MS MS - Jeffrey Hegwood, 23, Hattiesburg, 20 March 1980

[marion]

Well, you may need to scratch what I said earlier about the location of the Town House Lounge. I checked the city directories today for 1979 and 1980. Neither of them list the Town House Lounge. However, it is listed in the 1976 directory at 114 Railroad St. Yet, in 1979 114 Railroad St. is listed as "vacant." I even cross referenced their telephone number and it's in the 1976 directory but nowhere to be found by 1979. It seems as though it closed or moved sometime between 1976 and 1979.

I did think it was odd for it to be located downtown since it's nowhere near the University as mentioned in an earlier post and about that time was when downtown started deteriorating and businesses started closing. Something isn't adding up.....

 

[Sleuthster]

Well, you may need to scratch what I said earlier about the location of the Town House Lounge. I checked the city directories today for 1979 and 1980. Neither of them list the Town House Lounge. However, it is listed in the 1976 directory at 114 Railroad St. Yet, in 1976 114 Railroad St. is listed as "vacant." I even cross referenced their telephone number and it's in the 1976 directory but nowhere to be found by 1979. It seems as though it closed or moved sometime between 1976 and 1979.

I did think it was odd for it to be located downtown since it's nowhere near the University as mentioned in an earlier post and about that time was when downtown started deteriorating and businesses started closing. Something isn't adding up.....

I believe it is spelled Towne House. Is this the same one your finding?

 

[marion]

I believe it is spelled Towne House. Is this the same one your finding?

Yes, I've searched both ways. All I've found is "Town House Restaurant and Lounge" in newspapers and the city directories from the time period. I haven't found anything with it spelled "Towne." It could be a different "Towne House Lounge" I guess but it must not have lasted long if it is.

 

[DLJ1979]

It sounds to me like the roommate was involved. Why else would he leave the scene of an accident and then leave the car where it was eventually found? Did he try to get it towed out? When he was questioned by LE did he tell them he was the one driving, did he tell them where the car was or did LE have to find the car on their own? So many questions...

He denies driving the car that night. The police found it theirselves.

 

[DLJ1979]

I believe it is spelled Towne House. Is this the same one your finding?

I'm going double check the spelling. I asked my Aunt for all her files including that of the Townhouse Lounge. That will clarify a lot as to location and if it stayed open after Jeff went missing. I hope the file has the info on the old partner also. Thanks so much for taking the time to look all that up.

 

[DLJ1979]

New piece of info I don't think I posted yet. I found out yesterday through the LE that is was not just Jeff's car that drove into the alley that night; two cars went in together and then just one drive out. I am trying to get the file to see if there is a description of the other car so I can track down the vehicles owned by all the parties in this case at that time. I think this is very important because that means there is more than just the abductor that knows about what happened to Jeff. That means more people to talk!

 

[mysterygirl]

This definitely sounds personal.

It could also be an accident......covered up.

Someone knows something, it is amzaing they have kept quiet all this time.

 

[Scoobysnack]

This definitely sounds personal.

It could also be an accident......covered up.

Someone knows something, it is amzaing they have kept quiet all this time.

I agree... Jeffrey sounds like he had a great life and had it all sorted at such a young age.
Surly there must have been signs from someone "close" to him behaving a bit weird after he went missing.

 

[Richard]

What was the year, make and model of Jeffrey's car?

 

[DLJ1979]

What was the year, make and model of Jeffrey's car?

I have that info and will pull out the missing persons
report and let you know.

 

[DLJ1979]

I believe it is spelled Towne House. Is this the same one your finding?

The Town House Lounge was purchased by two other boys and it burned down about 3 years after Jeff disappeared. There is just a vacant lot there now.

 

[DLJ1979]

I agree... Jeffrey sounds like he had a great life and had it all sorted at such a young age.
Surly there must have been signs from someone "close" to him behaving a bit weird after he went missing.

The only strange actions was the roommate that refused to take the lie detector tests, sighting he had hit his head on a ladder and couldn't take the test. I still feel he is involved.

 

[McSpy]

The only strange actions was the roommate that refused to take the lie detector tests, sighting he had hit his head on a ladder and couldn't take the test. I still feel he is involved.

Hmm, he stated he was hit in the head with a ladder. Were there witnesses and did he go to the emergency room for the injury? Maybe he got hit in the head by Jeffery in a struggle? Makes me wonder when he suffered that injury. Was it the same day Jeff disappeared?

Wonder if the roommate would take a poly now? Would LE talk with him again? Makes me wonder if there was an issue with rent or with the girlfriend. Did the girl Jeffrey was going to take out on a date know the roommate?

Does the police have any evidence from the car, which they can test for DNA? Blood stains could have mixed DNA.

 

[Claudette]

Maybe the roommate was the co-owner?

 

[DLJ1979]

What was the year, make and model of Jeffrey's car?

It was a 1974 Olds Cutless 2 door Maroon and Silver.

 

[DLJ1979]

DLJ1979,

Also, can you tell us where exactly the car was found and where Jeff's apartment was located?

It was about 2.6 miles from Jeff's rental house on South 17th Ave. which was right off Hardy Street. It was found at the dead end on Short Katie Street, the fender bender happened at approximately Hardy and Green St, in between the house and the car location.

 

[DLJ1979]

Hmm, he stated he was hit in the head with a ladder. Were there witnesses and did he go to the emergency room for the injury? Maybe he got hit in the head by Jeffery in a struggle? Makes me wonder when he suffered that injury. Was it the same day Jeff disappeared?

Wonder if the roommate would take a poly now? Would LE talk with him again? Makes me wonder if there was an issue with rent or with the girlfriend. Did the girl Jeffrey was going to take out on a date know the roommate?

Does the police have any evidence from the car, which they can test for DNA? Blood stains could have mixed DNA.

I have to find about when he hit his head, but he continued to not go take the lie detector test, even after being asked by the detectives at later dates. It turns out that Jeff only moved in with his roommates about three weeks before his disappearance and he had only known them for a short time and had hired them part time at The Townhouse Lounge. It was located on Railroad Street in Hattiesburg. There was not anything found in his car such as blood, etc. The only odd thing was that the keys were torn apart on the drivers floorboard, but Jeff's books were still laying on the car seat.
My Aunt said the street his car was found on was a dead end street and not so much an alley. Jeff's car was found bogged down in mud and looked as if they had tried to get it unstuck.

 

[DLJ1979]

Maybe the roommate was the co-owner?

No - Jeff was the only owner of the Townhouse Lounge. He had bought out his partner and was in it by hisself. The detective investigated the ex-partner and nothing turned up with him, all clear.

 

[DLJ1979]

Maybe the roommate was the co-owner?

No - Jeff was the only owner of the Townhouse Lounge. He had bought out his partner and was in it by himself. The detective investigated the ex-partner and nothing turned up with him, all clear.

 

[McSpy]

I have to find about when he hit his head, but he continued to not go take the lie detector test, even after being asked by the detectives at later dates. It turns out that Jeff only moved in with his roommates about three weeks before his disappearance and he had only known them for a short time and had hired them part time at The Townhouse Lounge. It was located on Railroad Street in Hattiesburg. There was not anything found in his car such as blood, etc. The only odd thing was that the keys were torn apart on the drivers floorboard, but Jeff's books were still laying on the car seat.
My Aunt said the street his car was found on was a dead end street and not so much an alley. Jeff's car was found bogged down in mud and looked as if they had tried to get it unstuck.

Were there indications that there were more than one person trying to get the car out of the mud? Footprints?