After two day of unearthing pavement and topsoil in hopes of finding a missing Crumpler man, authorities have called off a recent dig on Smithey Road and are still searching for answers concerning his whereabouts.

Following a fresh lead in the disappearance of Jimmy Blevins, agents with the State Bureau of Investigation and deputies with the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office began mapping out target areas for a potential dig on Smithey Road last week.

An archaeology professor from North Carolina State University aided authorities Friday in their search by using a ground penetrating radar system to search for anomalies underneath the roadway that may suggest the presence of human remains, the sheriff said. Williams explained that a witness came forward with new information pertaining to Blevins’ disappearance after Frederick Hammer was sentenced to consecutive life sentences for the murders of Frederick Hudler, Ronald Hudler, and John Steven Miller in January 2008. He pled guilty to the capital murder charges on May 22 after New River Valley Regional Jail guards discovered a discarded letter in an inmate’s trash can that led authorities to a Cripple Creek barn where the murder weapon was hidden. Hammer has remained a top suspect in Blevins disappearance for some time.

The witness told authorities that he saw Hammer operating a track hoe on Smithey Road around 1 a.m. of the day that Blevins was believed to have disappeared. Blevins was last seen leaving with Hammer from his home on Feb. 24, 2007. At the time of his disappearance, the road was undergoing a widening and pavement project, Williams said. The track hoe that Hammer was allegedly operating did not belong to him but he was known to be a skilled operator with this type of machinery.

On Monday morning, investigators began removing the pavement with a large track hoe. Portions of Smithey Road run parallel to the New River and authorities removed a segment of the right lane closest to the river. By Tuesday afternoon, the search area measured between 12 to 13 feet deep and over a hundred feet in length. Williams stated that the crew also removed a portion of the shoulder area and part of the roadway on the left hand side of the site as well but were unable to find any clues that may link Blevins to the site. Williams said that authorities conducted the dig after receiving what they consider a “credible lead.”

“We thought we went the extra mile in looking for him,” Williams said. “We could have missed him by only a few inches but like I said before it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“The information we had was what we considered reliable enough to undertake a dig in an effort to find him,” Williams said. “We did a diligent search and did all we could do.”

The sheriff stated that authorities were disappointed that the search did not yield any evidence of Blevins presence in the area.

“It was disappointing for us and even more disappointing for the family more than anyone,” he said. “They were our main focus in this so that we could bring them closure.” Blevins’ mother, Janet, works at the Riverside Store, located approximately 2.5 miles from the dig site. Authorities were also perplexed with the costs associated with conducting such a dig.

“You start running into a quite a bit of costs when you start digging up that much roadway,” the sheriff explained.

When asked if authorities had any other leads in the case he said “nothing concrete at this time.”

Williams remains optimistic that others will come forward with new information now that Hammer is behind bars.

“Sometimes people are afraid to say things but now that he is gone for good we are hoping others will come forward,” Williams stated. “They can even remain anonymous if they desire.”

Although authorities were unable to find Blevins in this particular dig, he feels it is just a matter of time before they close the case once and for all.

“The search for him (Blevins) isn’t over by far and it never will be until we find him,” Williams said. “Sooner or later we will find him.”

Anyone with information pertaining to Jimmy Blevins’ disappearance is urged to contact the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office at (336) 846-5600. All information will be confidential.