James Lusher Jr. disappeared on November 6, 1992, while en route to his grandmother's home in Blandford, Massachusetts. The 12-mile trip was supposed to be a chance for the special needs student to watch a bicycle race. However, Jamie never arrived.

Two days after his disappearance, a server at Friendly's Restaurant in Westfield reported seeing Jamie. Authorities later found his brand new gray-green Huffy mountain bike, which he had received as a birthday present just three weeks earlier, abandoned near a pond in a wooded area of the city. Despite an extensive air and ground search, no evidence relating to Jamie's whereabouts was found.

Initially, authorities and family members believed that Jamie had run away. However, this theory was later dismissed. Convicted murderer Lewis S. Lent Jr., who was placed near Westfield at the time of Jamie's disappearance, was subsequently implicated in the case. Lent was charged with the murder of another Massachusetts child, as well as the 1993 New York disappearance of Sara Wood. Lent confessed to abducting and killing Sara but later recanted his statement. He was later convicted of her presumed homicide.

In July 2013, authorities announced that Lent had confessed in detail to Jamie's murder. Although no human remains or any of Jamie's belongings were found during a three-day search of Greenwater Pond, authorities have not given up hope of locating his body. Lent is already serving a life sentence, and authorities have stated that they do not plan to prosecute him for Jamie's murder.

Jamie's parents were divorced in 1992, and he lived with his father, with whom he had a troubled relationship. According to his father, Jamie was a moody and immature teenager who disliked school and had few friends. Foul play is suspected in his disappearance.