Dateline NBC: What happened to James Chambers?

James Chambers, a construction worker at Chambers Concrete, was last spotted on August 15, 2014. He also worked as a lifeguard and was on his way to his job at Lake Leamon with his co-worker Howard Adrian Ashleman on the fateful evening.

In 2018, officials saw a break in the case when they received a tip from Howard Ashleman’s then-partner Hannah Jones. She informed the police about Ashleman's confession to killing Chambers.

The duo had reportedly gotten into an argument, which prompted Ashleman to fire a gun inside the car to scare James. However, the bullet hit him and led to his death. Following this, Ashleman burnt his body, reportedly buried it for some time, and then disposed of the remains in a rural waterway days later, as per The Cinemaholic.

The Dateline NBC episode titled The Bridge sheds light on the 2014 murder case. It is scheduled to re-air on January 21, 2024, at 8 pm EST and its synopsis reads:

"North Carolina detectives search for answers in the murder of 28-year-old Fayetteville construction worker James Chambers; featuring interviews with James' family members and investigators at the centre of the case."

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What happened to James Chambers? Details explored

The 28-year-old resident of Fayetteville, James Chambers, worked two jobs - one as a construction worker at his father's construction company and another as a lifeguard at Duplin County. He was last seen at his Carol Street apartment by his then-roommate, Brandi Sugrue before he headed to Lake Leamon for his duty with his co-worker, Howard Adrian Ashleman. Chambers' family reported him missing on August 24.

During the investigations into Chambers' case, Brandi told ABC 11:

"He mentioned a falling out with somebody a few weeks ago, maybe a month, but he did not seem overly concerned about it. Otherwise, nobody knows where he is. His dog and all his stuff are still here."

Despite efforts by investigators and Chambers' family and friends, the case turned cold. Even though Howard Ashleman was considered a suspect, he was cleared after his interview with the police due to lack of evidence.

The Fayetteville Police Department coordinated with Fayetteville Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to arrest Ashleman on February 12, 2018. He was apprehended on charges including first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon after the police received a recording of his confession to Hannah Jones.

Ashleman then shed light on the murder during an interrogation and mentioned that he and James got drinks at the latter's house. After this, James reportedly asked Ashleman to accompany him to collect a debt from someone, as per The Cinemaholic. Howard was allegedly not on board with the plan and the two got into a heated argument in the car.

Ashleman then reportedly grabbed his gun to intimidate Chambers but accidentally pulled the trigger, thereby killing him.

Ashleman attempted to burn James Chambers' body in the woods behind his house in the Wade area of Cumberland County but failed to do so and buried it instead. As officials closed in on him, he dug up the corpse and dismembered it. He reportedly packed the pieces into three garbage bags and tossed them over a rural bridge into a waterway. Ashleman also had his pick-up truck crushed at a salvage yard to get rid of all evidence.

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The Fayetteville Police Department employed divers and cadaver dogs to look for James Chambers' remains, which have not been located to date.