Family and friends rally together in hopes of locating their loved one who has not been seen for nearly a year.
Marcus Thompson, who was 31 at the time of his disappearance, is described as someone who cared about family.
Thompson, originally from Richmond, Virginia, relocated to Pittsburgh after graduating from Hampton University to work in his field of finance for seven years. In 2019, he decided to return to his hometown to be amongst family when his company downsized.
Lynetta Thompson, Marcus’ mother, says that he always made time for family.
“When he’d come home, he’d pull everybody together. He’s family-oriented like that and always wanted us all together,” she told Dateline.
Although Marcus was financially stable and seemed to be in good spirits, giving little indication to there being trouble, it also was not unlike him to up and leave for days or weeks at a time, according to his mother. She attributed this pattern to her son just being free and living his life.
“He was single, not married, no kids – so he was living his life,” Lynetta said. “He’d go visit friends from school and they’d go on trips. When he left last year, I didn’t think anything of it. He’d check in with me or someone eventually. But he never did.”
As the days went by, Lynetta’s suspicion of her son being in danger heightened. She first reported Marcus missing on Nov. 4, 2020, but oddly enough he ended up being found safe by Virginia State Police in Fairfax a few weeks later. According to the state trooper, Marcus said that he was on his way home.
Following being reported safe in Nov. 2020, Marcus responded to a text from his younger brother pleading with him to call in January.
“He said he would, but he never did. We never heard his voice. This was just not his behavior at all,” Lynetta told Dateline.
Lynetta attempted to call Marcus in March when a cousin who he had been close to passed away, but his phone was no longer in service by then. Not being able to reach her son during the time of his cousin’s passing caused her to contact the authorities yet again. However, she was told that he is an adult and has the right not to be in communication with his family.
Things took a stranger turn once Marcus’ mail and unpaid bills began to pile up at his mother’s home, which was his residence at the time of his disappearance. In that pile of mail, Lynetta would find a traffic ticket for June 14 for his 2004 Nissan.
“At this point, I have to believe that he’s in danger or a danger to himself, but I was still at a loss of what to do,” his mother told Dateline.
Friends and family are coming together in efforts to bring awareness to his disappearance. Fliers are being shared throughout the Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh area, along with social media posts.
Anyone with information on Marcus’ whereabouts can call the Henrico County Police Department at (804) 501-5000.
Story & Photo Credit: Marconja Zor/thegrio
