No Answers: Selma Police Renew Plea For Information In Batten Disappearance

SELMA – Four years after a Selma man was last seen alive, authorities say the case remains unsolved and all known investigative leads have been exhausted.

James Norman Batten, then 84, was last seen alive in December 2021. Despite extensive searches and years of follow-up, Selma police say they still have no clear answers about what happened to him.

Selma Police Detective Sgt. Justin Vause said the department continues to review the case but acknowledged the investigation has reached a standstill.

“We’ve followed every lead we’ve been given,” Vause said. “At this point, we need the public’s help. Someone out there may know something, even if it doesn’t seem important.”

Batten lived alone on Madison Street and was known for living a quiet, simple life. He did not socialize often, and it was not unusual for him to go weeks without speaking to family members, who lived outside the area.

Concern grew on March 6, 2022, when relatives were unable to reach Batten and requested a welfare check. Officers found his home neatly kept, with no signs of a struggle or forced entry. The front door was unlocked, and his cell phone was inside the house.

Investigators believe Batten disappeared on December 18, 2021. Detectives noted that Batten had a daily habit of crossing off each date on his calendar. The calendar showed December 17 marked through, but December 18 remained untouched.

In the months before his disappearance, Batten had stopped driving due to failing eyesight. He frequently walked in his neighborhood, including along Lizzie Street, but was not known to frequent specific destinations. When he needed groceries from the IGA on Pollock Street (U.S. 301), he used the same taxi company. The last driver to take Batten home reported nothing unusual and said Batten appeared to be fine.

Selma police and Johnston County deputies conducted multiple searches of the areas Batten was known to walk, using both ground teams and drones. Those efforts produced no evidence or clues.

A birthday card mailed to Batten on December 20, 2021 was never opened. There has also been no activity on his bank accounts or credit cards since his disappearance.

While investigators cannot confirm foul play, Sgt. Vause believes someone has information about Batten’s fate. Batten’s DNA was entered into a national missing and unidentified persons database, but no matches have been found.

Batten, a retired U.S. Army veteran, worked part-time at Lowe’s Home Improvement in the Cleveland community until his eyesight forced him to stop working several years before he disappeared.

He is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 165 pounds, with brown balding hair and brown eyes. He sometimes wore glasses and had no known cognitive impairments.

A reward continues to be offered for information leading to the whereabouts of James Norman Batten.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Selma Police Detective Sgt. Justin Vause at 919-965-8189.