William James Simon, 61 MSG From Fayetteville, NC Since 03/20/08

[Grande]

Published on Monday, March 24, 2008
Fayetteville cab driver going to Raleigh reported missing
The Associated Press

Cumberland County sheriff's deputies are looking for a Fayetteville cab driver who hasn't been seen since telling his boss he was heading to Raleigh with a passenger.

The Fayetteville Observer reported Monday that 61-year-old William James Simon was last heard from just after midnight Friday.

His cab was found empty several hours later in Spring Lake, about 11 miles north of Fayetteville. His Bible was in the passenger seat.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Tanna said the disappearance is being treated as a "suspicious missing person" case. Tanna said investigators don't believe Simon left on his own.

Simon's boss reported him missing Friday night when he didn't show up for work.

http://www.fayobserver.com/article_ap?id=120047

[Grande]

William James Simon, 61, of 1598 Gillespie St., went missing on March 19, 2008, in Fayetteville.
Updated: Mar. 23 3:50 p.m.

http://i25.tinypic.com/15qyp9h.jpg

Fayetteville, N.C. — Detectives are searching for a 61-year-old cabdriver who was reported missing four days ago.

The roommate of William James Simon, of 1598 Gillespie St., called the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office after Simon did not come home from work Wednesday.

Gillespie works for L&M Taxi Service.

A passerby found his taxi cab abandoned near a radio tower off Rosser Street in Spring Lake on Friday evening.

Simon was described as a black man, 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds. He has gray hair, is going bald and always wears glasses. He has scars on the right side of his stomach.

Anyone with information about Simon is urged to call the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office at 910-323-1500.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2617187/

[Grande]

Published on Monday, March 24, 2008
Cab driver calls in Raleigh fare, then vanishes
By Michael N. Graff
Staff writer

Friday just after midnight, cab driver William James Simon reportedly told his boss he had picked up a passenger and was headed to Raleigh.

Nobody has heard from Simon since then.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help finding the 61-year-old cab driver, and has labeled his disappearance as a “suspicious missing person,” according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Debbie Tanna.

A passer-by spotted Simon’s L&M Taxi Service vehicle Friday night off Rosser Road in Spring Lake. The car was abandoned, but Simon’s Bible was in the passenger seat.

“We don’t think that he left on his own accord,” Tanna said.

Simon was first reported missing Wednesday, when his roommate said he didn’t return home from work.

But Simon’s boss, L&M Taxi Service owner Larry Morrisey, said he spoke to Simon on Thursday night and early Friday morning while Simon was working.

Morrisey said he last contacted Simon at 12:48 a.m. Friday.

“He told me he had picked up a trip and that he was going to Raleigh with the trip,” Morrisey said. “I told him I’d talk to him when he gets back. I haven’t talked to him since.”

When Simon didn’t return to work Friday evening, Morrisey reported him missing, two days after Simon’s roommate made the initial report.

Because nobody saw Simon between Wednesday and Friday, the Sheriff’s Office is reporting him as missing since Wednesday.

L&M Taxi is a small company, owning four taxis. Drivers communicate with Morrisey via cell phone.

Others in Fayetteville’s taxi community say that whenever something happens to a driver, everyone takes notice.

“We’ve had incidences where cabs have been stolen from drivers at gunpoint. But nothing as drastic as this,” said Gary Stone, a dispatcher with Yellow Cab of Fayetteville, one of the city’s largest taxi companies. “It does kind of make you pay a little more attention with what’s going on with your cab drivers out there on the road.”

Staff writer Michael N. Graff can be reached at graffm@fayobserver.com or 486-3591.

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=289426

[Pauli]

Ok, I'm confused on this one... when did he go missing.. One article says roommate reported him missing on Wednesday the 19...

[packy]

It is confusing, roomate says he didn't come home but yet his boss said he talked to him. Was there ever a passenger I wonder.

[Grande]

Monday, March 24, 2008
Search is on for missing taxi driver
03/24/2008 09:50 AM
By: News 14 Carolina Web Staff

William James Simon FAYETTEVILLE -- Cumberland County deputies are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing taxi cab driver.

