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Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP155050) and 6 other sources
James Burgess was 42 years old when he was listed as missing from Hartford, Connecticut, with his date of last contact recorded as January 2, 2025. The available NamUs case data describes him as a Black / African American man, about 6 feet 1 inch tall and approximately 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. His last known location was in Hartford, in the 06105 area of Hartford County, and the case was entered into the national missing-persons system as NamUs case MP155050. NamUs functions as a national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States, helping law enforcement, investigators, medical examiners, coroners, and families share and compare case information.

The circumstances released in the case are limited, but they point to a painful and uncertain timeline for his family. According to the case information, James’s family reported him missing on January 2, 2026, and they told authorities he had last been seen by family two years earlier. The exact date of that earlier family contact is not made clear in the public case summary, so the available information is vague. What is known is that the date of last contact in the NamUs record is listed as January 2, 2025, and that investigators checked James’s last known address but did not locate him there. That absence at a familiar place appears to have deepened the concern that he was no longer simply out of touch, but missing.

The East Hartford Police Department is identified as the investigating agency, with the case connected to agency case number 26-162. The listed agency address is 31 School Street in East Hartford, Connecticut, and the public case data names Detective Anthony Michonski as the contact person. No public details in the provided case information describe what James may have been wearing, whether he had access to transportation, whether he had distinctive physical features, or whether there were any known medical concerns. The absence of those details leaves a case that is defined largely by the basics: a man in his early forties, a family that had gone far too long without contact, a last known address that yielded no answers, and investigators left to work backward from limited confirmed information.

There is no indication in the provided case data that James Burgess has been found alive or located deceased, and no resolution status of “Alive” or “Deceased” is listed. Because of that, the case remains presented as a missing-person matter in the available public information. In cases like this, NamUs is intended to support the search by allowing case information to be stored, shared, compared, and reviewed by authorized professionals and, where appropriate, the public; the Department of Justice also identifies NamUs as a tool that helps investigators, forensic professionals, and the public cross-reference missing-person records with unidentified remains information in the hope of bringing answers to families.

At its center, James Burgess’s case is the story of a family trying to account for someone they love after a long and troubling silence. He was last associated with Hartford, Connecticut, and was described as a 42-year-old Black / African American man with black hair, brown eyes, a height of about 6 feet 1 inch, and a weight of about 180 pounds. His family reported him missing after saying they had not seen him for an extended period, and a check of his last known address did not resolve where he had gone. The overview of the case is that James Burgess was reported missing to authorities in January 2026, his NamUs record lists January 2, 2025 as the date of last contact, the known public details remain limited, and the East Hartford Police Department is the agency connected to the ongoing effort to determine where he is and bring clarity to those waiting for answers.

Last Seen: Jan 2, 2025

Possible Unidentified Matches (2)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

80%Moderate
John Doe — Manhattan, New York - unidentified case UP157697
John Doe — Manhattan, New York
UP157697 • Found Mar 31, 2026
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 30–50 vs 42 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 75%100 mi away
TimingFound 15 months after last seen
Height 100%6'1" vs 6'1"
Weight 100%169 lb vs 180 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
75%Possible
John Doe — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UP161561 • Found Aug 4, 2026
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 28–42 vs 42 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 59%179 mi away
TimingFound 19 months after last seen
Height 84%5'11" vs 6'1"
Weight 44%242 lb vs 180 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.