For the fourth Friday of every month, we’re going to be taking a look at little-known historical cases that haven’t received much attention. That means that these fourth posts are likely going to be shorter than the others, as these cases typically only have a handful of sources (if I’m lucky). But – I truly believe that it is just as important – if not more so – to spotlight these lesser-known and lesser-covered cases, to preserve them online, in case someone who has information stumbles across our little site here. So – a young man takes off on a summer bike ride and never returns, with the only sign of him ever found being his bike. What happened to James Zapolski in the summer of 1966? Let’s explore.
Who Is James?
There is hardly any information about this case online, let alone any personal details about James. We do know that he was born on March 7, 1951, to Mr. and Mrs. Bronislaw Zapolski. He was fifteen in the summer of 1966. He apparently went by the nickname of Jamie, according to the Town Topics newspaper cited in the sources section of this post. He was supposed to graduate from Princeton High School in 1969. People described him as independent and self-reliant. He dreamed of riding his beloved bike from New Jersey to Florida, and had begun a self-described training regimen in preparation for the trip. At the time of his disappearance, James was six feet tall, weighed around 150 pounds, had brown hair, and his eyes were described as a hybrid of blue and green.
The Disappearance
James left his home in Princeton, New Jersey on July 23, 1966, for what had apparently become a daily ritual – a long bike ride on his brand-new gold and white 15-speed French bicycle. He had managed to save the money up for the purchase himself and made the purchase eight days prior, and loved riding. He had adorned his new bike with a distinctive Tour De France decal.
He was dressed in a white sport shirt with blue stripes, white jeans that were cut into shorts, and sneakers. He never returned home.
The Investigation
James was reported missing when he didn’t return home later that evening, though his parents did initially believe that he may have tried to begin his Florida trip without notifying them. They held onto this hope.
Two days after James went missing, his bike was found in the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Griggstown, which is a small town about a 15 minute drive away from Princeton. One of the boys decided to keep the bike until September of 1966, when he learned of James’ disappearance and realized that the bike may have been his. The police took possession of the bike and searched the area it was found, but no further clues were found. The bike was missing the Tour De France decal that James had adorned it with, however.
After that, it appears that the trail went cold. Police even went so far as to publish a bulletin calling for tips with James’ dental chart, so it could be compared with unidentified decedents who may match his description. For what it’s worth, James does have an active NamUs page with 15 rule outs, so his case is still being considered.
Theories
This is a tough one for me to come up with theories for. I can only really see two possibilities – foul play and accidental death.
Reading about the Delaware and Raritan Canal is what brought the idea of accidental death into my mind. Specifically, the wikipedia page for the canal states: “some [spillways] have paving stones spaced closely enough for mules to walk, but are impassable for bicycles.” The spillways feed water into nearby waterways when the canal is high. What if James was biking along the canal and tried to cross one of these spillways on his bike and fell into the waterway, getting washed away? Then his bike fell in the canal. His bike was found but he had been washed away by the other waterway.
As for foul play, I can see a scenario in which someone saw James’ fancy new bike and decided that they wanted it for themselves. And they decided to take it by force. However, when James’ missing persons report began getting spread around with details that matched the bike, they ditched it in the canal to not get caught. This idea is a bit more tenuous, but it would explain why the decal had been removed from the bike.
Investigating Agencies
If you or anyone you know has any information on the disappearance of James, please contact the proper authorities. As of the writing of this article, the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit has jurisdiction over the case. They can be reached at 609-882-2000 in reference to case number C03094-6.