AL AL - Donald Fortson, 52, & Eddie Hazelrig, 31, Cleveland, 3 Nov 1998

[Kat]

Donald's Doe Network page:

http://doenetwork.org/cases/3266dmal.html

Donald's Charley Project page:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/f/fortson_donald.html

Nickname: Don

Don's NamUs profile:

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/4485/85/

Dental: available will be entered later
DNA: initial inquiry underway
Fingerprints: available elsewhere

case report:

Donald Ray Fortson was last seen on Tuesday, November 3, 1998 in the Cleveland area of Blount County Alabama. There is a $50,000 reward offered by the family for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the disappearance of Donald Fortson and Eddie Hazelrig.

Eddie Hazelrig is Don's nephew. Both are missing. I will create a WS entry for Eddie and link back here.

Picture of Don from first link embedded in this post.

Come home soon.

ETA: Eddie Hazelrig's thread link:
AL AL- Huey Edward Hazelrig- Cleveland- 03 NOV 1998 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[Kat]

Eddie's Doe Network page:

http://doenetwork.org/cases/3267dmal.html

(gives details about this case)

Eddie's Charley Project page:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hazelrig_huey.html

Eddie's NamUs profile:

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/4486/84/

Dental: NA
DNA: NA
Fingerprints: NA

(not available at the time of this post)

case report:

Huey Edward Hazelrig was last seen in the Cleveland area of Blount County, Alabama on Tuesday, November 3, 1998. There is a $50,000 REWARD offered by the family for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the disappearance of Donald Fortson and Eddie Hazelrig.

Eddie is missing along with his Uncle Donald Fortson

Donald's WS page here:
AL AL- Donald Ray Fortson- Cleveland- 03 NOV 1998 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

Please add any archived articles that are found. TIA

Picture of Eddie from first link embedded in this post. Doe Network.

 

[OkieGranny]

Sartain is the former ABI agent on the case. He says Eddie and Donald were last seen at their trailer around 3:30 in the afternoon. They had just finished a day of welding at a local farm. About four hours later, Eddie's grey Isuzu truck was discovered in the Altoona area.

"The truck was discovered almost on the roadway, burning or recently burned in the early evening hours and that was the first lead we had that something wasn't going on right," said Sartain.

<snip>

Huey Hazelrig says the last phone call his son Eddie made, was to a girl he was seeing. They only talked a minute, and he said he "just wanted to hear her voice one more time."

http://chriscrimeforum.freeforums.org/donald-fortson-and-eddie-hazelrig-t963.html

 

[JerseyGirl]

still missing: http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/09/where_are_they_now_missing_peo.html#37

 

[CastlesBurning]

Still missing:

Where are they? Missing people in Central Alabama

 

[devertere]

In March 2020 a skeleton was found inside a recently sold home in Morris, AL. (Sounds a bit like the place was a dump.)

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Estimated age: 40-60 (Donald: 52)
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5'6" to 5'9" (Donald: 5'10")
Hair color: Brown (Donald: Brown)
Clothing: Maroon, short-sleeved shirt. Camouflage hat. High-top boots, tan canvas/brown leather. Canvas-denim boots.
Morris is about a half-hour drive to Cleveland, AL.

What doesn't make sense though, their car was found burnt out in Altoona, which is basically in the other direction.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Donald Ray Fortson – The Charley Project

• 

Fortson, circa 1998

• Missing Since11/03/1998
• Missing From Cleveland, Alabama
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 12/10/1945 (78)
• Age 52 years old
• Height and Weight 5'10, 150 pounds
• Associated Vehicle(s) Gray 1984 Isuzu pickup truck (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Fortson's nickname is Don.

Details of Disappearance​

Fortson and his nephew, Huey "Eddie" Hazelrig, were last seen together in Cleveland, Alabama on November 3, 1998. They lived together and often worked together putting up wallboard. They did a job that day and returned home by 3:30 p.m., after which time Hazelrig placed a long-distance call.

The two men left home afterwards to go check on a car; Hazelrig collected antique cars. They may have been carrying about $3,000 in cash at the time. They were last seen at a tire store on U.S. 231. The two men never returned home and neither of them have ever been heard from again.

That evening, police found Hazelrig's gray 1984 Isuzu pickup truck on fire along Warrior Valley Road in Etowah County, Alabama. By the time the fire department responded to the scene, the vehicle had been completely destroyed. Authorities were able to determine no one had been inside the truck when it was burned, and they didn't find any blood, but the fire destroyed any other clues.

Rumors have circulated that Fortson and Hazelrig were both homicide victims, and their family members believe they did meet with foul play. Both men had arrest records, but Hazelrig had never been convicted of a crime and Fortson only had some alcohol-related misdemeanor convictions. Their cases remain unsolved.

Huey Edward Hazelrig Jr. – The Charley Project

• 

Hazelrig, circa 1998

• Missing Since 11/03/1998
• Missing From Cleveland, Alabama
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 03/30/1967 (57)
• Age 31 years old
• Height and Weight 6'1, 180 pounds
• Associated Vehicle(s) Gray 1984 Isuzu pickup truck (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, blue eyes. Hazelrig's nickname is Eddie.

Details of Disappearance​

<<Hazelrig grew up in Cleveland and dropped out of college after one year to live on a farm. He had pigs and goats, grew vegetables and was devoted to his pet dog. His case and Fortson's cases remain unsolved.>>

​

 

[Pennysmom1]

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Online Services

app.alea.gov

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Online Services

app.alea.gov

3266DMAL - Donald Ray Fortson

<<Hazelrig and his uncle lived together and often worked together on gypsum wallboard jobs. Family members describe Fortson as a humble man who years ago lost his daughter to murder. There is a strong suspicion of foul play.>>

3267DMAL - Huey Edward Hazelrig

<<Hazelrig grew up in Cleveland and attended one year of college before dropping out to farm full time with his pigs, goats and vegetables. He collected antique cars and had just bought a new motorcycle. He was devoted to his bloodhound, Hound Dog. Hazelrig and his uncle lived together and often worked together on gypsum wallboard jobs.>>

 

[Blue Girl1991]

Very sad case.

Huey Edward Hazelrig's last call was to his girlfriend. In that call, he told his girlfriend that he loves her and wanted to hear her voice once more time. It is very possible that both Huey and Donald felt that they were in a very dangerous situation, so Huey called his girlfriend and said what he said to her.

There is an interesting video with more details, also about Jimmy, which is the person they met that day regarding the return of a car. There are also interesting comments.

I pray that the families and loved ones will find justice and closure and Donald Fortson, & Eddie Hazelrig will be found.