Yiear James Samuel West

West, circa 2016

  • Missing Since 12/09/2016
  • Missing From Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race Black
  • Age 28 years old
  • Height and Weight 6'1, 220 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A blue sweatshirt, black pinstriped chef pants, black socks, black Croc shoes, and a black skullcap.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. West had shoulder-length dreadlocks and a significant amount of facial hair, including a goatee, at the time of his disappearance. He has burn marks on his forearms from his job as a grill cook, and a scar under his right eye.

Details of Disappearance

West was last seen after he left work at Outback Steakhouse on Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on December 9, 2016. He walked two miles to Corner News, a convenience store on Coal Street, stopping to make a purchase at Wegmans on the way. The security cameras showed him at Corner News at 6:40 p.m; he withdrew $200 from an ATM there. He has never been heard from again.

Prior to his disappearance, West had stopped using his cellular phone because an ex-girlfriend was calling him on it. He got another phone to replace it, but it isn't clear if he ever activated it and his family doesn't know the number for it. He left behind two children, and his mother doesn't believe he would have left without telling anyone. His case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

  • Wilkes-Barre Police Department 570-208-4231

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated July 18, 2019; casefile added.