James Cori Lyles, Indiana State Police
Missing: James Cori Lyles
James Cori Lyles was born January 4, 1982. I can’t tell you where he grew up, but at the time he went missing, on August 13, 2019, he was living in Lake Station, Indiana.
Lake Station is a city in Lake County, Indiana in the northwest corner of the state, an area often called “The Region.” The city was formerly called “East Gary, Indiana” until the late 1970s. It’s about a 45-minute drive to Chicago, Illinois or about a 2.5-hour drive to Indianapolis. Although Lake Station isn’t directly on Lake Michigan, it’s only a ten-minute drive to its shores.
The cities of Gary, Crown Point, Hammond, and Merrillville are all also in Lake County. Some sources I came across indicated that Mr. Lyles is from Hammond, though the Lake Station Police Department is the investigating agency on his case, and that’s what I see cited most often, so that’s what we’ll be going with. In 2019, the population of Lake Station was around 13,000 people. It’s not a rural city, though it’s also not a hub of commerce or industry. It’s a suburban community, and most residents commute to nearby areas for work.
Even though news of the pandemic wouldn’t start truly dominating the headlines until the start of 2020, reporting on Mr. Lyles’ case is painfully thin. Most of what I can say with certainty came from a silver alert that was issued regarding his disappearance.
Mr. Lyles was last seen around 1pm on August 13th, 2019, walking away from his residence. He seemingly left of his own free will. He is a Black male, 37 years old at the time he went missing, and was described as about 5’8” and 195lbs. Mr. Lyles has balding brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and black sweatpants. He was widely reported to be “mute,” and walked with a cane. The NAMUS entry for James states he walked away on August 13th, 2019, but also states the date of last contact as August 18, 2019. I can’t explain this discrepancy – if he had contact with someone on the 18th, who was it? Where was it? What was he wearing at that time? A staff article on WTHR indicated that Mr. Lyles was reported missing on August 29, 2019, which was 16 days after he went missing on the 13th, if correct. The silver alert went out the next day on August 30. The alert also indicated that he is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.
Although silver alerts were originally created to help in locating missing individuals with cognitive impairments, in particularly elderly citizens, it has since expanded to include other at-risk and vulnerable adults, and some children who may not meet the criteria for an Amber alert but are nevertheless believed to be endangered. On the other hand, adults have the right to leave of their own accord and not contact anyone if they so choose, which often leads to the seemingly vague nature of silver alerts wherein specific medical and personal details are withheld to protect the privacy of the individual.
The NAMUS profile for Mr. Lyles states he may be “living a transient lifestyle” in Chicago, Illinois. I haven’t seen this sited anywhere else, so I don’t know whether this is something Mr. Lyles has done in the past or whether there is other specific information possessed by the police to make them think this. I couldn’t find any reporting that suggested how he regularly got around and if he owned a vehicle or even knew how to drive, or whether he’d have been comfortable using public transportation. It would take a average person almost 13 hours to walk from Lake Station to Chicago. For Mr. Lyles, who had mobility issues, this wasn’t a trek he could have likely made on foot in a single day.
I also couldn’t find any details about how James communicates or if he attempts to communicate with the people around him. The silver alert described Mr. Lyles as ‘mute.’ There is a difference between being “mute” and being “non-verbal.” To be mute is to be generally is incapable of producing speech, either from a physical injury or damage, genetic abnormality, or a mental inability, perhaps due to trauma. ‘Non-verbal’ typically refers to someone who is able to produce sound but does not use spoken language, which can be due to a developmental or neurological cause. Some non-verbal or non-speaking people use other sounds or gestures to communicate. Both mute and non-speaking/non-verbal people in the United States may sometimes learn and use American Sign Language, though this isn’t a given. Additionally, ‘mute’ does not necessarily always mean ‘deaf.’ Most people who are mute or non-speaking can hear just fine.
I did some checking and was able to determine that Mr. Lyles has no apparent criminal record (at least in Indiana), which might have helped shed some light on other areas he may frequent or travel to. I couldn’t find any social media for him, nor any pages or profiles obviously belonging to his next-of-kin. I could only locate one single photograph of him, the one in the silver alert, and I have no idea how long ago it was taken.
I’m not a journalist, or a reporter. I didn’t contact the police department, submit any records requests, or speak to any family members. Even so, I have a lot of questions- the answers to which might help narrow the search for him.
From where in Lake Station is he missing? Is he traveling alone? Does he know anyone in Chicago, or elsewhere that he may try to visit? Did he have a destination in mind?
Why Chicago? It’s a big place – where in Chicago do police think he might be?
How does Mr. Lyles get around? Was he comfortable taking public transportation? Does he Uber? Does he walk everywhere he goes?
How does he communicate? If someone believes they’ve seen him, will he react to them saying his name?
Is he fearful of strangers, or would he allow someone approach him? Will he run from the police, or would he accept their help if he’s found?
Did he have any money when he went missing, or access to any? If not, does he have any work history that might indicate what sort of job he might seek if he needed money?
Does he have a cell phone, and if so, where did it last ping?
What are his habits? Are there places he likes to frequent, such as laundromats, libraries, or fast-food joints?
If he’s living a ‘transient lifestyle,’ would he turn up at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry, or clinic? Have those been checked in both Lake County and in Chicago?
If you are Mr. Lyles’ next-of-kin, or someone authorized to speak on their behalf, and you would like to share more information about James, I would be honored to help spread your story.
James Cori Lyles has been missing since August of 2019, and he deserves to be found. He has family or friends out there looking for him. Someone reported him as missing, and that someone is still missing him today. He’s about 44 years old. Again, he doesn’t speak, and he relies on a cane when walking. This detail will hopefully stand out to someone. If that someone is you, please contact police. The next time you’re in Lake County, or in Chicago, keep your eyes open for a Black male, 5’8”, walking with a cane, or maybe riding a bus, or standing in line at the shelter. He was approximately 195 pounds at the time of his disappearance and has dark balding hair.
If you have any information about the disappearance of James or believe you may have seen him after August 2019, please contact the Lake Station Police Department at (219) 962-1186. The current detective assigned to his case is Detective Mark Adkins. The agency case number is 19LS07769.
Although not the investigating agency, you can submit a tip via the Lake County Sheriff’s Office text message tip line. Text keyword LCSO to 847411, add a space, and then enter your information. They will hopefully be able to forward the information to the appropriate agency.
Chicago is divided into five police district stations, and each has their own missing persons division. Without knowing where in the city he could be, if he’s there at all, I can’t direct you to a specific precinct. The best way to reach them if you are in Cook County, Illinois and you think you have seen Mr. Lyles is to dial 911 (remember, the alert says he is believed to be in extreme danger and may need medical attention). If you are outside Cook County but believe you have information about his whereabouts, please first notify the Lake Station Police Department at the number above. If you absolutely must call the Chicago Police Department, that number for anyone out of county is (312) 746-6000.
This article was originally published 4/14/26 (tvm, Lost in the Crossroads)
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