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Search for missing Whatley man continues
Foreman, who was last seen Sept. 9, was a self-employed mechanic and was seen on a daily basis in Whatley and the surrounding communities. At the time of his disappearance he was living with an elderly gentleman, who he helped care for. Clarke County Sheriff's Investigator Ron Baggett is determined not to let the case slip into the unsolved file. Assisted by national and local search teams, he led a third search for Foreman, Saturday, July 21, in Whatley. "We've narrowed it down to a pretty small area now," said Baggett. "An area where we found what we consider to be potential evidence, which was found during our last search, June 7th." Although the investigator would not reveal exactly what was found, he did say the evidence was sent to the state forensics lab in an attempt to hopefully obtain any traces of DNA that it might contain. Saturday's search teams concentrated on the same general area where that potential evidence was found.
Baggett went on to say that a rumor that Foreman was last seen getting into a pickup truck with two white men is completely false. "We haven't been able to turn up any evidence that such an incident ever took place," he said. "No witnesses have ever been found to substantiate that claim."
Also on hand was Mississippi archaeologist Don Sullivan, who was asked to assist in case any bone fragments were found. He is an expert in determining whether bones are human or animal. Because the area that was being searched includes a large swampy area and a small creek, divers from the Baldwin County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue were asked to participate. They were led by Chief Danny Mitchell and included four trained underwater investigators. Daphne Search and Rescue also assisted.
Profile of a missing man Foreman, known by many as "32," was no stranger to law enforcement prior to his disappearance. According to Inv. Baggett and Chief Deputy Vergil Chapman, he had been arrested on several occasions mostly for petty theft offenses. "He wasn't known to be violent," said Baggett. "None of his arrests involved any type of violent crimes." Robert Garrick, who owns the convenience store in Whatley agreed with Baggett's assessment of Foreman. "I had to watch him when he would come in the store because he might walk out with something without paying for it," he said. "He had a habit of going around at night asking people for money. It didn't matter what time of night it was, he would just show up at someone's door asking for some cash." Garrick said just about everyone in Whatley knew Foreman, who would come into the store on an almost daily basis. "He was what you call a 'shade tree mechanic,'" he said. "A lot of people who owned older cars brought them to him to work on. He had quite a few customers, so he must have been pretty decent at it." Wayne James, who lives near the now empty, dilapidated trailer where Foreman lived with Mickey Henry, said Foreman would often walk down the street in front of his home and speak to the neighborhood children who would be playing in the area. "I knew him for a long time and that he had served some time in jail, but he never caused any trouble around here," he said. "I know he did mechanic work, but I don't know what he served time for." Shortly after Foreman disappeared, Henry was placed in a local nursing home. Due to health reasons, he could not be reached for comment. A mother wants answers Foreman's mother, Ellen Foreman, who lives in nearby old Suggsville, said she hasn't heard from her son since he went missing. She said it was very uncharacteristic for him to leave for any extended length of time without letting her know where he was going and how long it might be before he returned. "He (James) was really good about coming to visit me, just to check and see how I was doing," she said. "His visits were pretty regular and if I wanted anything done he would come and do it for me. I don't have any idea where he is and it has about worried me sick." Mrs. Foreman said the worst thing about the whole ordeal is not knowing what happened to her son, whether he is alive or dead. "I can't hardly stand to talk about it," she said. "I worry night and day. I have had a lot of sleepless nights. I just pray for some kind of resolution." She said she knew her son had served some time, but since then he had led a pretty quiet life. "He liked working on cars and never bothered no one. If someone needed help with fixing a car he would be glad to go and help them. To the best of my knowledge he didn't hang out with a lot of people and didn't have any enemies." Mrs. Foreman said her son had two children, a son and a daughter, both in their 20s, who he tried to stay in contact with. "I know he cared about them because he would talk about them a good bit." Foreman's sister, Carolyn Chapman said she has no idea what could have happened to her brother. "As far as I know he wasn't bad about drinking or doing drugs," she said. "He just enjoyed working on cars." Chapman's main concern is how her brother's disappearance is affecting her mother's health. "She is worried sick and will be until we find out what happened to him."
Anyone with any information about Foreman's disappearance is asked to contact the Clarke County Sheriff's Department at (251) 275-8132 or (251) 275- 8156.
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