Detectives are looking for 61-year-old William James Simon. His roommate reported him missing Wednesday when he didn't come home from work. Officers say his car was found abandoned Friday near a radio tower on Fosser Street in Spring Lake.

Simon works for L&M Taxi Service. He is 6-foot-2 and weighs about 200 pounds. He has gray hair but is balding, wears glasses and has scars on the right side of his stomach.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at (910) 323-1500.

http://news14.com/content/headlines/594160/search-is-on-for-missing-taxi-driver/Default.aspx

[Grande]

Public Help Sought in Search for Cabbie
Updated: Mar. 24, 2008 1:09 p.m.

Cumberland County authorities on Monday asked for the public's assistance in locating a cab driver missing since last week.

William James Simon, 61, of 1598 Gillespie St. in Fayetteville, was reported missing Thursday by his roommate, but Simon's boss at L&M Taxi Service said he was working late that night.

Simon picked up a fare in Fayetteville around midnight and was headed to Raleigh, his boss said.

A passerby on Friday found his taxi abandoned near a radio tower off Rosser Street in Spring Lake. Simon's Bible was lying on the front seat.

Acquaintances called Simon very reliable and good-natured.

He was described as a black man, 6 feet, 2 inches tall and about 200 pounds. He has gray hair, is going bald and always wears glasses. He has scars on the right side of his stomach.

Anyone with information about Simon is urged to call the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office at 910-323-1500.

http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/2621274/

[Grande]

Missing Cab Driver Case Now A Homicide Investigation
Monday, Mar 24, 2008 - 10:44 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.--- The disappearance of a Fayetteville cab driver has now turned into a homicide investigation.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's office says 61-year-old William Simon was reported missing by a roommate Wednesday, and two days later his abandoned cab was found in a town adjoining Fayetteville.

Originally, it was being handled as a missing person’s case, but late Monday afternoon, the Cumberland County Sheriff announced the case has been taken over by the homicide unit.

Investigators say there are a lot of unanswered questions about the case, including a mysterious discrepancy about when the cab driver was last seen.

His roommate said Simon disappeared last Wednesday, but his boss said he spoke with Simon by phone two days later. Investigators are trying to sort it all out.

Meanwhile, neighbors say the missing man was the kind of person who didn't have an enemy in the world.

“He was a big old teddy bear,” said neighbor Rosemarie Morales. “Anytime anybody needed a place to stay, he'd let them crash there. Or if they needed something, he'd be there for him.”

Sheriff’s deputies say they first heard about the case on March 19.

“We got a report on Wednesday from his roommate that he had not come from work, which was highly unusual for him because he was so dependable,” said Sherriff’s spokeswoman Debbie Tanner.

Deputies began looking into the case right away, but two days later, his boss at LM Taxi claimed Simon called him to say he was taking a fare from Fayetteville to Raleigh. But the owner of the four-man taxi company says Simon never returned from the Raleigh job.

“He was concerned about where he was because he hasn't heard from him since then,” Tanner said.

On Friday night, a passerby found William Simon's cab on Rosser Road, a dead-end street in nearby Spring Lake. Inside the cab, there was evidence that lead investigators to believe that Simon did not leave his cab willingly.

“His family and friends tell us he's very religious. And the only thing inside his cab … was his Bible. It was left on the front seat.”

http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/news.apx.-content-articles-NCN-2008-03-24-0025.html

[Faith]

FAYETTEVILLE -- Cumberland County deputies are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing taxi cab driver.

Detectives are looking for William James Simon, 61, who was reported missing after his cab was found abandoned in Spring Lake.

Elizabeth Simon says even though they are separated, William Simon talked with his wife everyday and would visit her after work at the Biscuit Kitchen. "He came on my job at 12:30 Thursday, I talked to him and he said ‘I'll see you later’. I got a call on Saturday saying he was missing."

At his home, his dog Ranger stands guard waiting for Simon to return home. The last anyone heard from him was when he called his boss Thursday night to say he was taking a passenger to Raleigh. He was reported missing after his taxi cab was found Friday evening.

