ETX family continues to search for loved one, 6 years after his disappearance

RUSK COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - The family surrounding an East Texas missing person case is speaking out, as their search continues six years later.

James 'Jimmy' Tidwell has been missing from Rusk County since February 2012.His pickup was found about five miles from his home in Mount Enterprise after he missed work for several days.

A search of his property turned up empty-handed.

On April 23, his family announced that they are doubling the reward for any information leading to Tidwell's whereabouts.

"It's an unsolved mystery," says Lynn Akin, Tidwell's sister. "It's not like he's sick, or he passed away and we buried him, and we move forward. This is like he literally vanished."

Inside the Rusk County Sheriff's Office, Akin and representatives from Crime Stoppers announced that they are still searching for answers.

"We're doubling the reward today to $6,000 in hopes that someone will come forward with any information that they may have concerning this case," says Akin.

Sergeant David Roberts has been involved in the case since the search for Tidwell began in 2012. He says they have never found any clues.

Akin says Tidwell's abandoned Rusk County home is still one of the most puzzling pieces of his disappearance, and to her an indication of foul play.

"I do not believe that he spent all that money and worked that hard to buy that land and buy that cabin," says Akin. "It just does not make sense that you would go through all that effort to just walk off."

Akin says now she's just looking for closure.

"It is very hard to function not knowing what happened," says Akin. "This is the only biological brother that I had, I loved him dearly, my parents would want me to pursue what happened to their child."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Rusk County Crime Stoppers.

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