A Lowndesboro family seeks answers to their son’s disappearance, and they believe they may find them in Greenville or the surrounding areas.

The last time that George Erik James’ mother saw him was on Nov. 23, 1998.

At that time, the family made their home in Millbrook.

Tillis James, his mother, has resigned herself to the idea that her son is likely dead, but without his body, the family lacks closure.

&uot;I pretty much know what happened to him,&uot; she said via telephone from her home on the Alabama River. &uot;George had been out of prison for about four months after spending three years in there.

He was in a gang before he went in.&uot;

James said gang members beat her son pretty severely.

&uot;They literally beat him nearly to death,&uot; she said.

She said her son was released and he tried to avoid going back to the gang.

&uot;We tried everything to get him away from here,&uot; she said. &uot;There were other problems.

George was seeing a woman who was married to a man who worked as a bookie.&uot;

She said the woman gave her son the money to leave town and that he left for Mobile.

In Evergreen, his car engine blew up and at that point, her son called someone to drive to Evergreen to pick him up.

&uot;His car was found at the Evergreen exit and the last person to see him alive was the convenience store clerk at the store where he called someone to pick him up,&uot; she said.

James said she doesn’t believe the police are interested in helping find her son because of his less than spotless past.

&uot;They consider him a thug,&uot; she said. &uot;He made mistakes but he didn’t deserve to die and no one pay for it.

I don’t want justice, that isn’t my priority, I want my son’s body.&uot;

For six years this family has sought answers and closure but without James’ remains, closure isn’t likely.

&uot;The word with the &uot;kids on the street&uot; is that he was shot gang-style and his body was dumped,&uot; she said. &uot;I’ve done all types of interviews to get the word out, and I was on the Montel Williams Show. WSFA did a short piece on my son this year and directly after the show, my husband and I received a phone call at home saying we could find my son’s body in a silo ‘down Greenville way.’&uot;

With that information, James is asking for people who have silos on their property to check them out.

To help her search for her son.

&uot;There is no way that I can physically check every silo in Greenville and it’s too much to ask the police to do it,&uot; she said.

&uot;I just want people check out their silos.&uot;

She believes human nature will be on her side if the caller was credible because people will want to look.

Also, she said they might help her family find the peace it needs.

&uot;I just want to bring him home,&uot; she said. &uot;We’ve had people tell us that we have four other sons and that we should move on. But how can I as a parent forget one son altogether?

No parent should have to do that.&uot;

If anyone knows anything about George Erik James, they are asked to call the family 334-875-0665.

She said calls would be anonymous.

If anyone with a tip prefers they may call their local law enforcement agency with a tip.

&uot;I won’t ever stop asking, begging and searching until I have my son back home with me,&uot; she said.

&uot;I just want closure.&uot;