James W. Morse was a 54-year-old carpenter and disabled veteran last seen on February 23, 1982, in West Palm Beach, Florida. He had been visiting his mother in Apopka and was driving his silver Ford step-up van back to West Palm Beach. En route he reportedly picked up a hitchhiker; that was the last confirmed sighting of Morse alive.

Morse’s van was recovered with blood and tissue inside, and his credit cards were used while the van was sold for $70. Forensic analysis concluded the blood and tissue in the vehicle were consistent with a fatal injury, shifting the inquiry from missing person to probable homicide. A drifter, David Lee Armstrong, then 20 and a fugitive from Arkansas, confessed to killing Morse, selling the van, and using the victim’s cards, and said he disposed of the body in a sugar cane field near Belle Glade.

Despite a search, Morse’s body was never found. Armstrong was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Does anyone have information about Morse’s last known movements or about activity along the route between Apopka and West Palm Beach on February 23, 1982?