Sharon Nugent Missing Person Case

Dec 12, 2008

Mar 12, 2024

Sharon

Nugent

46

27

65 inches

210 lbs

Black / African American

Female

On February 6, 2007, a day that should have been filled with celebration for her 27th birthday, Sharon Nugent was last seen in Syracuse, New York. A mother of three, she attended a birthday party at the Rolling Green Estates apartments, leaving between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. Her boyfriend, James Guilford, with whom she shared a home and three children, later told investigators she returned to their residence on Genesee Park Drive before leaving for her job at Syracuse Stamping at 5:00 a.m. However, Sharon, known to be a reliable employee, never arrived at work and was never heard from again. The alarm was raised when her snow-covered car was found abandoned on February 9th in an apartment complex parking lot, just a few blocks from her home. The vehicle had clearly been stationary for several days. Suspicion quickly fell upon James Guilford. Two days after Sharon's disappearance, he reported her missing, and on that very same day, he moved with their three young children to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his mother. This abrupt relocation raised red flags for authorities. The investigation into Sharon's disappearance uncovered grim evidence within the home she shared with Guilford. Investigators discovered a significant amount of her blood on a mattress in the master bedroom, as well as on the walls and ceiling, which someone had attempted to conceal with a fresh coat of paint. Further evidence was found on a hammer that Guilford had taken with him to Georgia, which also bore Sharon's blood. Prosecutors believe that Guilford bludgeoned Sharon to death in their home and then incinerated her body. In late March 2007, approximately six weeks after Sharon vanished, James Guilford returned to Syracuse for a family court hearing and was promptly arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Though he maintained his innocence, he was convicted in 2008. This conviction was later overturned on appeal due to issues surrounding his 49-hour interrogation. However, a second trial in January 2014 resulted in another guilty verdict, and he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Despite the legal resolution that brought a measure of justice, a profound piece of the puzzle remains missing. Sharon Nugent's body has never been found, leaving her family without the closure of a proper burial. The case stands as a somber reminder of a life taken too soon, and the enduring pain of a family still waiting to bring their loved one home to rest.

Feb 06, 2007

Syracuse

New York

Onondaga County

6517

Syracuse Police Department

Syracuse

New York

Onondaga County

13202

Christopher DeJoseph

Police Detective

511 S. State Street, New York

3154425111

Local

Law Enforcement

07-140043

Syracuse Police Department

6099

Black

Brown

Brown

09/23/2026