James Lewis Part 2: The Airport

The Vanished Podcast

Wondery

True Crime, Society & Culture, Cold Case, Investigative, Find The Missing, Vanished, Missing Persons, Documentary, News, Disappeared, Exhibit C

4.5 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2023

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Last week, we brought you the first part of James Lewis' story. Jim Lewis was a decorated veteran who had recently retired after serving in the United States Army for 25 years. Jim and his wife Patsy purchased a home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, which was supposed to be their forever home, after moving all over the US and the world for many years. They were putting their roots down finally, and Patsy was able to start hanging those pictures on the walls. But it didn't even last a year because, in October of 1982, Jim pulled out of the driveway headed to a job interview in Vero Beach, Florida, and never came home. The police were convinced that Jim had willingly abandoned his family, and they weren't interested in investigating. His family did what they could on their own, but that wasn't bringing them any solid answers. Then, Jim's car was found months later at the local airport in Fayetteville. It had been parked there since October 6, 1982, three days after Jim left, supposedly to drive to Florida. None of it seemed to make sense to his family. He always cared for them and wouldn't have left them this way. Over the years, some tidbits of clues have been revealed that could point to an outcome that no one ever saw coming.

If you have any information about the disappearance of James Lewis, please contact the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at (910) 323-1500.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to the vanished ad free on Amazon Music. Download the app today.
0:18.3	Half my dad's career in the military was covert operations. If he wanted this fear, he could. I know I realized that.
0:24.9	I know that. I've been pulled out by all those other green-gray buddies.
0:28.4	But to a tee, everyone said the same thing. Your dad would not just leave.
0:33.0	The time out the guy that made sure the jungles of Vietnam got a way to call my mom before she got the visit from the Red Cross people told him he'd been shot again.
0:43.4	Not just shot, but shot again.
0:46.1	I think part of what makes Jim Lewis's case much more complicated is the suspicion we have that it goes not only beyond
0:55.6	the state lines, but he might have gone outside the country. And I think at that point to expect any kind of coordination.
1:03.6	I mean, there are in some cases, especially with enforced disappearances, because international collaboration and coordination.
1:10.6	But as far as I know, there's not a lot except maybe some kinds of through embassies and consulates.
1:16.6	Last week, we brought you the first part of Jim Lewis's story. Jim Lewis was a decorated veteran who would recently retired
1:24.6	after serving in the United States Army for 25 years. Jim and his wife, Patsy, purchased a home in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
1:32.6	That was supposed to be there forever home, after moving all over the United States and the world for many years.
1:39.6	They were finally putting their roots down, and Patsy was able to start hanging those pictures on the walls.
1:46.6	But it didn't even last a year, because in October of 1982, Jim pulled out of the driveway headed to a job interview in Viro Beach, Florida.
1:56.6	But Jim never came home. The police were convinced that Jim had willingly abandoned his family, and they weren't interested in investigating.
2:05.6	Jim's family did what they could on their own, but that wasn't bringing them any solid answers.
2:11.6	Then, Jim's car was found months later at a local airport in Fayetteville. It had been parked there since October 6, 1982.
2:19.6	Three days after Jim had left, supposedly to drive to Florida. None of it seemed to make sense to his family.
2:26.6	He always took care of them, and wouldn't have left them this way.
2:30.6	Over the years, some tidbits of clues have been revealed, that could point to an outcome that no one ever saw coming.
2:36.6	I'm Marissa, and from Wondery, this is episode 402 of The Vanished.
	...

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