LA LA - James Wood, 43, was remodeling his mom's home, car found at his home, phone pinged nearby, Ponchatoula, 19 Jun 2025

[GuyfromCanada]

((7/3/25 UPDATE))

TPSO detectives have been able to obtain video of Wood at the LA 22 Mart and have confirmed he was last seen there on June 19 as opposed to the 21st as bank records indicated.

The video also shows Wood wearing all black and leaving the store headed down Lee's Landing away from Highway 22.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker asks anyone with information regarding James’ whereabouts to contact our Investigations Division at 985-902-2045.

::ORIGINAL::

Be On The Lookout: Missing Man from Ponchatoula Area

(June 28, 2025)- The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance locating a Ponchatoula man who hasn’t been seen or heard from since last weekend.

James Wood, 43, was last seen at the La 22 Mart on the corner of Highway 22 and Lee’s Landing in Ponchatoula on Saturday, June 21.

His car, keys and other belongings have been found at his home in the 40000 block of River Road in Ponchatoula, where he lives alone, but no one has seen or heard from him all week.

James is 5’8”, weighing 148 lbs, and has brown hair and green eyes.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker asks anyone with information regarding James’ whereabouts to contact our Investigations Division at 985-902-2045.

TPSO Public Information Office

Contact Information- [email protected]

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JUL 3

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office FB post

JUL 17

Our detectives have spent these past few days physically searching the area around Wood's home in the 40000 block of River Road in Ponchatoula where cell phone records indicate the device was last working. The searches have been on foot and by air with agency drones and a partner agency helicopter.

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JUL 21

The family said investigators were not letting them into Wood's mother's home. Wood was working on remodeling his mother's home around the time he went missing.

More at Family of Tangipahoa Parish man missing for more than 30 days speaks out

 

[TMich6811]

So he was last seen the 19th but bank records indicate use on 21 maybe? Or am I misunderstanding

 

[GraceG]

So he was last seen the 19th but bank records indicate use on 21 maybe? Or am I misunderstanding

Yes, that was confusing and I had to re-read it a couple of times. I believe the report of him being seen on the 19th at the store was based on video (link below) Bank records had indicated he was there the 21st but that appears to have been in error.

He was wearing all black and was walking down Lee's Landing, away from the highway when he left the store.

Questions:

His family (according to the video in the msm article below) stated they didn't know he was missing until 9 days after he was last seen. So his mother wasn't expecting him to work on the remodeling project during that time? Otherwise, she might have been concerned when he didn't show to continue the work.

Family of Tangipahoa Parish man missing for more than 30 days speaks out

PONCHATULA - It’s been nearly a month since anyone last saw 43-year-old James Wood, and there has been no trace of him despite extensive search efforts by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office. Wood's family still can't believe he is missing.

www.wbrz.com

Who then, reported him missing?

I've attached a Google map showing a red star where the store he was seen on video is located (between Little Caesars pizza and the highway) and his home on River Road (40000 block) with another red star. It's about a 2 mile walk. A video shows it was either very early morning or twilight. I'm thinking twilight as it looks like the sun is setting off to his left which would be West based on where the highway is seen.

Search intensifies for missing Tangipahoa Parish man one month after disappearance

PONCHATOULA — It’s been nearly a month since anyone last saw 43-year-old James Wood, and with no trace of him turning up despite extensive search efforts, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office says they’re growing increasingly concerned.

www.wbrz.com

Not a time I'd personally want to be walking 2 miles on a 2 lane highway with a narrow shoulder dressed in all black if I had a car. Was the car operational? Did he have current driving priveleges?

Why south on Lee's Landing? - if he was planning on heading that way after the store, it would have made more sense to drive his car. Was his mother's house down that way and he decided on the spur of the moment to check on the project to assess supplies needed, etc.? I can't find an address for her (That particular Parish, like much of LA doesn't disclose records publically without a fee, so no luck on public, civil, or other records.).

 

[swanniee11]

His FB Log into Facebook

 

[GraceG]

With a little online assistance from a retired military friend in LA (I'm still trying to understand Parish versus County records) I have an old arrest record for James for which the charges were not pursued (under Nolle Prosse). After all this time it wouldn't be related to his being missing but it DOES show that he's lived at his current address since at least 2010. He has no other civil or criminal records before or after that single incident in that Parish.

CR-1102160
WOOD, JAMES
40059 RIVER RD , PONCHATOULA, LA 70454
Date of Birth: 09/16/1981
Gender: M Race: W
Date Filed: 07/05/2011
DA/ADA Assigned: (name redacted)
Case Type: CRIMINAL
Charges:
BATTERY OF A POLICE OFFICER
08/25/2011 State represented by (attorney name redacted). Upon motion of the State Nolle Prosse was entered to BATTERY OF A POLICE OFFICER

You can get records directly from the clerk at either Hammond or Amite but you will have to pay $5 if you want a CERTIFIED copy.

