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