His roommate, Yolanda Murphy, doesn't understand how this could have happened to such a nice man. "Me being here shows how generous he was, but he was like that with pretty much everybody."

The owner of L&M taxi service said somebody called him Friday saying they had seen Simon's cab abandoned along Rosser Road near a radio tower in Spring Lake. Simon’s family Bible was in the front seat.

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Debbie Tanna said they are treating his disappearance as suspicious, "His family seems to think that had he left on his own accord [because] he would have taken his Bible."

Now the mystery of Simon's disappearance remains. Left behind is Elizabeth Simon as she prays with her grandchildren for the safe return of the man nicknamed "Lightning" she has known for over 24 years. "I said, ’Pa-Pa is missing. We got to find him and we got to pray’. And my grandbabies say ‘We are going to pray for Pa-Pa to come home’."

William James Simon is 61 years old, 6’2” and 200 pounds. The sheriff's office says he has scars on the right side of his stomach. If you have any information on his disappearance, please call the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at (910) 323-1500.
Source (http://news14.com/content/top_stories/594160/search-is-on-for-missing-taxi-driver/Default.aspx)

[KittyMom]

This is a strange one. No definite date of disappearance and now the car with evidence to a homicide. Poor guy, just trying to earn a living.

:1222423:

[Faith]

Please come home safe, Lightning. :innocent0001:

[KittyMom]

Anyone seen a photo of the car? It might be helpful to have one.

[Faith]

I haven't seen one of his personal car. The cab was found.

[KittyMom]

I haven't seen one of his personal car. The cab was found.

I was referring to the cab. I just thought that it might help if the public had an idea of what his cab looked like. Someone might remember something odd or unusual pertaining to the auto.

[Pauli]

Police: Missing Cab Driver Was Alive Friday Morning

Tuesday, Mar 25, 2008 - 08:56 PM Updated: 08:25 AM


http://www.nbc17.com/media/NCN/2008/03/25/0039.Image.NULL,NULL.300,188,2,NULL,NULL.MGSpooler .img
William Simon was last seen driving his cab. Photo By: NBC17




FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Police said bank records from a missing cab driver show he was alive between the hours of 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Friday.

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Detectives continue to search for 61-year old William James Simon, a Fayetteville cab driver who has been missing since last week.

Simon, of 1593 Gillespie Street, was reported missing by his roommate on Wednesday when he failed to return home from work. Simon is a cab driver for L&M Taxi Service. His vehicle was found Friday evening by a passerby, near a radio tower located off Rosser Street in Spring Lake.

Simon was apparently running fares from nightclubs along Bragg Boulevard when he was last seen. Investigators said Tuesday bank records demonstrate he was probably alive early Friday morning. The missing persons investigation was turned over to the homicide unit Monday.

Police are looking for anyone with information about Simon, and whether his cab was seen after 4 a.m. Friday. The vehicle is a red, Ford Crown Victoria and has the L&M Taxi Service logo on the driver and passenger side doors.

Simon is described as six feet two inches tall and about 200 pounds. He has balding, grey hair and wears glasses at times. He has scars on the right side of his stomach.

Anyone with information regarding Simon is urged to contact the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office at (910) 323-1500.

http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/news.apx.-content-articles-NCN-2008-03-25-0027.html

[Faith]

Hopefully someone will see this cab and it will jar a memory.

Praying for Lightning to come home safe.

[KittyMom]

Hopefully someone will see this cab and it will jar a memory.

Praying for Lightning to come home safe.

I hope so too, Faith. It's a bright colored car. Maybe someone will remember something.

[Grande]

Police trace missing cabbie's hours
By April Johnston
Staff writer

The cab of missing driver William Simon was found Friday in Spring Lake.
William James Simon, the cab driver who was last heard from just after midnight Friday, was alive at 3 a.m., detectives from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

Homicide investigators, who inherited the case from major crimes on Monday, obtained Simon’s bank records in hopes of learning more about what happened that morning.

They say they know he was alive between 3 and 4 a.m. Friday, running fares from nightclubs along Bragg Boulevard.

His vehicle — a red Crown Victoria with the words LM Taxi Service painted on the doors — was found later that day in Spring Lake. A passer-by spotted the cab near a radio tower off Rosser Street.

