Nearly a decade after James “Martin” Roberts disappeared from Boone, North Carolina, his family is again asking the public to help bring him home. The college student was 19 when he vanished on April 21, 2016. He would now be 30.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released a new age progression image on September 24, 2026, showing how Roberts might look today. The picture has renewed attention on a case that has troubled his loved ones and investigators for more than ten years.
What Happened to Martin Roberts in Boone?
On the morning he disappeared, Roberts told his roommates he intended to study at the Appalachian State University library. He was living in an apartment on Old Bristol Road with fraternity brothers while attending Caldwell Community College.
During his walk, he encountered a cousin who attended Appalachian State. They spoke and walked together toward a bus stop on Rivers Street near the George M. Holmes Convocation Center.
His cousin boarded the bus, while Roberts walked away. Video recorded by the bus showed Roberts leaving the area around midday. That remains his last confirmed sighting.
Roberts never returned to his apartment. His disappearance was reported to Boone police, beginning a search that expanded across the surrounding mountains and beyond.
The Clues Investigators Have Examined
According to The Charley Project, Roberts left his phone, other electronic devices and a written note behind. The note reportedly expressed disappointment over missed opportunities, but did not explicitly say he intended to harm himself. His father did not regard it as a suicide note.
Authorities have never publicly established what happened after Roberts left the bus stop. Police searched wooded areas, waterways and locations around the university. Investigators also examined reports of possible sightings, although none led to a confirmed location.
The search has continued through the years. In January 2024, Boone police worked with specialists from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to organize case records and develop leads.
Roberts was described as having brown hair, blue eyes and a slim build. He was wearing a black Appalachian State windbreaker, khaki shorts, a white visor and gray New Balance shoes when he vanished.
New Image Offers Hope for Answers in 2026
The latest age progression was prepared by a forensic artist and released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Unlike the photographs taken before his disappearance, the new image attempts to show what Roberts could look like at 30.
An earlier age progression depicted him at 24, but the updated image reflects another six years.Investigators and family members hope it reaches someone who recognizes him or remembers something from April 2016.
Two tattoos may help identify him. One shows three mountains in red, blue and black on his left forearm. Another, on the right side of his rib cage, contains lyrics from Bob Marley’s song “Zion Train.”
As of October 2026, the publicly available missing person notices still list Roberts as missing. The new picture is not evidence of a sighting, and no verified explanation for his disappearance has been announced.
Anyone with information can contact the Boone Police Department at (828) 268 6900 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1 800 843 5678. Even a detail that seemed unimportant years ago could help investigators determine what happened.