James was last seen in Barabaoo, Wisconsin on June 12, 2023. He left his family's home in Reedsburg, Wisconsin at close to 1:00 a.m., driving the family van. He took his father's cellular phone with him. He was reported missing at 9:00 a.m. Authorities later determined he drove around for several hours after leaving, and stopped at his father's business in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin twice. Later that day, the van was found along the westbound lane of Highway 12 near Baraboo Bluffs, close to Devil's Lake State Park. Across the highway, up a steep hill along the eastbound lane, was James's father's cellular phone and some of James's belongings at a makeshift campsite. This is a very remote and rugged area. Investigators believe James may be trying to live off the land as a survivalist. Two wilderness survival guides and a handgun disappeared from his family's home at the same time he did, and authorities found a second campsite in Devil's Lake State Park with a jug of water, socks and a knife sheath which they believe belonged to James. In the early months of 2023, prior to James's disappearance, web searches about how to leave the state were made on two electronic devices James had access to. His case remains unsolved.