappearance" episode detailing the circumstances of James Robert, Boone, NC I am puzzled on a number of counts.


  1. This young adult had seemingly normal relationships with parents both father and mother, fraternity friends, a girl friend, and had successfully navigated college courses either classroom or online courses. Prior to his abrupt disappearance there was no indication that something was amiss or that Roberts was profoundly distressed. Only in retrospect it was found that he had not matriculated for courses at ASU and had instead signed up for online courses at the local community college. There was evidence that numerous swaths of time were unaccounted for. There was no evidence of drug use, abuse or addiction. He was not engaged in unusual or dangerous activities or hobbies. He apparently was taking some unspecified anti-depressant medication without any official prescription.
SO, we have NO inkling of what might have been the source of Roberts’ distress. Given all the resources available to perform a comprehensive investigation, this fact is unusual, if not frankly bizarre.


Out of the blue, a healthy young male suddenly disappears, apparently voluntarily, after leaving an ambiguous note suggesting intent to commit suicide - that neither parents nor close friends can explain.


2 After 2 years no added information has come forward to explain this event. No signs or clothes fragments, body parts have been found anywhere related to James Roberts.


3. Possible explanations: 1) he was abducted by some party that dispatched him and disposed of the body in some lake or river or within a freshly poured concrete foundation. 2) alien abduction.


Unless the glaring lacunae - unknown motives, activities, associations, habits - are filled in, I am at a total loss to account for what happened and why.
 
JerseyGirl said:
The last time there was a confirmed sighting of Roberts was from security camera footage at the AppalCart bus stop in front of the Holmes Convocation Center on Blowing Rock Road. This was around 12:30 p.m. on April 21, 2016.

https://www.hcpress.com/news/disapp...-student-airs-on-investigation-discovery.html
Click to expand...

Here's a map showing that location: Google Maps

I wonder if he could have walked into the woods there behind the Convocation Center off of Whitener Drive?
You can "walk" up Whitener using Google maps and it looks like an area that would be difficult to search (JMO): Google Maps

I still need to watch the new documentaries released.
 
might he have met someone who suggested a better life in a cult type situation?... just throwing out ideas that have not been suggested recently... I don't really put much stock into that line of thinking but it is another idea, that's all.

Those mountains are numerous and that area vast... maybe someday, someone might find something, anything...

So sad that he felt the pressure he did and did not have a good, healthy outlet when he needed it.
 
lorieaster said:
did he get expelled from APP after the DUI?
Click to expand...
I don’t know the answer to that, but knowing the university pretty well, I think it would be unlikely that he would have been expelled because of the DWI. They do have student conduct rules about it, but unless there is a repeated problem, it seems unlikely the student would be expelled. Here's an article about that.
FYI: Appalachian's Alcohol & Drug Arrest Stats - Behind the Numbers

However, you never know how these things are going to affect young people especially. I had a close acquaintance who got in trouble for smoking pot (or maybe a few shrooms, not sure which) on national forest lands up there. He was going to have to go to court and all that. The ranger scared the living daylights out of him to the point of telling him his life was over. Unfortunately, this young man believed him, and took his own life. I'm definitely not saying this is what happened with Martin, but pointing out that major life events such as a DWI can affect some teens in a very negative way.

Also worth noting, the previous school year, the university community had an uncommonly large number of deaths. Some were accidents both off and on campus, and some were suicides. Most notably that year (the year before Martin vanished), a new freshman, Anna Smith, disappeared only a few weeks after school started. She had a thread here, but I can no longer find it. She was eventually found, a victim of suicide. It was very sad. Publicly, LE was treating it as a possible kidnapping or something of that nature, but I knew right away what the outcome was going to be because when we visited the campus a week later for a football game, there were messages on the graffiti wall begging Anna to please come home. :-(

Appalachian State offers counseling after 9 student deaths this year

So, after that, there was a heightened awareness of suicide prevention on campus. I'm not sure what that says for Martin's case, but I thought it worth bringing forward.

It's been two years. I sincerely hope for his family's sake that they at the very least find out what has happened to Martin soon. It would bring me the biggest joy in the world if he just walked out of the woods happy and healthy one day.
 
