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(Introduction to show begins)
TODD MATTHEWS (Missing Pieces Host): I'm Todd Matthews. This is Missing Pieces and
tonight we have Madeline Morris. Welcome Madeline.
Madeline Morris(guest): Welcome. How are you?
Todd: I'm doing really good, are you?
Madeline: Yes.
Todd: Now you're in Maryland, right?
Madeline: No, I'm in New Jersey.
Todd: New Jersey okay and your son is John James Morris and he's been missing for 224 days, 20 hours, 31 minutes and 30 seconds according to your website.
Madeline: Yes, that's right.
Todd: Is it hard to look at that counter on your website, that has to be really difficult.
Madeline: Yes, It is.
Todd: You have a fairly new website. I think we have a mutual friend that made that website for you, Linda.
Madeline: Yes we do.
Todd: And the website is www.findjohnmorris.com.
Madeline: Yes, that's right.
Todd: And how did she, how did Linda contact you about making this website for you.
Madeline: I have a My Space page and she notified me through My Space.
Todd: Now how did you come to have a My Space page?
Madeline: Well I thought I would put it out there and see if anyone saw him or may have heard anything.
Todd: A lot of people now are reaching out to the Internet and using My Space and some of these social websites to try to find a missing person. What gave you that idea originally? Had you seen other people do it or......?
Madeline: No its just something that came to me.
Todd: Okay. I am actually looking at your website now. She's done a great job on this. She has the candle burning, the counter.... How old was John?
Madeline: He is 38 now.
Todd: And how did this happen? What happened, when did he go missing. What happened in the beginning?
Madeline: He had been living with a partner for 14 years. They had broken up and John had come back to New Jersey. Then he went back to Maryland to pick up his belongings and when he went back to Maryland he went missing.
Todd: So what do you think happened?
Madeline: I have no idea. All I know is the night he disappeared he called me and told me he was going to get away for a while. He was having someone pick him up but he didn't say who.
Todd: How soon before you went to the police?
Madeline: I waited 3 weeks.
Todd: Why did you wait that long? Just hoped that he possibly was okay?
Madeline: Family members kept telling me that "oh he'll come back", but mothers instinct tells you different.
Todd: So he had never really taken time away like that before.
Madeline: No.
Todd: Where he would be out of contact with you.
Madeline: No he used to call me every week.
Todd: So those 3 weeks, that had to be really difficult for you.
Madeline: Yes.
Todd: Tell me about that time.
Madeline: It's difficult because I got used to his phone calls. Every time he called he would
tell me loads of jokes and make me laugh and all that. Now I haven't had a phone call in almost 8 months.
Todd: I have seen him on other websites. I have seen him a lot out there. His face and information about his case. It seems like you really covered a lot of ground in a short period of time.
Madeline: Yes. The only thing is on pictures it doesn't show that he is turning gray around his temple area.
Todd: I am looking at your page now. When you went to law enforcement how easy was it to file the missing person report. Where did you file it at? Did you file it in New Jersey or Maryland.
Madeline: I filed it in Montgomery County in Maryland.
Todd: Okay.
Madeline: They were very nice and it was very simple to file the report.
Todd: So they had no problems setting you up with that?
Madeline: No, In fact they faxed over the paperwork to the police department in the town where I live in New Jersey. I had to sign it and they faxed it back to Maryland. So both the New Jersey police department and Maryland they work together pretty well.
Todd: Have they done any type of DNA test and taken a DNA sample from you?
Madeline: Yes they have.
Todd: Wow that is really quick a lot of people have waited years and have not gotten that
done yet.
Madeline: No it wasn't that hard, 3 months and they had taken it. And again they took it in
New Jersey and they sent the sample out to Maryland.
Todd: Now did they just do a cheek swab of you.
Madeline: Yes.
Todd: Did they come to your home to do that?
Madeline: Yes. They came to my home because my husband can't drive because he has Parkinson's Diseases and I have a spinal cord injury so we're kind of disabled.
Todd: Oh my. Well have you had any help in this. I know you had Linda help you with the website but what about others? What are other family members or friends doing to help you with this.
Madeline: Family members are not doing anything, friends are not doing anything. The only help I am getting is from the website.
Todd: Now how long has the website been up?
Madeline: I would say maybe a month or six weeks.
Todd: So far have you gotten any information from the website.
Madeline: No, not so far.
Todd: Well My Space certainly helped you get connected with somebody like Linda. Have you heard from other people?
Madeline: Well I'm on www.projectjason.org which is a well known website for missing persons. I also have him on the national center for missing adults.
Todd: I have seen him there.
Madeline: www.411Gina.org its another page for missing adults and I think Charley's page.
Todd: I think its www.charleyproject.com
Madeline: Yes, that's it.
Todd: Well I am hoping that this will work for you. What do you think has happened to him, do you think he is okay or do you fear the worst?
Madeline: I don't know what to think because he suffers from attention deficit disorder and if he doesn't take his medication he turns to alcohol and or drugs to self medicate.
Todd: Uh huh.
Madeline: And I don't know where he could be because when he doesn't take his medicine he doesn't focus like a normal person would focus.
Todd: So its very possible for his attention deficit disorder that he could be self medicating and and be out there and possibly be disoriented.
Madeline: Exactly, exactly.
Todd: Of course this is a silly question probably, but do you have any idea where he might
have gone to outside of Maryland or New Jersey. Do you think would have gone to any other state or does any other state maybe come to mind?
