Eight Years Later, Sister Still Seeking Half-Brother
RUSK -- Marie Martin wants nothing more than to bury her half brother next to family.
However, eight years after his disappearance, officials with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office are still trying to find his body.
Jimmy Charles Scott was last seen Nov. 3, 2001, around his home near Plantation Estates and Myrtle Drive.
He was 50 at the time.
Cherokee County Sheriff James Campbell said he still thinks foul play was involved.
If Scott had wandered off on his own and died, his office most likely would have located him by now, he said.
Ms. Martin, of Henderson, said she believes foul play was involved.
"There (are) a lot of abandoned wells. He could have put the body in a car and taken it anywhere," she said.
According to an initial report from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, the woman who reported Scott's disappearance, Martha Hale, told authorities that Scott and Robert Carroll went to his neighbor James Heard's residence that day.
If Scott and Heard had been in an argument, Ms. Martin said it would not be the first.
The initial report from the sheriff's office states that Ms. Hale told authorities Scott had mental problems because of a previous beating from Heard.
Ms. Martin said she has been told that Heard wanted the medicine Scott took for mental issues, but Scott wouldn't give it to him.
Although Scott was an alcoholic and drug addict most of his life, he was working on straightening out his life and was set to start a job at Walmart the day after his disappearance, she said.
Search efforts
Officials say they have never stopped looking for Scott.
"Every lead we've had we've followed up on," Detective John Raffield said.
For example, he said they had a lead where an individual in an unrelated case gave authorities the name of someone who supposedly killed Scott.
However, after investigating the matter, it was determined that the individual couldn't have killed Scott because he was incarcerated the night of Scott's disappearance, Detective Raffield said.
Officials say they also have conducted various searches in the Plantation Estates area, along with other places.
One of those searches happened at a clay pit filled with water outside of Troup.
Detective Raffield said at least 12 vehicles were pulled out over a two-day period, but Scott's body was not found.
Additionally, trace amounts of blood were found in the location Scott is believed to have last been seen, but search dogs from Dallas, four foot searches and all-terrain-vehicle searches also have not turned up anything concerning Scott's whereabouts, Campbell has said.
To further help with the search, Scott's height and build were entered into a national system.
Campbell said they have gotten calls about skeletal remains as a result, but none matched Scott.
"I can certainly understand (the family wanting) to bring some kind of closure to it," he said. "... We haven't gotten a new lead on it in some time, but we're hoping we will."
GROUP FORMED
As Ms. Martin waited for answers in Scott's disappearance, she decided to start a group called "Victims and Survivors Against Violent Crimes."
She said the group sets up a Tree of Angels during the first part of December and invites all victims and their families to hang an ornament in honor of a loved one.
The event also includes a reception, a rendition of "Silent Night" and guest speakers.
"It's a solemn event, but it's a way these victims can honor their loved ones. This will be my eighth tree," Ms. Martin said.
This year's event is slated for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Rusk County Courthouse in Henderson.
Ms. Martin said she is hoping that at least 150 people will attend.
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