BY ALLEN HOWARD
The Cincinnati Enquirer

An investigation into a missing Bible college student from Cincinnati took a bizarre twist when a man being questioned by police killed himself.

Nashville, Tenn., Police said they were questioning James Garvin Jr., 20, at his parents' home in Nashville on Saturday about the disappearance of Marcus Forte, 21, of Finneytown. Mr. Garvin went to his bedroom and killed himself.

Don Aaron, director of public affairs for Nashville police, said Mr. Garvin had been cooperating with detectives in the investigation.

Mr. Garvin ''had given the detectives several tips,'' Mr. Aaron said. ''He said he had to get some items before he could go with them.''

As detectives waited for Mr. Garvin, he killed himself. Mr. Aaron would not say how the man committed suicide.

Mr. Forte, a junior at the American Baptist College in Nashville, was reported missing early Jan. 22, when he left with a group to get food after a card game, a roommate told his mother. Police suspect foul play.

''I received a call from his roommate Saturday, January 24, who told me he had reported my son missing to police on the 22nd of January,'' said Gloria Forte Butler of Finneytown. ''I went to Nashville that Saturday and learned that the police had not been investigating.''

She said her son's roommate, Jerry Robinson, 20, also of Finneytown, told her that on the night of her son's disappearance a group of his friends had gathered to play cards. Later, her son left with some members of the group to get food, according to Mr. Robinson.

Some time after midnight, Mr. Robinson told her, he received a call from Mr. Forte saying he had been robbed. ''(Mr. Robinson) said a caller ID number flashed on the screen, but when he tried to call it, it blanked out,'' Mrs. Butler said.

She said the roommate doesn't remember what the number was. Mr. Robinson told her he called police immediately to report the incident, Mrs. Butler said.

''He said he thought the police had called me,'' Mrs. Butler said.

She said she last saw her son when he came home for Thanksgiving, although she had talked with him by phone in January.

Police said their investigation is continuing, based in part on leads supplied by Mr. Garvin.

''All I can say is that James Garvin's name surfaced during the investigation and that is why we went to talk with him,'' said Mr. Aaron, the police spokesman.

Police would not discuss Mr. Garvin's relationship to Mr. Forte. Mr. Garvin is not a student at the school. Police received a tip last week that someone had seen Mr. Forte's body in the Cumberland River, in the northeast section of Davidson County. Police searched the river, but found nothing.

Sadness has swept the small training college of 134 students since Mr. Forte's disappearance, said the Rev. Norman Robinson, director of student activities.

''He had only been here this semester, but was very well-liked,'' the Rev. Mr. Robinson said. ''We have very little information about what happened.''

Mr. Forte is a 1993 graduate of Finneytown High School. He attended Georgetown College in Kentucky for two years.

''He had been talking to Jerry at the American Baptist College and decided he wanted to transfer there. I didn't want him to transfer, but I figured as long as he was in school, it would be fine,'' Mrs. Butler said.