Investigators and Simon’s family agree that he would not have left the cab of his own accord, and investigators suspect foul play.

Simon’s roommate, Yolanda Murphy, reported him missing last Wednesday night when he did not return home from work. But his estranged wife, Elizabeth Simon, said she saw him Thursday afternoon, when he visited her at the Biscuit Kitchen on Grove Street, where she works.

And Simon’s boss, Larry Morrisey, said he spoke to his cabbie just after midnight on Friday. Simon told Morrisey he had picked up a passenger and was headed north to Raleigh. No one has heard from him since.

Simon is black, 6-foot-2 inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has thinning grey hair and sometimes wears glasses. He also has scars on the right side of his stomach.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about Simon — or anyone who might have spotted his red cab on Friday after 4 a.m. — to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 323-1500.

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=289624

[Grande]

Published on Friday, March 28, 2008
No new clues in missing cab driver case
A staff report

There is still no sign of William James Simon, the Spring Lake cab driver who has been missing for more than a week.

Lawmen have had no luck in locating Simons, a driver for LM Taxi Service, or in figuring out where he might be, said Debbie Tanna, spokeswoman for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

The last known contact with the 61-year-old Simon was March 22, lawmen said. He talked with his boss just after midnight and reported that he was taking a passenger to Raleigh.

Simon had been reported missing by his roommate March 19, lawmen said.

Using Simon’s bank records, investigators determined that he was alive between 3 and 4 a.m. on March 22.

His cab was found later that day near a radio tower off Rosser Road in Spring Lake.

Anyone with information should call the Sheriff’s Office at 323-1500.

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=289877

[Faith]

Family still searching for missing man
04/16/2008 08:34 PM

CUMBERLAND COUNTY -- Family and friends of William Simon say they have not given up hope in finding the missing taxi driver.


The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is trying to discover the fate of Simon after his cab was found abandoned with his family bible in the front seat on March 21. Officials say there are no new leads in the case.

"I believe that he is going to be found, but I know I got to prepare myself for whatever comes up, I’ve got to be able to take it,” said estranged wife Elizabeth. “Right now, in my heart, I say he is alive somewhere."

Donald Blue has known Simon for more than 40 years. He says the missing man has been a part of his family ever since then, even serving as a pall bearer for the funeral of Blue’s father. He couldn’t believe the news when he first heard Simon was missing.

"I went out [to the location where the cab was found] and looked around and stuff,” said Blue. “Everyone is really concerned … [I] just hope they keep working to find out what happened."


It’s been four weeks since authorities first found Simon’s cab abandoned. In all that time there has been no leads on his whereabouts. Friends are starting the fear the worst.
http://images.news14.com/media/2008/4/16/images/0116_missingman.jpg

"I just hope they continue or do something to try and find out what happened and recover his body where they can put closure to it,” said Blue. “I am just hoping that people are looking and thinking and if anyone has seen anything that somebody will call in.”

Simon is 61-years old, 6-foot 2-inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. Officials say he has scars on the right side of his stomach. Anyone with information can call the Cumberland Co. Sheriff’s Office at 910-323-1500.

http://news14.com/Images/watch_video_txt.gif
http://news14.com (http://news14.com/content/top_stories/594969/family-still-searching-for-missing-man/Default.aspx)

[KittyMom]

http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/2740930/

Steady Leads, But Still No Body

[Faith]

Body in Cape Fear remains a mystery

Sunday, May 11, 2008 | 7:09 PM

FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Fayetteville Police are trying to unravel the mystery of a body boaters found in the Cape Fear River Thursday night.

The body was badly decomposed.

Investigators are scrambling to see if the body is one of two missing persons in the city.

"Right now we don't have a positive ID on the person," police spokesperson Jamie Smith said. "They were decomposed so it may take us a while to ID them."

The body was found in the water between the Grove Street and Eastern Boulevard bridges.

Stephen Little is very familiar with that stretch of the river. It's a place he often goes cat fishing at night.

"Well, it's kind of scary because like I say, I'm out here by myself at night so you never know what you might run into," Little said. "And I don't carry any protection other than a dip net. So yeah, that's something to think about."

