The Missing Craig Lee White

The Missing 
Craig Lee White 
Whitesboro, New Jersey

⚖️ Disappearance of Craig Lee White🕯️

Craig Lee White, an 18 year old from Whitesboro in Middle Township, New Jersey, was last seen around 6:00 p.m. on February 23, 1990. He had been lifting weights at his home in the 400 block of Washington Avenue when his cousin, Jesse E. Watkins, arrived and asked him to help cut poles in nearby woods. White agreed and left with Watkins in a maroon pickup truck, telling family he would be “right back.” He left his room unlocked with music playing and personal belongings behind, behavior his loved ones said was completely out of character, especially since he had a young son and was expected to babysit. When he never returned, his mother waited a week before reporting him missing, hoping he had simply gone away for a short time.
    Jesse Watkins later provided inconsistent accounts of where he last saw Craig. Family members had previously warned White to stay away from him after Watkins discovered that White had been seeing his girlfriend. Authorities later identified jealousy as a likely motive. Over the years, multiple witnesses claimed Jesse confessed to killing Craig, allegedly describing striking him with a brick, shooting him, and disposing of the body in a river. Others testified he discussed methods of disposing of a body, including weighing it down and dumping it in water. However, the stories attributed to him often conflicted.
  At the time of his disappearance, Craig faced minor drug charges, leading early investigators to consider whether he had fled. Yet he had always appeared in court previously, rarely traveled far from home, and did not have a driver’s license. Despite occasional reported sightings after his disappearance, authorities came to believe he was the victim of foul play. White’s body has never been found, and searches of wooded areas in Whitesboro have continued over the years.
  In 2007, Jesse Watkins was indicted for murder, and during his 2009 trial prosecutors argued he killed Craig White out of jealousy and disposed of the body. Witness testimony emphasized that Jesse was the last person seen with White, had confessed to others, gave inconsistent statements, and left New Jersey shortly after the disappearance, remaining away for 17 years.    The defense argued there was no physical evidence of death and suggested Craig fled due to legal trouble. Despite this, Jesse was convicted of first-degree murder in February 2009 and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. Investigators continue searching for Craig’s remains, and his case remains a tragic example of a disappearance marked by suspected foul play and unanswered questions. 🕯️

Sources:

https://uncovered.com/cases/craig-white
https://charleyproject.org/case/craig-lee-white https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=3836dmnj
https://www.nj.com/south/2008/08/search_for_body_of_man_missing.html
https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP50950
https://law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/appellate-division-unpublished/2011/a5715-08.html
https://int-missing.fandom.com/wiki/Craig_White