Hoke lawmen fear for missing man

Sep 18, 2010

By James Halpin
Staff writer

RAEFORD – Hoke County lawmen say a Raeford man who vanished two weeks ago may be a victim of foul play.

Roger Jermaine “Jay” Chambers, 34, was last seen by a family friend after arriving in the Red Springs area the evening of Sept. 4, Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin said. Since then, there hasn’t been any activity on his bank account or any other sign of him, he said.

“Everything’s wrong,” Peterkin said. “There’s no trace of nothing dealing with this guy anywhere. Nothing at all. His car can’t be found, nothing that he was wearing. I mean, it’s just like he disappeared.”

Chambers left his home in the 3600 block of Army Road about 6:15 p.m. without saying exactly where he was going, only that it was in the Red Springs area, Peterkin said. But Chambers has friends there, so it wasn’t unusual for him to travel to the area, he said.

His wife, Cynthia, talked to him by phone shortly after he left, and then a short time later the friend briefly talked to him in Red Springs, Peterkin said. After Chambers left the friend, he reportedly went into town and was never seen again, Peterkin said.

By all accounts, such a long time away from his family without even a phone call is unusual, Peterkin said. Chambers’ boss told investigators that he was a dependable worker who never missed work, yet he hasn’t appeared there since he left for Red Springs.

“It’s just not normal,” Peterkin said. “We’re talking about a perfectly healthy man who drove away from home en route to Robeson County. Can’t get him on the phone. He’s not called his son, who he has a very close relationship with.”

Officials described Chambers as a black man, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. He has brown eyes, black hair and a dark complexion. Chambers was last seen wearing a black polo shirt with a red logo, black shorts, black and red tennis shoes and a money clip.

He was driving a green 1993 four-door Toyota Camry with chrome rims. A clear paint coat was peeling off the hood, Peterkin said.

Chambers’ family is offering a $2,000 reward for any information that leads to his discovery, Peterkin said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office at (910) 875-5111.

Staff writer James Halpin can be reached at halpinj@fayobserver.com or 486-3509.