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Missing Jason Edward Thornton Townsend 
Jason, approximately 1980; Age at the time of disappearance: -progression to Age at the time of disappearance: 34 (approximately 2010) Date reported missing : 05/20/1980 Missing location (approx) : Fort Lauderdale, Florida Missing classification : Non-Family Abduction Gender : Male Ethnicity : Black DOB : 10/15/1976 (44) Age at the time of disappearance: 3 years old Height / Weight : 3'0, 50 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A green pullover shirt, blue shorts and brown sandals. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Jason's hair was styled in a short Afro at the time of his disappearance. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Jason's mother, Augusta Townsend Walker, left Jason and his siblings in the care of her boyfriend, Roscoe Pierce, while she worked on May 20, 1980 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Jason was last seen with Pierce in Lauderhill, Florida, later during the day. When his mother returned to the family's apartment that night, Jason was gone. Pierce said he'd wandered off while they were at a nearby convenience store. Walker believed his story and called the police that evening to report Jason missing. By the the next day, however, Walker had become suspicious, particularly after Pierce removed a sheet of blue plastic and two duffel bags from the apartment. She tried to stop him leaving, but he left anyway. Jason has never been heard from again. After Walker alerted law enforcement regarding her son's disappearance, investigators learned that Pierce was a fugitive from Syracuse, New York. He had been charged with Gender : ually abusing a young girl and fled from the state some time earlier. While in Florida he had been using the alias name "Emerson Blatch", and Walker knew him by that name. Florida authorities located Pierce on May 22, two days after Jason initially vanished. When investigators attempted to question Pierce about the child's case, he reached for an officer's weapon and was shot by law enforcement. Pierce refused to divulge Jason's location before he died later in the day. Jason's case remains open; foul play is suspected due to the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. Other information and links : ncy Broward County Sheriff's Office 954-480-4300 September 2021 updates and sources The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The Miami Herald Broward County Sheriff's Office Florida Department of Law Enforcement The Palm Beach Post Florida Today The Tallahassee Democrat |