Jamal Abdul Faruq Missing Person Case

May 26, 2009

Jun 03, 2020

Jamal

Abdul Faruq

41

7

53 inches

47 lbs

Black / African American

Male

On a spring afternoon in Richmond, Virginia, on April 16, 1990, seven-year-old Jamal Abdul'Faruq and his eight-year-old brother, Basil, vanished while playing outside their mother's apartment. Their stepmother had dropped them off earlier that day at the apartment complex on Clarkson Road. The boys went out to play around 2:30 p.m. while their mother, Tambra Ellis, rested after working a night shift. When she woke up a short time later, her sons were nowhere to be found. After a frantic 45-minute search of the area, she contacted the police. At the time of his disappearance, Jamal was described as having a scar on his right eyebrow, a mole on his temple above his left ear, and a small gap between his upper front teeth. He was last seen wearing a black Batman t-shirt, blue jeans, a gray and red fleece baseball jacket, and white sneakers. The search for the two brothers began immediately, with police, K-9 units, helicopters, and community volunteers canvassing the neighborhood. Three days later, the case took a tragic turn when Basil's body was discovered by a landfill employee in neighboring Chesterfield County, about ten miles from their home. He had been bound, gagged, and stabbed twice in the back. His remains had been placed in a plastic bag and are believed to have been left in a dumpster before being transported to the landfill. Investigators conducted an extensive four-day search of the landfill for any sign of Jamal, but he was not found. Police believe he was likely murdered alongside his brother shortly after they were abducted. In the years following the boys' disappearance and Basil's murder, the investigation has continued, though no arrests have ever been made. Both of the boys' parents were investigated and eventually cleared as suspects in the case. Their father's home was searched, but no evidence was found connecting him to the crime. At one point, police indicated they believed they knew who was responsible for the boys' abduction and murder, suggesting it was someone who knew the brothers, but they did not publicly name a suspect. The case remains one of Richmond's most significant unsolved mysteries, a heart-wrenching story of two brothers who went out to play and were met with a terrible fate, leaving one family and community with decades of unanswered questions. While Basil's death was a confirmed tragedy, Jamal's whereabouts have never been determined, and he remains a missing person.

Apr 16, 1990

Richmond

Virginia

Richmond City

25751

Richmond City Police Department

Richmond

Virginia

Richmond City

23220

200 W. Grace St, Virginia

8046465100

Local

Law Enforcement

http://www.richmondgov.com/Police/index.aspx

100119035

Richmond City Police Department

7658

Black

Brown

Brown

07/02/2026