Renters can only guess where their landlord may be

LOGANSPORT, Ind. (WLFI) - Where is Jeff Murray? Many have no idea.

"I don't have any idea," Logansport Code Enforcement Officer George Franklin said.

"I think he just took off," Logansport, Ind., resident Jeff Haskins said.

Logansport city officials said Murray rents nearly 35 properties in the city. For the last few months he hasn't been collecting rent, or communicating with renters. One renter got a text from him in early January.

"One of the times in January I texted him and he sent me a message back saying he would be here that Sunday to pick up rent," Tenant Geanie Wilson said. "Then I got a text that Sunday saying his vehicle was down, and he'd be here the following Monday. I haven't heard anything from him since."

Wilson got so fed up with sitting on her rent checks she plans to leave and move to Lafayette. Haskins also rented from Murray.

He said in January the original owners of his house said Murray wasn't paying the mortgage. Haskins stopped paying Murray and bought his home from the original owners.

"The original owners knocked on our door, and said if [Murray] showed up don't pay him," Haskins said.

On Thanksgiving a Logansport building burned to the ground in a fire. That building belonged to Murray. Since then, renters say Murray's communication has stopped.

When Murray doesn't answer his tenants' calls they call Franklin.

"We've had situations that the gas has been shut off at some of the properties because of nonpayment," Franklin said. "Electricity has been shut off for nonpayment."

Murray is based in Kokomo, Ind. According to Logansport officials he doesn't have a criminal past, but has been involved in civil cases due to code violations.

Franklin doesn't see a reason for Murray to cut off communication.

"He just [got] up and vanished," Haskins said.

"I think he just kind of abandoned ship," Wilson said.