Accused N.C. lawyer is missing

Chad Lee, a Johnston County attorney who faces charges of tampering with dozens of DWI cases, has disappeared.

His father, retired prison warden Roby Lee, reported him missing to Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell on Tuesday. He last saw Lee's Toyota truck June 25 outside a Holiday Inn in Warsaw, Bizzell said. Roby Lee waited for his son to come outside the hotel. Eventually, Roby Lee went into the motel office. When he came back, Chad Lee's truck was gone.

Chad Lee was a well regarded criminal defense attorney who had fallen hard this year. He was indicted in March for obstructing justice by filing fraudulent dismissal forms with dozens of drunk driving cases he was hired to defend. Four other attorneys and a former clerk of court have also been charged.

Many courthouse officials have noticed Lee's absence in recent weeks. On Monday, Lee did not show up in superior court to defend a client at trial. A judge appointed another attorney to take up the case.

Bizzell has assigned two detectives to the case. They will sift through credit card charges and cell phone records in hopes of finding Lee.

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