- An independent rescue team has solved a 19-year-old cold missing person case.
In December 2003, a babysitter in Pennsylvania was waiting for a father to come pick up his two daughters. But he never showed up.
Nor did he show up anywhere else, either. James Amabile simply vanished off the face of the Earth.
This isn’t a case of a deadbeat dad, though. Amabile couldn’t come get his children, because he lost his life on the way.
For 19 long years, no one knew where Amabile has disappeared to. But on March 19, Adventures with Purpose — an organization specializing in solving cold missing person’s cases — finally solved the mystery.
On the bottom of Darby Creek in Ridley Township, they found an old, rusted car. Inside the car was what remained of Amabile.
His family probably was hoping to find him alive and well. But at least they now have closure.
Be There in Five Minutes
The Amabile mystery began on December 4, 2003. On the day, his daughters — at the time aged 5 and 8 — were staying at a babysitter.
Amabile himself had decided to take a nap after a stressful. By the time he woke up, he realized he’d slept too long and was late to pick up his kids.
He grabbed the phone and quickly dialed the babysitter. He said that he’d be there in five minutes, rushed into his Ford Explorer — license plate FLA 4785 — and took off.
That was the last confirmed interaction Amabile had with another person, according to Adventures with Purpose. Within those promised five minutes, he vanished with the car, never to be seen again.
Naturally, this left his family wondering what had happened. People don’t go up in smoke and disappear, so where had Amabile gone? Could he have run off with a mistress?
That seemed unlikely, considering he had just told the babysitter he’d see them in a few minutes. Amabile’s brother, Stephen, also told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he was a family man who was utterly dedicated to his daughters.
Unfortunately, the girls’ loving father never turned up again. For nearly two decades, Amabile’s family and authorities searched for him, but eventually official efforts were called off.
The case went cold. Amabile was simply gone.
Modern Technology
In 2021, Amabile’s family finally turned to Adventures with Purpose (AWP). The organization has a great track record of discovering what happened what happened to missing people, having solved 20 cold cases since 2019.
Perhaps they could help locate Amabile — or his remains. AWP certainly promised to try.
Based on their experience, AWP had a hunch that Amabile’s vehicle could’ve fallen into one of the many waterways surrounding Ridley Township. Authorities had searched them 18 years ago, but now AWP had new technology that wasn’t available at the time, like sonar.
Indeed, their modern gadgets got results. In Darby Creek, at a depth of 24 feet, they discovered a previously unknown submerged vehicle.
AWP immediately informed the Ridley Township Police Department. Together, using divers and a huge crane, they hauled the surprisingly well-preserved Ford Explorer out of the water.
The license plate on the car, covered in mud and detritus, read FL 4785. On the driver’s seat, still buckled in, were the decayed remains of a person.
A forensic study soon confirmed that the body’s dental records matches James Amabile. They’d found him.
‘He Drove Right into the Water’
But how did James Amabile end up in the river? His brother Stephen believes he knows the answer.
According to Stephen, his brother was diabetic. He wore an implanted insulin pump and had a history of losing track of where he was as his blood sugar fell.
Combined with the hectic events of the fateful day, Stephen believes Amabile went into a diabetic shock while he was rushing to his children.
“He drove right into the water,” Stephen Amabile speculated.
As the car plummeted into the river from the bridge, an underwater support pylon skewered its engine block. The vehicle got stuck, sealing Amabile’s fate.
Although Stephen surely would’ve loved to see his brother alive, he said he’s still relieved by the closure. After all, he’d given up all hope years ago.
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything. I’ve gotten used to not expecting anything, and I tuned a lot of things out,” he said, talking about AWP’s search efforts.
“No matter what anyone ever says, you’re not at peace until you get more answers,” he added.