Left and Center: Jeffrey circa, 1996
Right: Age Progressed to age 35
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: March 2, 1996
Missing From: Bonney Lake, Pierce County, Washington
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: December 9, 1981
Age: 14 years old
Height and Weight: 5’10” and 155 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Brown hair, Blue eyes, Jeffrey is dyslexic and has a speech impediment, he is known to walk with a slight slouch, Jeffrey might use the names “Jeffrey Haynes” or “Stanley Ipkiss”
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A green short sleeved shirt, a pair of green pants, and sneakers
NCMEC Number: 815715
Details of Disappearance
Jeffrey was last seen in Bonney Lake, Washington on March 2nd 1996. On that day, the body of his mother, Susan, was discovered in their mobile home located in the 20400 block of east 113th Street. She was the victim of a homicide and was presumably beaten to death with a blunt object. She was killed by a blow to her head.
Investigators believe she was killed while she sat in an armchair in her living room. Investigators found a trail of blood which led from the chair and into her bedroom. They theorize she either crawled to the room before dying or was dragged there.
Her body was discovered when her husband and Jeffrey’s father, Ron, came home from work. He arrived home at some point between 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm and found that the front door to the residence was unlocked and the television set inside was on. When he attempted to open his bedroom door, he was unable to. When he was finally able to open it at 6:30 pm, he found Susan’s body slumped on the door.
Some of Ron’s personal belongings like his gold watch and approximately $700 in cash were stolen from the home. Jeffrey was nowhere to be found and has not been heard from since. Ron said he last spoke to Jeffrey during a phone call at 9:30 that morning.
Investigators do not believe that Jeffrey ran away from home or was responsible for his mothers death. His two parents both had marital problems at the time and had been married to each other for 15 years. They even separated once before and the problems regarding their marriage were said to have distressed Jeffrey.
Jeffrey did develop problems with anger prior to his 1996 disappearance and once damaged his bedroom door so badly it had to be replaced. He was described as a normal teenager but was somewhat shy.
Investigators believe that Jeffrey was probably the victim of foul play and likely taken by whomever killed his mother. Martin S. Malcom or more commonly referred to as “Marty” claimed he discovered Susan’s body on the day she was murdered and panicked as a result. He stated that he fled the home in Susan’s maroon colored Toyota Camry station wagon with the license plate number 093GHZ.
The car was discovered the next morning at 4:00 am. It was found abandoned in a convenience store parking lot in Auburn, Washington. Martin went to the police and turned himself in during the same day and admitted to withdrawing $300 from Susan’s bank account on the day of her murder and claimed to have spent it all at the Muckleshoot Casino that same evening.
He was arrested as a result and was charged with possession of stolen property. He was given a sentence of 45 days in prison and has since been released from prison. He has refused to cooperate with investigators regarding Jeffrey and Susan and has hired an attorney. He also refused a lie detector test.
Martin was reportedly the last person known to have been with Jeffrey before his disappearance. Neighbors said they had seen the child with Martin prior to his disappearance and Martin also stated he took Jeffrey from his home for a haircut at 11:30 am. Not too long afterwards, a surveillance camera at a drive through bank ATM showed Martin driving Susan’s vehicle.
The camera did not show Jeffrey but a woman who was in line behind Martin said she saw a young person in the car with him at the time. Martin would go on to claim he dropped Jeffrey off at his home at 12:30 pm and left to run an errand. He returned home and said he found Susan murdered and Jeffrey missing.
Martin was a close friend of Jeffreys family and was known to often drive him places. He was becoming unwelcome in the family home by March of 1996 since he spent so much time at the home and never refilled the gas tanks in the car after he drove it. He has never been charged with killing Susan or in connection to Jeffrey’s disappearance.
Martin was previously in prison for the slaying of his estranged wife in 1980. He was convicted of 2nd degree murder but was released from prison in 1992. Investigators are hoping to possibly find Ron’s missing watch. The watch disappeared from the home when Susan was slain. The watch is described as a Seiko Quartz with a gold finish and the serial number SGF 206. It is engraved with his name and a message which thanked him for 30 years of service with Boeing.
Investigators believe the watch was taken by whomever killed Susan and possibly took Jeffrey. It’s possible the watch was sold after the crime. Investigators have no strong suspects in the case besides Martin who is considered a strong person of interest in the case.
At the time of his disappearance, Jeffrey was attending a private school and was reportedly doing better academically than he previously had done. He was known to play video games and enjoyed playing the card game “Magic”. Investigators and his family refuse to believe he ran away since he likely would’ve contacted them by now.
Jeffrey remains missing and his case unsolved. Foul play is suspected.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Tacoma Police Department 253-591-5959
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children