Family hopeful for missing NC cab driver

Fayetteville, N.C. — Police in Fayetteville say there are no new leads in the case of a cab driver missing since March, but his family still is hopeful of finding out what happened to him.

The governor has offered a $5,000 reward in the case of William Simon, 61, of Fayetteville. Authorities think Simon was killed and have classified his case as a homicide although no body has been found.

The Fayetteville Observer reported Monday that he last was heard from March 21 when he was running his cab for L&M Taxi Service on Bragg Boulevard. He made his last call to his dispatcher when he picked up a fare who wanted to go to Raleigh.

A passerby on Friday found Simon's red Ford Crown Victoria abandoned near a radio tower off Rosser Street in Spring Lake on March 23. Simon's Bible was on the front seat.

No leads have come in since the reward was issued in July, authorities said.

"There's no new leads, no new information," said Debbie Tanna, a spokeswoman for the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. "Somebody out there knows something."

Simon's wife Elizabeth says that in her mind her husband still is alive and he just needs to be found. Elizabeth Simon said their son and grandchildren are "taking it hard."

"In my mind, he's still alive. We've just got to find him," said Elizabeth Simon. "If I had closure, it might not be so bad. Right now, I don't know anything."

Simon was described as a black man, 6 feet, 2 inches tall and about 200 pounds. He has gray hair, is going bald and always wears glasses. He has scars on the right side of his stomach.

Anyone with information about Simon is urged to call the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office at 910-323-1500.