BlkMtnGirl said:
I don’t know the answer to that, but knowing the university pretty well, I think it would be unlikely that he would have been expelled because of the DWI. They do have student conduct rules about it, but unless there is a repeated problem, it seems unlikely the student would be expelled. Here's an article about that.
FYI: Appalachian's Alcohol & Drug Arrest Stats - Behind the Numbers

However, you never know how these things are going to affect young people especially. I had a close acquaintance who got in trouble for smoking pot (or maybe a few shrooms, not sure which) on national forest lands up there. He was going to have to go to court and all that. The ranger scared the living daylights out of him to the point of telling him his life was over. Unfortunately, this young man believed him, and took his own life. I'm definitely not saying this is what happened with Martin, but pointing out that major life events such as a DWI can affect some teens in a very negative way.

Also worth noting, the previous school year, the university community had an uncommonly large number of deaths. Some were accidents both off and on campus, and some were suicides. Most notably that year (the year before Martin vanished), a new freshman, Anna Smith, disappeared only a few weeks after school started. She had a thread here, but I can no longer find it. She was eventually found, a victim of suicide. It was very sad. Publicly, LE was treating it as a possible kidnapping or something of that nature, but I knew right away what the outcome was going to be because when we visited the campus a week later for a football game, there were messages on the graffiti wall begging Anna to please come home. :-(

Appalachian State offers counseling after 9 student deaths this year

So, after that, there was a heightened awareness of suicide prevention on campus. I'm not sure what that says for Martin's case, but I thought it worth bringing forward.

It's been two years. I sincerely hope for his family's sake that they at the very least find out what has happened to Martin soon. It would bring me the biggest joy in the world if he just walked out of the woods happy and healthy one day.
Click to expand...

thank you. So sorry for your friend. That is terrible. I do remember the Smith girl. So sad. I do feel so bad for teens/young adults and I wish they understood that no matter what happens they are loved and have value. Things happen. I know I have children whom have made mistakes. They are adults now and have flourished. So wish he would just contact if able.
 
I just watched the "Disappeared" episode on ID. I'm not totally sure I have the right idea of what happened to Martin. But one thing I wanted to point out...his girlfriend (technically, ex b/c they broke up after she traveled 200 miles to pick him up from jail after his DWI, and they fought) thought there was something wrong at least 3 days prior to his disappearance. I think, with college guys, their girlfriends and guy friends know them better than their families. She's been his gf for a while. I feel like from the things he said to her, it seems like a pretty good hypothesis that b/c of all his troubles that had piled up in the last year or so (DWI, loss of driver's license, break-up with long-term gf, not being enrolled in college or working after lying to his parents about both, etc.) he was overwhelmed and couldn't see a way out. I feel that the gf felt he had committed suicide, and I would tend to agree with her, considering all these things.

Reminds me a lot of the Maura Murray disappearance.
 
When the detective said, "I think he felt like a failure", I think he hit the nail on the head. I believe his parents were financially supporting his lifestyle, and he knew when the truth came out, they'd prob be extremely disappointed and angry. But like the earlier poster said, they would've loved and valued him no matter what, and would've helped him get back on his feet.

The anti-depressants found which were not prescribed to him may have actually caused him to be more depressed/suicidal. This happens often with teenagers. That's why it's so important to be monitored by a Dr. when taking such medications. All of his friends, including & esp. his gf, saw a huge difference in him after returning after his DWI. I would bet one of them offered to "share" their anti-depressants so he could try them out. This could've had the opposite of the desired effect, sadly.

I feel deeply for his family, and hope something is found to give them some type of answer.
 
TV show spurs tips, no leads in disappearance of missing App State student Martin Roberts

It has been more than 800 days since Martin Roberts disappeared without a trace from a bus stop at Appalachian State University in Boone, but the mystery still remains unsolved.

Stoked by an episode of Investigation Discovery’s series “Disappeared” in June that featured Roberts’ case and a $10,000 reward, Boone police have received tips and clues, but none have panned out.
 
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