Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 16, 1994 TAG: 9405160124
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: AUGUSTA, W.VA. LENGTH: Medium
The search of Short Mountain for Victor Shoemaker Jr. of Leesburg, Va., by more than 100 Guardsmen and troopers ended with authorities uncertain of any future action.
"A lot of the Guardsmen had high expectations they were going to find something," said state police Sgt. Bucky Burner of the Shinnston detachment. "What it may eventually come to is that, just by accident, somebody finds him."
"I'm totally frustrated. I'm upset," said Sgt. Roger Hefner of the Petersburg detachment. "I wanted to bring that kid home. I thought I could do it this weekend."
Victor, known to his family as "J.R.," disappeared while playing with two cousins May 1 in the woods around their grandfather's mobile home near Kirby, 10 miles south of search headquarters in Augusta.
The cousins, ages 8 and 9, said Victor said he was going home after they had played for about 30 minutes, and they lost track of him.
As many as 400 volunteers searched the woods for five days, but the search was suspended after no signs of the boy were found. Smaller searches have been conducted daily by family and local volunteers. The official search resumed Saturday.
Authorities believe Victor, who was clad only in a T-short, shorts and sneakers, could not have survived two weeks of exposure to nighttime temperatures in the 30s.
Victor's family said they will continue to look for him. His parents, Nettie and Victor Sr., were in the woods Sunday searching.
"We're all living in hope that we do find him, alive or dead. It will ease things," said Victor's grandfather, Oscar Wolford, 81.
"He may be in a hole, he could be in cave," Burner said. "That terrain out there has everything imaginable confronting the searchers."
State police say foul play has not been ruled out, but there is no evidence that Victor was killed or abducted.
by CNB