Police are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information about the disappearance of a Barre man more than four months ago under the suspicion of foul play.
Barre police announced the reward offer this week as they continue to search for clues in the case of Ralph “Rizz” Jean-Marie.
Police said friends reported Jean-Marie missing from Barre at around 9 p.m. on April 15, saying he walked away from an argument at the Hollow Inn on South Main Street at around 1 a.m. April 13, about 68 hours earlier.
“Police are unable to confirm this information, and believe that Ralph Jean-Marie is the victim of foul play,” read the statement issued this week from the Barre police announcing the reward.
“Police believe that one or more individuals are directly responsible for Mr. Jean-Marie’s disappearance,” the statement added. “Others not directly involved in his disappearance have knowledge of what actually occurred, but for whatever reason have failed to come forward.”
Since Jean-Marie’s disappearance, police said they have conducted 14 interviews, 15 searches by foot and drone, and reviewed many comments and information from social media.
Police said they have investigated “numerous potential leads” and collected evidence that has been turned over to the state’s crime lab for analysis.
Barre Police Chief Tim Bombardier said Wednesday that, to ensure the integrity of the investigation, he could not discuss any evidence collected as part of the probe.
The police chief did say that, since the announcement of the reward Tuesday, he had already received some tips that are being checked out.
“Whether they pan out to anything I don’t know, but at least it’s prompting more information to come in,” Bombardier said. “Past experience has told me that sometimes offering a reward does help people come forward, particularly if they can come forward anonymously.”
Police said when Jean-Marie went missing, he left behind his cellphone, glasses, wallet, and medication.
According to police, Jean-Marie is Black, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing gray pajama pants, a gray Carhartt jacket, a hat that says “King,” and Adidas shoes.
There have been several media posts since Jean-Marie went missing, seeking to bring more public attention to the case, including a post on the Black Lives Matter VT Facebook group. That post also stated, “This is not the first time a Black person has gone missing without any great media attention.”
Also, people who marched Tuesday evening on the Burlington Police Department in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, also raised the Barre case, demanding “JUSTICE for Ralph Jean-Marie.”
Bombardier, Barre’s police chief, said Wednesday his department has been working diligently on Jean-Marie’s case, and has been in regular contact with his sister about the probe.
“This is the problem with an open investigation; people speculate what we have and have not done,” he said. “We don’t want to jeopardize any potential statements, evidence, case facts, that could hurt this going down if it ends up in court for prosecution.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Barre police at 802-476-6613 or VTIPS at 844-848-8477.
