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Boone Police Asks Property Owners To Search Vacant Buildings In Search for Roberts

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By Jesse Wood

The Boone Police Department is asking property owners to check vacant or abandoned homes, buildings, barns and structures in the ongoing search for James ‘Martin’ Roberts.

The 19-year-old Caldwell Community College student was last seen on April 21 near the Holmes Convocation Center on the campus of Appalachian State University.

On Wednesday, the Boone Police Department contacted citizens by phone utilizing the Code RED emergency communication system; shared the request on social media and contacted media outlets.

In a release, the Boone Police Department noted that personnel from the local law enforcement agencies will come and check out any of the buildings if the property owner or tenant isn’t available to do so.

“In the interests of being thorough, we would like to know that we have covered areas that an individual could have taken up residence in the absence of the property owner and remain otherwise unnoticed,” according to the release.

This is the latest in the ongoing search for Roberts and is an another attempt to rule out possible locations of where Roberts might be. Two weeks ago, local law enforcement agencies and water and canine-recovery specialists were in the area to search the waters of the Town of Boone’s reservoir on Winklers Creek and Trout Lake. Roberts enjoyed hiking, camping and spending time along the Blue Ridge Parkway and these areas were known to be hangout spots of the young man.

Weeks of searching the wilderness and elsewhere with search parties and canines, a cash reward, the scrutinizing of surveillance videos and electronic communications and the call from the Chief of Boone Police Dana Crawford for someone with knowledge of his disappearance to step forward has not proved fruitful.

As for the search of abandoned buildings, citizens are advised to contact the Boone Police Department at 828-268-6900 or Crime Stoppers at 828-268-6959 if any signs of unauthorized entry or occupation is present.

For more information of Roberts’ disappearance and the subsequent search, click here.

Also, see this Facebook group page: Help Find Martin Roberts.