Investigators are trying to determine if the body is one of two missing persons in the county.

Willie Simon, 61, is a taxi cab driver who has been missing since March. His cab was found near a radio tower in Spring Lake a few days after he disappeared.

Family members say 58-year-old Livest Melvin called police April 3 saying his life was being threatened, and he hasn't been seen since.

"We do have a couple of people in the area who have been reported missing," Smith said. "But due to the lack of a description or any additional information, we [Fayetteville Police Department] couldn't say if it was one of them."

Authorities hope to have a positive ID by next week.

The body was sent to the medical examiner in Chapel Hill to determine the cause of death. Anyone with information should call the Fayetteville Police Department.


http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6132922

[Faith]

I sent a reporter an email regarding Mr Simon's case. I will post if she replies.

[Nut44x4]

The body mentioned above was 58-year-old Livest Melvin, not Mr. Simon. No new news on Mr. Simon.

Missing man's body found in river
05/24/2008 09:56 AM
FAYETTEVILLE -- Authorities say a body found in the Cape Fear River on May 8 is that of 58-year-old Livest Melvin.
The Center for Missing Persons issued a Silver Alert for Melvin on April 24. He had been suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment.

The police are conducting an investigation. There is no word on how Melvin died.
http://news14.com/content/local_news/sandhills/595998/missing-man-s-body-found-in-river/Default.aspx

[Nut44x4]

$5,000 Reward in Missing Cabbie Case

Posted: Aug. 1, 2008 9:05 a.m.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY: Detectives have found several good leads since they began searching for William James Simon last month. What they haven’t found is his body.

Simon, 61, disappeared March 19 and hasn’t been heard from or seen since.

He’s a good person, said Lt. Charlie Disponzio, a hard worker with no criminal history or known drug problems who did what he should. He was a family guy who never went long without talking to his grandchildren or his estranged wife, Elizabeth Simon.

“We feel confident he has not disappeared of his own free will,” Lt. Disponzio said. “There are grandchildren who want to see their granddad again.”

A few days a week, Simon drove a taxicab, which was discovered near a radio tower off Rosser Street in Spring Lake Friday, March 21. Other than his Bible, left in the front seat, there was no sign of Simon. Within three days, county authorities announced they were treating the case as a homicide investigation.

The search for Simon has focused on the Spring Lake area, and Lt. Disponzio said he is certain someone in that area saw Simon or a passenger in the cab in the early morning of March 19. He is urging that person to come forward.

“Little by little, we are establishing what we think are the last hours of this cab driver’s life,” he said, adding investigators hope the public will help them do that. “We are looking for anyone who saw him in Spring Lake.”

The cab company Simon worked for is small, Lt. Disponzio said, with only three vehicles. The owner would let Simon and the other drivers “freelance” from time to time, and Simon typically would work the Bragg Boulevard area, carrying bar-goers home and returning for another fare.

The shift Simon worked in the early morning hours of March 19 was like any other except for one thing, Lt. Disponzio said. During that shift, Simon likely “came across his killer.”

The governor's office is offering a $5,000 reward for information that helps solve the case.

If you have any information, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.

http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/3313777/

[Faith]

I think about Mr Simon a lot. I pray he is found and brought home soon. :1222423:

[annalyzer]

http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/4251462/

March 19, 2008

William Simon, 61, was reported missing March 19. A few days a week, Simon drove a taxicab, which was discovered near a radio tower off Rosser Street in Spring Lake Friday, March 21. Other than his Bible, left in the front seat, there was no sign of Simon. Within three days, county authorities announced they were treating the case as a homicide investigation.

“We feel confident he has not disappeared of his own free will,” said Lt. Charle Disponzio of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. “There are grandchildren who want to see their granddad again.”

“Little by little, we are establishing what we think are the last hours of this cab driver’s life,” he said, adding investigators hope the public will help them do that. “We are looking for anyone who saw him in Spring Lake.”

The case remains unsolved, and although investigators are working many good leads, what they need to close this case is to find Simon's body.

If you have any information about the unsolved murder of William Simon, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.

