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Montgomery Co LE Press Release
Reward is Offered for Information About Man Missing from Poolesville Since 2007
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DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
MEDIA SERVICES DIVISION
2350 RESEARCH BOULEVARD ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND 20850-3294 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 11, 2010 |
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Media Services Division, 240-773-5030 |
Update Update Update Update
Reward is Offered for Information About
Man Missing from Poolesville Since 2007
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an Online Tip
Detectives from the Montgomery County Police 5th District Investigative Section have been investigating the disappearance of John James Morris, Jr., since the summer of 2007. Mr. Morris was last confirmed seen on Monday, July 30, 2007, between 3:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. at his residence in the 24000 block of Whites Ferry Road in Poolesville, Maryland. He was reported missing to police on August 23, 2007.
In 2007 Morris was reported as a critically missing person because he had Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for which he took medication; and he had exhibited suicidal tendencies in the past. Morris had previously resided in the 4300 block of Massachusetts Avenue in Washington D.C. He has been listed as an endangered missing person in the law enforcement National Crime Institute Computer (NCIC) system since 2007.
It was learned in 2007 that Morris had left his vehicle and belongings in the driveway of the home on Whites Ferry Road where he had been living. Extensive investigative techniques have been used during this multi-year investigation to try to gain information about what may have happened to Morris. No evidence has been developed to confirm whether or not Morris remains alive. The family believes that he would not have stayed away this long without making contact with his family. His family also believes that he would not intentionally have left and abandoned his dog. At this stage of the investigation, foul play is suspected.
Morris is described as a white male, age 40, 6’1” tall, weighing 180 pounds, with graying brown hair, hazel/brown eyes, and a medium complexion. Additional identifying characteristics include: a pierced left ear, a tattoo of a panther on his right forearm, a tattoo of a scorpion on his left shoulder, a scar on the calf of one leg, and he has caps on his teeth.
Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of John James Morris, Jr. is asked to call Detective Stephens in the 5th District Investigative Section at 240-773-6239. Callers who wish to remain anonymous and become eligible for a cash reward should call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers of Montgomery County will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that is provided to them that leads to an arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for a felony crime against the victim. Calls placed to the Investigative Section will not be eligible for a cash reward
POLICE NEWS PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO HERE
John James Morris Jr
Mom of missing man releases statement
Friday – 3/12/2010, 5:05am ET
Madeline Morris is seen in an undated photo with her son, John. Both Madeline Morris and her husband have health problems and want to know what happened to their son. (Photo courtesy of Morris family)
The mother of John Morris, Jr. released the following statement asking for help to find her son.
My name is Madeline Morris, mother of missing John James Morris who went missing on July 30, 2007 about 11:00 p.m. from the 24000 block of Whites Ferry Road in the Poolesville/Dickerson area of Maryland. I would be here personally, but medical problems limit my travel and I reside in New Jersey.
John is a warm loving person with an infectious smile. He can make you laugh at a drop of a hat, everything is funny to him. He is well-spoken and articulate and easily makes friends. John is very neat about his appearance and all things around him, especially his living quarters.
John also suffers with an Attention Deficit Disorder with bipolar tendencies. He should be on medication, but don’t know if he is.
His family, friends, former classmates and neighbors miss him so very much and are praying for his safe return. John, if you are listening to this, you are loved by more people than you ever can imagine. Nothing is so bad that it can’t be worked out or rectified. Your old friends want to see you again and help you work things out.
John is an animal lover and may have taken a stray as company. He is warm, loving and very good with animals and older people. John was always there when anyone needed a hand. I remember how he stayed at his dying grandfather’s side to the end of his life, that’s how caring he is.
As I mentioned before, my husband and I have medical problems and John always called to see how we were doing. Since John went missing, the phone calls stopped and that leads us to believe something is very wrong. John is very spiritual and prays when he needs guidance.
John, if you hear this, dad and I miss you so very much and so does your dog, Bentley.
Our hearts are breaking, we do not sleep well thinking about what may have happened to you. Dad, me, and your brother want to hear from you or at least find out what happened to you. There is no closure or peace, we just live in limbo waiting for answers. I cry most of the time.
I am begging all of you listening to please help us find John and if you know anything about what happened to John, please come forward with information. If you do come forward, your heart and mind will once more be free. This is between you and your God who will be your final judge. Thanks You.
Madeline Morris
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1910705
Police suspect homicide in case of missing Montgomery man
By Dan Morse
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 12, 2010
Madeline Morris, 69 and in a wheelchair, and John Morris, 76, with Parkinson’s disease, know they’re not going to be around forever. What they want to learn, above all else, is what happened to their son after he disappeared in Montgomery County three years ago.
“That would make us go in peace,” Madeline Morris said Thursday by phone from their home in Manchester Township, N.J.
County detectives are stumped, and on Thursday, they announced a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Police say that because the body of John J. Morris Jr. has not been found, the idea that he committed suicide is growing less likely. And since he has not called his parents, which he did regularly before disappearing, the chances that he started a new life somewhere are remote.
Detectives are increasingly concerned that someone killed Morris, but they have no suspects.
Morris grew up a happy, smiling boy who started to drift off in class during the fourth grade, the first signs of the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder that would affect him the rest of his life, his mother said. He eventually moved to Washington and began a longtime relationship with an older man.
In July 2007, after a contentious 14-year relationship, the pair split up, according to police. At the time, Morris, 37, stayed in a house that the older man leased in the 24000 block of Whites Ferry Road, which is in the Dickerson and Poolesville area of the relatively rural western part of Montgomery County.
Morris was last seen by a neighbor around 11 p.m. July 30, 2007; he was at the end of a long driveway and appeared to be talking on a cellphone. It wasn’t until three weeks later that his mother reported him missing.
“That sort of got us behind the eight ball,” Detective Rod Stephens said Thursday.
Detectives found Morris’s truck, with New Jersey tags, in the driveway, with belongings packed inside as if he were ready to leave. They checked phone and credit card records, spoke to friends and acquaintances, and enlisted cadaver-sniffing dogs to search areas around the house and comb nearby roadways, thinking that he may have been struck by a car.
His longtime partner “has been cooperative,” Stephens said, although the man could not fully explain why he didn’t call police about the packed truck in the driveway. “He’s not considered a suspect at this time,” Stephens said.
In New Jersey, Madeline Morris said she tries to talk to her son, mostly at night. “I miss you. Where are you?” she says. “May the angels watch over you.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031104226.html
To learn more about the case, go to www.findjohnmorris.com. Anyone with information is asked to call Stephens at 240-773-6239. Callers who wish to remain anonymous and become eligible for the reward can call 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
