Tambra Ellis never saw her son’s body. She didn’t want to see Basil Abdul’Faruq in such a state. Furthermore, investigators advised that she refrain from viewing his postmortem pictures.
It should come as no surprise because Basil had suffered a violent death. The boy had been stabbed and suffered a fractured skull. He was bound and gagged with duct tape, stuffed into a trash bag, and thrown into a dumpster. Had it not been for a passing truck driver who noticed his body protruding from the torn plastic, he would be lost forever. What parent would want to see their fallen child after enduring such cruelty?
Disturbingly, Basil’s fate was not Tambra’s sole source of despair. Her other son, 7-year-old Jamal Abdul’Faruq, was still missing. He and Basil both disappeared on April 16th, 1990, with the latter found dead three days later. Had Jamal suffered the same fate? Or was he still alive? Tambra could only wonder what happened to her children at the hands of whoever took them on that fateful afternoon.
The brothers, although best friends, had different personalities. Basil was an intellectual who loved to study and wasted no time lecturing everyone about his studies. When a family friend once complained about her sore throat, Basil told her about the anatomy of the throat, the esophagus. Jamal, on the other hand, was more playful and social. He was popular among the neighborhood kids.
April 16th, 1990, began as an exhausting day for Tambra. She had worked the night shift at a local factory and hoped to catch up on some sleep. Basil and Jamal had just been dropped off at her apartment by their stepmother after spending some time with their father, Everett. Knowing the boys, peace, and quiet would be hard to come by.
It was spring break, which meant tons of time to play with the neighborhood kids in the Virginia sun. Jamal asked his mother if they could play outside. Tambra said yes. She did not worry about their safety, as the boys always walked to school on their own. Besides, getting them out of the apartment would give her some temporary peace, something she needed if she wanted to catch up on sleep.
Once Basil and Jamal were out the door, Tambra collapsed and took a small nap. Sources differ on how long she was asleep (some say thirty minutes, others say a few hours), but she eventually woke up and went outside to call the boys in for dinner. However, there was no response. Confused, Tambra began to survey the 600-unit complex, had the boys disobeyed her rules about not going to the apartments of strangers? When a search of the complex yielded no sign of the boys, the panic began to set in.
“After about maybe four or five minutes of looking for your kids, you go through a wave of different emotions,” Tambra told CNN in 2010. “You know they’re not up in someone’s house, because they knew I wouldn’t have allowed it. … I couldn’t believe they weren’t within hearing distance.”
Tambra checked the local convenience store and playground–still no Basil and Jamal. After 45 minutes of searching, she frantically called the police to report her children missing.
The response was immediate; more than 20 officers arrived on the scene, helicopters soared over the area, search dogs attempted to track the boys’ scent, and volunteers canvassed the apartment complex plus surrounding neighborhoods. At the time, Tambra was in the army reserve, and her connections led to most of her reserve unit joining the effort. Rose Thomas was among them. The search was deeply personal for Thomas because her son was friends with the boys. Everett also participated.
Three days passed, each more dreadful than the last. However, a horrific discovery took the search in a new direction. Basil’s fully-clothed body was found in a garbage dump in Chesterfield, nearly 10 miles away from the apartment complex. He had been brutally mur*dered. Everett was the first to receive the devastating news. When Tambra found out, grief overtook her.
Police reclassified the case as a homicide investigation and word of Basil’s m*urder spread rapidly. Had Jamal met the same fate? Was it only a matter of time before someone else discovered him in the landfill? Would the perpetrator strike again? Had the community witnessed the first act of a serial killer?
The community rallied in support of Tambra and Everett, and so many mourners showed up for Basil’s funeral service they had to start turning people away. Clergy of both the Christian and Islamic faiths volunteered to preach at the funeral as well, as the boys came from an interfaith family.
During this period, the investigation began. Basil’s autopsy attributed his death to two stab wounds to the back, additionally, his skull was fractured postmortem. He was fully clothed and there were no signs of sexual assault.
Investigators concluded Basil’s body likely was brought by a garbage truck from a dumpster where the killer disposed of his body. Police were able to identify the garbage truck assigned to the plot where his body was discovered, but its route involved nearly 100 dumpsters. Despite the daunting task, police started to search every dumpster while another team of investigators searched the landfill for Jamal. However, multiple and thorough searches of city dumpsters and the rest of the landfill yielded no sign of the boy. Police concluded that Jamal was not in the landfill. He was still missing and the possibility of him being alive remained open.
The investigation first focused on those closest to the boys–Tambra and Everett. Authorities quickly ruled out Tambra, as a suspect, their reasoning was never publicly released. Everett, however, came off as more suspicious. According to various news sources, investigators initially believed Basil was injured or killed inside his residence, although their reasoning is unknown. Everett also refused to take a polygraph. A devout Muslim, he said participation in such a test would violate his faith. A search of his property produced nothing of interest. The case went cold.
It has now been 31 years since Basil’s mu*rder and Jamal’s disappearance. Authorities stated Jamal may still be alive. Detective James Baynes of the Richmond City Police Department said two of the tips submitted suggested Jamal was still alive and living in Hinesville, Georgia. However, whether police investigated the tips and their submission date are unknown to the public. Tambra Ellis also believes Jamal is alive.
“I had my theory about why [Basil] was found,” Tambra said to CNN, “Basil was trying to protect [Jamal], they were protective of each other.”
The progression of DNA technology holds promise as well. In 2010, the duct tape found on Basil’s body was sent to a lab for testing.
Tambra Ellis never remarried nor had any additional children. The tragic legacy of her children was met with a strong sense of guilt. As the years went on, Tambra was able to let go of the guilt. She credits her friends, counseling, and her religious faith for helping her.
“A lot of times I am even amazed I made it to the counselor’s office,” Tambra said in a 2008 interview. “I was a mess, a pure mess for a few years. For the love of God, I just got through it with [God]’s grace and mercy.”
Three decades later, life has moved on for Tambra Ellis. Although she tries not to dwell on the past, she will never forget her two boys that disappeared into the Virginia sunshine.
“I hold them very dear and near to me. It’s almost sanctimonious to even share what time I had with them with anybody,” Tambra said. “There are people in my life who have come and gone. If you are here long enough, you will hear the story.”
If you have any information regarding the mu*rder of Basil Abdul’Faruq and/or the disappearance of Jamal Abdul’Faruq, please contact Detective James Bayne of the Richmond City Police Department at 804–646–5100 or email vamissing@vsp.virginia.gov.
