In the autumn of 1984, a 14-year-old boy named James Eric Bess disappeared from Ashland, Kentucky. At the time, he was living in a boys' group home located in the 1300 block of 13th Street. James was a young African American male with brown hair and distinctive gray/blue eyes. He stood at five feet six inches tall and weighed around 110 pounds. He had a few noticeable scars: one on his right arm just above his hand, another above his right elbow, and a third on the right side of his waist.
On October 4, 1984, James was last seen wearing a blue jean jacket, a sport shirt, blue jeans, and gray tennis shoes. He vanished along with a friend from the group home, 13-year-old Chipley Sanders, and neither has been seen or heard from since.
The circumstances surrounding the boys' disappearance are sparse, with the prevailing theory being that they ran away from the group home together. However, details about what might have led to this decision or who last saw them are not publicly available. Heartbreakingly, James's mother was not immediately notified of his disappearance by the group home. She reportedly found out that her son had been missing for a week only when she called the facility to arrange a visit. James had only been at the home for two weeks before he vanished. His case is classified as an endangered runaway.
Decades have passed since James Eric Bess and Chipley Sanders were last seen. The case has grown cold, leaving behind a painful void for those who knew them. Despite the passage of time, their files remain open, a quiet testament to the enduring hope for answers. There is very little information available about the events of that October day, and the trail went cold almost immediately after the boys left the group home. The Ashland Police Department continues to hold the case file, a lingering mystery in the community. The disappearance of James Bess is a somber story of a child who vanished, leaving behind only memories and a collection of unanswered questions about his fate.Last Seen: Oct 4, 1984
