MISSING PERSON
CASE #: 1983-6
Maurice Laron Jefferson
Also Known As:
Red
Status:
Open
Date of Last Contact:
Date of Last Contact:
Jurisdiction:
Missing From:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Summary:
Maurice Jefferson disappeared from Fort Lauderdale, Florida during the late fall of 1983. He left his family’s home to attend basketball practice but never returned home. No one has seen the boy in over forty years. Investigators as well as his family suspect he was abducted by unknown individuals and foul play is suspected. Sadly, his disappearance remains unsolved and no suspects have been publicly identified.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Disappearance:
Maurice was last seen in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 28th 1983. He left his grandmother’s residence located at 295 Northwest 30th Terrace at approximately 5:20 pm to walk to Dillard High School where he was a sophomore student for junior varsity basketball practice. He normally left for practice a little bit later than that but he wanted to visit his girlfriend on the way so be left earlier than usual. His girlfriend lives a few blocks away from the high school at the time. It’s unclear if Maurice attended practice that evening. Some reports indicate that he never showed up for practice that day and that his coaches looked for him to no avail. Other reports indicate he did show up and then went to nearby Franklin Park where witnesses saw him playing on the park’s basketball court. He never returned home that night and was never seen or heard from again afterwards. Investigators initially believed that Maurice was a runaway and didn’t begin investigating his disappearance until three days had passed. He had no issues in his life or household that could’ve driven him to willingly drop out of sight. His mother, Betty Bridges, lived in Alabama and remarried to a pastor so he spent his time between her home and his grandmother’s Fort Lauderdale home. He was previously a choir boy at Piney Grove First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale but he quit since it interfered with his junior varsity basketball practice. He was said to be a good student who had good grades and no problems at school. Maurice planned to attend college to be a medial doctor and had joined the ROTC prior to his 1983 disappearance.
Additional Details:
On December 2nd 1983, two teenage girls told police officers they witnessed Maurice being forcibly abducted from the Franklin Park basketball court on the evening of his disappearance. He was shooting baskets with a few other teenage boys at 7:00 pm when a blue and white Oldsmobile driven by two men pulled up to them. One of the men called out to Maurice and offered him a ride. When the boy refused the offer, the two men forced Maurice into the car before speeding away. He hasn’t been seen since that time. The two abductors were described as African American men and neither of them have ever been identified. Police were not able to confirm the sighting but believe it to be true and they suspect the boy was abducted, possibly because he witnessed something he shouldn’t have. Maurice was described as a religious teenager who avoided trouble. His family has hoped for closure in his presumed abduction for decades and continue to hope he will be found someday. Sadly, Maurice remains missing and his abductors remain unidentified.
Case Last Updated:
Family Tree
Why is this important?Missing person
Father
Mother
Paternal Grandfather
Paternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandfather
Maternal Grandmother
Paternal Grandfather's Mother
Paternal Grandfather's Father
Paternal Grandmother's Mother
Paternal Grandmother's Father
Maternal Grandfather's Mother
Maternal Grandfather's Father
Maternal Grandmother's Mother
Maternal Grandmother's Father
Paternal Grandfather's Mother
Paternal Grandfather's Father
Paternal Grandmother's Mother
Paternal Grandmother's Father
Maternal Grandfather's Mother
Maternal Grandfather's Father
Maternal Grandmother's Mother
Maternal Grandmother's Father
Paternal Grandfather
Paternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandfather
Maternal Grandmother
Father
Mother
Missing Person
Missing Person
Case Content Disclaimer: The details on this case page are sourced from numerous locations to include family, friends, news postings and government public releases. Solve the Case, Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy of any content as case pages are living documents that frequently update as case details expand.