Madeline: I don't know. He could be in Florida or he may be Arizona.
Todd: Okay. Do you have connections in those states?
Madeline: Well he took a trip to Arizona and he liked it out there and he does have connections in Florida.
Todd: So have you been in contact with any of the people that he knows in those areas?
Madeline: No, of course I don't know their numbers.
Todd: But you know names?
Madeline: No just first names not last names.
Todd: Okay because I was hoping that maybe we could help you locate those persons and
maybe contact some of them. Have you gotten any updates from law enforcement?
Madeline: Not lately no they have no leads as to where he is.
Todd: Wow its a very difficult time. I see so many people that are in the same situation with you. I know you feel helpless but you know websites and the Internet have been a big help. Even when your you know disabled we are all equal there. You know when you can actually get out there to the world and you learn how to use the Internet and learn how to use My Space and all those communication tools disabilities sort of don't matter there. So that's a good thing.
Madeline: No, no they don't.
Todd: So you have a really good opportunity and I am hoping that it will make a difference.
Madeline: The only thing that people do tell me is that he resembles George Clooney.
Todd: Yeah he does sort of favor him. Something about his eyes I can see that, I can see that really clearly.
Madeline: Yeah and now with the graying hair more so.
Todd: Now you said your husband has Parkinson's disease, right?
Madeline: Yes he does.
Todd: How is he adjusting to this with his son being missing?
Madeline: He kind of holds it in, he doesn't like to talk about it.
Todd: A lot of people do that, some people put it inside and others reach out. It looks like your trying to reach out. I am hoping desperately you find what you need and we will definitely look for him. On line mostly and there are lots of other government programs that are opening up that he can be included in at some point in time.
Madeline: I hope so.
Todd: We'll keep our fingers crossed that we can bring him back to you.
Madeline: Yes, I hope so.
Todd: Does he have any brothers or sisters?
Madeline: Yes he has one brother, he's older than him.
Todd: And you said so far the family has not really been connected to...
Madeline: No, not really no.
Todd: Does that disappoint you?
Madeline: A little.
Todd: I am sure you would like to see them a little more involved in the situation.
Madeline: Well, you know they are all into their own things.
Todd: Yeah but I cant imagine my brother being gone. I have seen other people in fact the
guest that I interviewed last week, her brother had been missing and she has wrote a book it seems like she has gone to the opposite extreme it seems she really let it take control of he life.
Madeline: Well his brother is worried about him. Its just the other family members like my husband and brothers and sisters and all that they don't care.
Todd: Do you really think they don't care or they are just like you said and its hard for them to deal with. A lot of people don't want to deal with the situation of missing persons.
Madeline: That's the way they are yes. They don't deal with it.
Todd: Its easier to just not think about it rather than to realize it.
Madeline: That's why I waited so long to report him missing because they'd tell me, "oh I wouldn't report him missing he'll probably turn up".
Todd: Now what advice would you have for someone else that was in your situation?
Madeline: Report them missing as soon as you can.
Todd: Immediately
Madeline: Of course the three weeks could have made a big difference.
Todd: Well Madeline I wish you the best in this. We will defiantly help circulate you story.
Your interview will be transcribed and hopefully we can add it to your website and add some of your website information to your permanent page on Missing Pieces. We will do our best to keep the data circulated.
Madeline: Okay I appreciate that.
Todd: Well I appreciate you taking time to talk to me. I know its hard to do that and I appreciate it.
Madeline: Okay I appreciate you talking to me.
Todd: Well hopefully we will be back in touch with you for an update soon.
Madeline: Okay, that would be fine. Thank you.
Todd: Good night and good night everybody.
Case Information:
Morris was last seen at approximately 11:00 p.m. on July 30, 2007 in the driveway of his long term partner's residence located in the 24000 block of Whites Ferry Road in Dickerson, Maryland. After the ending of their twelve-year relationship, Morris' partner was staying in a condominium in Washington, D. C.
Morris spoke to his mother on the telephone the day of his disappearance and sounded angry and distressed during the conversation. He told her someone was coming to pick him up. The neighbor who saw him in the driveway said he appeared to be waiting for a ride. He has never been heard from again.
His family reported him missing on August 23rd after he missed several of his weekly telephone calls to them, which is uncharacteristic of his behavior. Morris frequently left town without warning for weeks at a time prior to his disappearance. When he was reported missing, the police initially thought he had entered a drug treatment program.
Morris was unemployed at the time of his disappearance. He is a talented oil painter artist. He could be working as a handyman, glazier, or landscaper. All of his personal belongings, including his truck and his pet dog, were left behind. Although there is no evidence of foul play in his case, he is missing under unusual circumstances. His disappearance remains unsolved.
John James Morris' Vitals:
Classification: Endangered Missing Adult
Date of Birth: 1969-11-07
Date Missing: 2007-07-30
From City/State: Dickerson, MD
Missing From (Country): USA
Age at Time of Disappearance: 37
Gender: Male
Race: White
Height: 72 inches
Weight: 175 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Hair (Other): Graying
Eye Color: Brown
Complexion: Medium
Identifying Characteristics: Pierced left ear, tattoo of a "snake" or "dragon" on right forearm, tattoo of a "scorpion" on left shoulder, excema on left ankle, scar on calf of leg, previously broken ankle, caps on teeth.
Clothing: Possibly wearing a red fleece jacket, jeans.
Jewelry: Gold chain, watch.
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