James Henry Mayberry Jr. – The Charley Project
- Missing Since 04/01/1999
- Missing From Kenedy, Texas
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Date of Birth 12/01/1963 (55)
- Age 35 years old
- Height and Weight 5'5 - 5'7, 140 - 170 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A button-down collarless beige blouse with three-quarter length sleeves, khaki shorts, size 7 1/2 or 8 ladies' slip-on white sandals or sneakers, a padded forest green Victoria's Secret bra, and panties. Carrying a black patent leather clutch purse containing $20 to $30 in cash, a black compact and a pack of Virginia Slim cigarettes; Mayberry also normally carries a small brown purse.
- Medical Conditions Mayberry has heart, liver, blood pressure and respiratory difficulties. He is classified as disabled and was taking medication at the time of his disappearance.
- Distinguishing Characteristics African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Mayberry's ears are pierced, and he goes by the nickname Jamie. He often cross-dresses and some agencies may state he's transgender. At the time of his disappearance, Mayberry's hair was shoulder-length with extensions, and pulled back into a ponytail. He may wear a black wig.
Details of Disappearance
Mayberry disappeared from Kenedy, Texas on April 1, 1999. The night before, he went out to a bar with a cousin. A man there flirted with him, and when the man found out Mayberry was a man in women's clothes, he pulled out a knife and Mayberry ran away from him and went home.
The night Mayberry disappeared, a man knocked on his door at 11:00 p.m. and asked Mayberry to go out for a beer with him. The man had a Mexican accent. Although Mayberry said he didn't know him, he left with him anyway, telling his niece he was going to the store and would be right back. Mayberry's niece said Mayberry appeared frightened and was trembling as he left.
At 2:30 a.m. the next morning, two men in a truck with a loud muffler tried to get into the house to see Mayberry. Her niece told them Mayberry wasn't home, and the men laughed. It's unclear whether they were connected to Mayberry's disappearance. He never returned home and has never been heard from again.
Mayberry is described as a trusting, friendly individual. He left without his medication and she hasn't collected any of her disability payments, which were his only source of income, since his disappearance. Mayberry's loved ones believe his disappearance may have been the result of a hate crime, because he was gay and cross-dressed in public.
The man who threatened Mayberry with a knife the day before his disappearance left town immediately after Mayberry was reported missing, before he could be interviewed by police. The man has an extensive criminal history.
Mayberry's father died before his disappearance, and his mother died in 2002; he also has seven siblings, but none of his family lives in Kenedy today. Foul play is suspected in his case, which remains unsolved.