Copies attached are NOT certified.

Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Court > Home

 

[p_du80]

Yes, that was confusing and I had to re-read it a couple of times. I believe the report of him being seen on the 19th at the store was based on video (link below) Bank records had indicated he was there the 21st but that appears to have been in error.

He was wearing all black and was walking down Lee's Landing, away from the highway when he left the store.

Questions:

His family (according to the video in the msm article below) stated they didn't know he was missing until 9 days after he was last seen. So his mother wasn't expecting him to work on the remodeling project during that time? Otherwise, she might have been concerned when he didn't show to continue the work.

Family of Tangipahoa Parish man missing for more than 30 days speaks out

PONCHATULA - It’s been nearly a month since anyone last saw 43-year-old James Wood, and there has been no trace of him despite extensive search efforts by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office. Wood's family still can't believe he is missing.

www.wbrz.com

Who then, reported him missing?

I've attached a Google map showing a red star where the store he was seen on video is located (between Little Caesars pizza and the highway) and his home on River Road (40000 block) with another red star. It's about a 2 mile walk. A video shows it was either very early morning or twilight. I'm thinking twilight as it looks like the sun is setting off to his left which would be West based on where the highway is seen.

Search intensifies for missing Tangipahoa Parish man one month after disappearance

PONCHATOULA — It’s been nearly a month since anyone last saw 43-year-old James Wood, and with no trace of him turning up despite extensive search efforts, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office says they’re growing increasingly concerned.

www.wbrz.com

Not a time I'd personally want to be walking 2 miles on a 2 lane highway with a narrow shoulder dressed in all black if I had a car. Was the car operational? Did he have current driving priveleges?

Why south on Lee's Landing? - if he was planning on heading that way after the store, it would have made more sense to drive his car. Was his mother's house down that way and he decided on the spur of the moment to check on the project to assess supplies needed, etc.? I can't find an address for her (That particular Parish, like much of LA doesn't disclose records publically without a fee, so no luck on public, civil, or other records.).

I live in this area. His family reported him missing on the 25th of June after last contact with him being the 21st of June. In another video posted by a local news station (WBRZ channel 2), his family claims the police didn't start investigating this until 9 days after he went missing (the news station says TPSO put out notice on June 28). They feel it wasn't, and still isn't being taken seriously. He was not walking, he had a black SUV that he drove and was also parked in the driveway at the house where his other belongings were found (keys and wallet). South on Lee's landing is not in the direction of his mother's house. He was living there and remodeling it at the same time, however, his mother does not live in the home and hasn't for a while. He was there alone. TPSO posted about searching the area around the home, on foot, with a drone, and by helicopter on July 17th. So many people asked why they were not using dogs to search these areas as well and TPSO would only respond saying that their K-9s are not trained for this but that they are in contact with teams that do. If they searched with cadaver dogs, it was never public information. More recently, they reported that human remains were found in the same 40000 block of River Road, in a wooded area (not by TPSO, but they responded to the scene). There has been no update since then and that was posted on TPSO's Facebook page on September 12. They never shared a gender or any other information at all.

His family is pretty frustrated at this point, feeling like the efforts have been lacking, stating that there are still people who have never been questioned.

 

[NervousNellie]

I live in this area. His family reported him missing on the 25th of June after last contact with him being the 21st of June. In another video posted by a local news station (WBRZ channel 2), his family claims the police didn't start investigating this until 9 days after he went missing (the news station says TPSO put out notice on June 28). They feel it wasn't, and still isn't being taken seriously. He was not walking, he had a black SUV that he drove and was also parked in the driveway at the house where his other belongings were found (keys and wallet). South on Lee's landing is not in the direction of his mother's house. He was living there and remodeling it at the same time, however, his mother does not live in the home and hasn't for a while. He was there alone. TPSO posted about searching the area around the home, on foot, with a drone, and by helicopter on July 17th. So many people asked why they were not using dogs to search these areas as well and TPSO would only respond saying that their K-9s are not trained for this but that they are in contact with teams that do. If they searched with cadaver dogs, it was never public information. More recently, they reported that human remains were found in the same 40000 block of River Road, in a wooded area (not by TPSO, but they responded to the scene). There has been no update since then and that was posted on TPSO's Facebook page on September 12. They never shared a gender or any other information at all.

His family is pretty frustrated at this point, feeling like the efforts have been lacking, stating that there are still people who have never been questioned.

Hi! and welcome to Websleuths! We greatly appreciate local input!

I imagine is extremely frustrating and disheartening when family feel LE are not pursuing a case sufficiently. I, too, wonder whether they eventually used cadaver dogs.

Why do you say he wasn't walking when the last video evidence shows him walking "south on Lee's Landing"? Is there evidence had his wallet at the Mart? Could he have been hit by a car (as another member suggests)?

Is the house on River Road his mom's house where he was staying?

 

[p_du80]

Hi! and welcome to Websleuths! We greatly appreciate local input!

