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Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Billie Jean James carries a peace sign while marching with the Nevada Desert Experience in the annual Martin Luther King Day parade down 4th Street Monday, Jan. 18, 2010.
Published Monday, May 17, 2010 | 9:34 a.m.
Updated Monday, May 17, 2010 | 12:24 p.m.
Billie Jean James
A $10,000 reward is being given to anyone with information leading to the whereabouts of a 67-year-old Las Vegas woman who disappeared from her home in April.
The family of Billie Jean James, who is believed to have left her home on foot April 22, met with the news media Monday at her home to announce the reward and ask for the public’s help.
“Today is Day 27 of looking for Billie Jean,” said her husband, Billy James, 67. “I don’t know where she is. I just want her back home.”
James said he and his wife were planning to leave for a trip to Hawaii on April 23, the day after she possibly wandered from home.
In November, Billie Jean James suffered a mini-stroke, her husband said. At the time, she was confused and disoriented, but she “recovered completely,” he said. James said he suspected she may have suffered another episode, but that he was unsure why she left home.
James said his wife never mentioned leaving home. The couple has been married for 40 years and always told each other where they were going to be, he said.
Sgt. Peter Ferranti of Metro’s missing persons detail said his office has exhausted all leads. He said no witnesses saw Billie Jean James leave her home the morning she disappeared.
“We’ve done immediate searches of the area,” Ferranti said. “It’s still an open case.”
Friends described Billie Jean James as an active woman with a vibrant personality. She enjoyed hiking and the outdoors, and was in good enough shape to hike for miles, they said.
Billie Jean James is a retired professor of literature at UNLV, according to her friend Linda Nations, of Henderson. She has a love of the arts and literature, and was involved with the community, Nations said.
“She’s too busy doing all these events,” Nations said. “She’s always at some public event.”
Nations was part of a 106-person search team that looked for Billie Jean on May 8. Searchers found nothing.
“You think somebody has to have seen something,” she said. “How does someone just vanish from the face of the Earth?”
Norma Price, 74, of Las Vegas, has known Billie Jean James since 1975. She described her as someone who is outgoing and who always was surrounded by people.
“She was a come-one, come-all type of person,” Price said. “She loved to gather people. She had no reason to leave."
James said life has been difficult since his wife disappeared, but his friends and family have been there to support him.
“Thank God for friends,” James said. “I’ve been surrounded almost every day.”
James is described as 5-feet-8-inches tall and 140 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. Anyone with information concerning her whereabouts is being asked to contact Metro's Missing Persons Section at 828-3111.
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This is sad. I hope they find her. One of the things that they don't really tell you is that when caring for a stroke or alzheimer's victim is that you've got to "baby-proof" the home they're living in. Especially when it comes to doors that lead outside. You've got to install those covers that go over the door handles that prevent them from being opened. If nothing else, I hope that this family's story can help spread this kind of awareness.
I pray for the family, wherever she is may God be with her.
This lady has been missing for a month and no one thinks fowl play is involved.I"m not so sure if she just wondered away then someone would have seen her or found her by now,and called the police or something like that.Has anyone checked out the husband,was there life insurance.I find this story a little hard to believe.
I hope they find her alive and well.
BTW, Fowl play is for birds.
Foul play is nefarious.
Foul play may be the case. We just do NOT know, period! For those of us who know BillieJean, there is just nothing that makes any sense. How far could she have gone without being seen by her husband when he looked for her. Life insurance is useless if there is no dead body. I spoke to her that morning. Another good friend spoke to her at 1 PM. The logistics of where they live make "foul" play seem almost impossible. Of course the husband has been "checked out". Metro, to their credit, has been fabulous. Please just keep looking at people's faces.
This is for the idiot that seems to think of foul play and insuarance money. YOU ARE AN IDIOT THAT HAS NO CLUE ON WHAT IS GOING ON. IF YOU KNEW BILLIEJEAN AND HER HUSBAND THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN WHAT YOU DID. I use my real name on her because ulike you I am not affaraid for people to find me. so mk1234 unless u know where she is then you need to appologize to MR. Bill james for even suggesting that he had something to do with this. yes he had been interviewed by police and taken a lie detector and passed both. bill and billiejean were inseparable and for someone to even think that would be true then you are a bigger idiot than what your blog makes you out to be. I do kniow a little about having a friend and family member murdered by a friend of my family.. maybe you should try and think of how bill james feels right now.
You go Ralph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The James' are the salt of the earth and have given so much to the entire community as anybody who has ever met either one of them can attest to. Somebody somewhere has to know something so continued media coverage is really important.