[Nut44x4]

William Simon: One Year Later and Still No Body
By NC Wanted Staff

Updated: Apr. 3, 2009

CUMBERLAND COUNTY: — Cumberland County detectives have found several good leads since they began searching for William James Simon last year. What they haven’t found is his body.

Simon, 61, disappeared March 19, 2008 and hasn’t been heard from or seen since.

He’s a good person, said Lt. Charlie Disponzio, a hard worker with no criminal history or known drug problems who did what he should. He was a family guy who never went long without talking to his grandchildren or his estranged wife, Elizabeth Simon.

The search for Simon has focused on the Spring Lake area, and Lt. Disponzio said he is certain someone in that area saw Simon or a passenger in the cab that morning. He is urging that person to come forward.

The cab company Simon worked for is small, Lt. Disponzio said, with only three vehicles. The owner would let Simon and the other drivers “freelance” from time to time, and Simon typically would work the Bragg Boulevard area, carrying bar-goers home and returning for another fare.

The shift Simon worked in the early morning hours of March 19, 2008 was like any other except for one thing, Lt. Disponzio said. During that shift, Simon likely “came across his killer.”

If you have any information, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/2740930/

[annalyzer]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/simon_william.html

[annalyzer]

Detective hopes tip will solve case of missing cab driver

Published: 05:13 AM, Sat Dec 26, 2009

Cumberland County homicide detectives began investigating the disappearance of William James Simon in March 2008.

But nearly two years later, they have yet to receive a tip in the case of the missing taxicab driver.

The case is one of a handful of unsolved murder investigations over the last five years for county detectives.

Phone lines operated by CrimeStoppers and individual agencies are typically a boon to investigators. Tips that lead to an arrest can earn callers up to $1,000, in addition to any other reward that is offered.

Lt. Charlie Disponzio, head of the sheriff's homicide team, has always stressed the importance of "shoe leather" detective work. But he also acknowledges the benefits that a tips line can provide.

"Oh, they're great. We do receive quite a bit of information through the tip lines," said Disponzio. "However, in this case, we haven't received any."

Disponzio doesn't keep track of the number of tips that come in for cases, but he said having none was unusual for a murder investigation, especially one that has received the attention that Simon's case has received.

The last time anyone heard from Simon was just after midnight March 22, 2008.

That's when Simon, a 61-year-old driver for L&M Taxi Service, told his boss that he was taking a passenger to Raleigh.

The red cab Simon drove was found later that day in Spring Lake, but the driver was missing. There has been no activity on Simon's bank account since earlier that morning.

Disponzio said investigators are certain Simon wasn't the type of person to just disappear.

He said Simon was a dedicated worker and a devoted grandfather.

"William Simon was a working guy. There's nothing in his history to make you think he would up and disappear," Disponzio said. "His life ended. All signs of life ended in March of '08."

Detectives are investigating the case as a homicide, even though no body was ever found.

The lack of information is frustrating, Disponzio said.

Two persons of interest were identified within days of Simon's disappearance, he said, but without a body, investigators are limited.

"At this point, we have a very circumstantial case," Disponzio said. "How do you prove murder if you don't have a body?"

Lawmen have searched the woods in and around Fort Bragg and Spring Lake, without success.

Disponzio said it's possible someone has heard or seen something that could help lead investigators to Simon's body.

"No matter how insignificant they think what they heard, think or know is . forward it on to us," he said.

Without the body, he said investigators are no closer to an arrest than they were in March 2008.

Any tip that could narrow the search area or lead investigators to the body could help solve the case, Disponzio said.

Recently, lawmen have received plenty of calls from tipsters - an average of a couple of calls each day - but those calls have not led to arrests in any homicides this year.

As of Dec. 17, the Fayetteville-Cumberland County CrimeStoppers line had fielded more than 700 tips this year. Those tips have led to 200 arrests on felony and misdemeanor charges, according to the latest monthly report from CrimeStoppers.

Tips in the Simon case could earn more reward money than in other cases.

Months after Simon's disappearance, the Governor's Office offered a $5,000 reward. That reward is still available, officials said.

http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/12/26/962778