Profile

Name: Richard Lynn Bare
Sex: Male
Race: White
Age Now: 44
Height: 5'7\"
Weight: 145 lbs
Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair): Brown\rMay sport a beard and/or mustache\rMay dye hair blonde
Eyes (Color and Correction): Green
Other Physical Characteristics: Hair said now to be dyed blonde and without beard
Wanted for: Escape, Wilkes County, NC; Jul 01, 1985
Murder, West Jefferson, NC; Jan 15, 1984

Locations

Last seen: West Jefferson, NC Wilkes County Jail
Possible location: North Carolina South Carolina West Jefferson, NC
Last known: Unkown

Traits

Police say Bare is a heavy drinker who prefers Jim Bean whiskey
Non-skilled, general laborer
Hated working but had job as chicken factory packer
Does not smoke or like being around people who do
Hard-rock music fan
Considers himself a ladies' man

Case Story

A Ride Down Memory Lane Turns Deadly

Before there were roads running through the valley of West Jefferson, North Carolina, there was a legend that brought people to the town. A cliff known as \"The Jumping Off Place\" was where people could go and wish things away by throwing them off the 1,200- foot rock cliff. Now it is a place that Joe Lyalls and Elaine Lyalls Hart will remember forever because their daughter, Sherry, was murdered there and lost forever. Sherry Hart, 24, was married and divorced at a young age. When her marriage ended, she moved back home to West Jefferson with her daughter and moved in with her parents. On January 15, 1984, Sherry ran into some old friends-- Richard Bare and Jeff Burchess, both 20 years old at the time. They met at the Sky City parking lot in town. Police say Bare and Burchess convinced Sherry to hang out with them that night. She knew them and had nothing to fear.

A Lost Soul

Police say \"joy riding\" was a common pastime for young people in the area. Bare, Burchess, and Sherry hopped in Bare's 1977 Mustang and cruised the countryside. But what started off to be a friendly reunion turned into a nightmare. Richard Bare had been on probation for breaking and entering, and his life of crime was about to get worse. Police say at some point during the night, Sherry told Bare that she needed to go to the bathroom, so he pulled over on the side of the road. Police say when Sherry got out of the car, Bare followed. Police say Bare met up with Sherry in the woods and tried to force her to have sex with him. Sherry fought back and ran to the car where Burchess was. Burchess said Bare hit Sherry in the back of the head with a gun. Still conscious and bleeding badly, Burchess told police that Bare shoved Sherry into the car and the three took off down the road Police say that Bare then drove to the legendary \"Jumping Off Place\" and forced Sherry out of the car. He then ordered Burchess to drive down the road, turn around and then come back to get him. Burchess was afraid for Sherry and at first refused to leave, but Bare told him if he didn't do what he was told, he would kill his wife and child. Burchess left, leaving Sherry begging for her life. But police say Bare didn't care what Sherry wanted. He was heartless, cold and vicious. He dragged Sherry to the edge of the cliff and threw her off. Moments later Burchess returned to pick Bare up. Bare told Burchess that if he ever told police what happened, he would kill his family. Sherry's mother filed a missing persons report when Sherry didn't return home. A year later police got a tip that a stolen safe was thrown off the \"Jumping Off Place,\" so they conducted a search. On December 10, 1984, while police were searching for the safe, they found Sherry's remains.

Accused Killer Running Free

In March of 1985, police had enough information to charge Bare and Burchess with Sherry's murder. On March 29, 1985, police arrested them and Burchess confessed, but Bare denied everything. Bare was held in the Wilkes County Jail while he awaited trial, but his day in court wouldn't come yet. Police say on July 19, 1985, Bare escaped from the county jail. He hasn't been seen since. Sherry's mother misses her daughter very much, and Sherry's little girl, who was 6 years-old at the time of her mother's murder, has had to grow up without a mother. It has been more than 20 years since Sherry's murder and for all those years, Richard Bare has been living a free life. But it is not too late to get justice for Sherry and her family. Bare is out there, police just need your help to find him.