I imagine is extremely frustrating and disheartening when family feel LE are not pursuing a case sufficiently. I, too, wonder whether they eventually used cadaver dogs.

Why do you say he wasn't walking when the last video evidence shows him walking "south on Lee's Landing"? Is there evidence had his wallet at the Mart? Could he have been hit by a car (as another member suggests)?

Is the house on River Road his mom's house where he was staying?

 

[p_du80]

His sister said he drove. She replied to a post on the TPSO Facebook where someone else asked if he was walking. They still had contact with him through the 21st. The house on River Road is owned by his mother, she was not residing there currently because the house needed so much work, but yes that is where he was staying. He used his debit card at the mart, so unless he only took that with him and not his whole wallet, I wouldn't know for sure if his entire wallet went with him. The video is of him walking in the parking lot at the mart. I just meant that he didn't walk from the house to the gas station and back because of the info provided by his sister. However, if he was leaving the gas station in a vehicle you cannot turn left on to Hwy 22 from the gas station parking lot, the only exit would have been onto Lee's Landing (side entrance/exit to the parking lot). He would have had to go out that way turning right onto Lee's Landing to get to the stop sign at the intersection with Hwy 22. He would have then made a left turn to go toward River Road where the house is located. But who is to say he didn't go somewhere else instead of directly home? I wouldn't have that info either. I get gas there a lot as it is on the way to work for me so, I can only help with what it looks like there. Reports stated his wallet and keys were on the counter inside the home and that they did not locate his phone with these other items, despite it's last "ping" being in the area of the house. So it just seems that house would be the last place he probably was.

 

[NervousNellie]

His FB Log into Facebook

On Jun 17, he posted on FB a joke(?) about having to push his car to get gas.

There is absolutely no feeling that can replace having a set of thiccc thighs!! I have all the confidence in the world I can push that car to the gas station

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[NervousNellie]

His sister said he drove. She replied to a post on the TPSO Facebook where someone else asked if he was walking. They still had contact with him through the 21st. The house on River Road is owned by his mother, she was not residing there currently because the house needed so much work, but yes that is where he was staying. He used his debit card at the mart, so unless he only took that with him and not his whole wallet, I wouldn't know for sure if his entire wallet went with him. The video is of him walking in the parking lot at the mart. I just meant that he didn't walk from the house to the gas station and back because of the info provided by his sister. However, if he was leaving the gas station in a vehicle you cannot turn left on to Hwy 22 from the gas station parking lot, the only exit would have been onto Lee's Landing (side entrance/exit to the parking lot). He would have had to go out that way turning right onto Lee's Landing to get to the stop sign at the intersection with Hwy 22. He would have then made a left turn to go toward River Road where the house is located. But who is to say he didn't go somewhere else instead of directly home? I wouldn't have that info either. I get gas there a lot as it is on the way to work for me so, I can only help with what it looks like there. Reports stated his wallet and keys were on the counter inside the home and that they did not locate his phone with these other items, despite it's last "ping" being in the area of the house. So it just seems that house would be the last place he probably was.

We really do appreciate your local input and intel, but you need to read the Terms of Service about information you can post.

Edited to add: You need to be able to provide a mainstream media source for any information you are posting as fact.

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[p_du80]

Most of what I referenced was posted in the first post of this thread.

Log into Facebook - this is the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's office post

Family of Tangipahoa Parish man missing for more than 30 days speaks out

PONCHATULA - It’s been nearly a month since anyone last saw 43-year-old James Wood, and there has been no trace of him despite extensive search efforts by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office. Wood's family still can't believe he is missing.

www.wbrz.com

-news article as well on the dates....the geographical info on the gas station, I wouldn't have a link to reference.

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-link to WBRZ News video, shows the surveillance and his sister speaking.

Tangipahoa deputies: Human remains found along River Road in Ponchatoula -article referencing the above unidentified human remains in the same area as the house


I will be sure to Re-read all of the rules...as I guess I'm a little unclear on what is allowed to be linked to as well. Hopefully everything here is fine...if not I guess I can just delete my posts altogether until I figure that out.

 

[NervousNellie]

Thanks for the links, @p_du80! I was just trying to make sure your information didn't disappear from the thread without the supporting links. I had read the articles in the thread but missed some of the information you posted so appreciate the clarification. Sometimes I read too fast and don't take it all in.

Edited to add: I hadn't watched the video, and that seems to be where the information I hadn't see came from. Thanks again!

 

[p_du80]

Thanks for the links, @p_du80! I was just trying to make sure your information didn't disappear from the thread without the supporting links. I had read the articles in the thread but missed some of the information you posted so appreciate the clarification. Sometimes I read too fast and don't take it all in.

Edited to add: I hadn't watched the video, and that seems to be where the information I hadn't see came from. Thanks again!

I do that too! Which is why I said, I also needed to go back and re-read some of the other stuff in the rules for clarification! Thank you!