The disappearance of James Zapolski has remained a mystery since July 23, 1966. At the time, the then-sophomore at Princeton High School was living in the 10 block of Washington Street in Princeton, New Jersey. James left his home on his cherished gold and white French-made bicycle, which he had purchased just eight days earlier with money he earned from odd jobs. He had a dream of riding it all the way to Florida and had embarked on a rigorous daily regimen of exercise, covering twenty miles a day to get in shape for his anticipated trip.

The day after James's disappearance, his bicycle was discovered in the Delaware-Raritan Canal in Griggstown, New Jersey, about five miles from his home. It took some time to identify the bicycle since the distinctive Tour de France decal that James had put on it had been removed. The boy who found the bike kept it until he read about James's disappearance in the newspaper in September and notified the police.

James is described as an independent, self-reliant teenager who was a good student and dreamed of a career in law. His family initially thought that he had run away to Florida, but upon learning of the discovery of his bicycle, they suspected foul play. Despite extensive searches and investigations, James's disappearance has remained unsolved for over five decades, and there has been no indication of his whereabouts since 1966. The case of James Zapolski's disappearance remains a haunting mystery that continues to baffle investigators and keep his family in search of answers.