PORT REPUBLIC, Md. — The Maryland State Police have issued a renewed call for public assistance in the decades-long search for 10-year-old Bob Boyes, who vanished more than 55 years ago in Calvert County.
Boyes was last seen on December 26, 1968, while walking home with his pet deer along Wash Hance Road in Port Republic. Despite extensive efforts involving hundreds of volunteers searching by ground and air, Boyes disappeared without a trace.
Joy Lee, Boyes' younger sister, vividly recalls the profound impact of her brother's disappearance. "I'll forever remember the response from the search team that Bobby disappeared in thin air, without a trace," said Lee, who was three years old when her brother vanished. "How does that happen? Walking home from the neighbor's house with his pet deer. His deer comes home but without him."
The investigation into Boyes' disappearance has been led by the Maryland State Police, although the case went cold as leads dwindled. Detective Sergeant Kemery Hunt took over the investigation in 2021, aiming to reignite public interest and possibly uncover new leads.
"We've delved into this case deeply, and our plan of attack was to knock on every door that we can," Detective Sergeant Hunt stated. "The original investigators also poured a tremendous amount of time into this case, but it's just a puzzle that can't be solved."
Assistance in the investigation has been provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the FBI's Wanted and Missing Persons unit. Recent statistics from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reveal a concerning rise in missing children cases, with nearly 360,000 entries recorded in 2022, representing about a 6% increase from the previous year.
In an effort to prevent future disappearances, Maryland State Police, in collaboration with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the NOBLE Maryland Chapter, are distributing 15,000 National Child ID Program kits to safeguard children. These kits, available for free, assist law enforcement in locating missing persons and can be obtained from Maryland State Police barracks or during community engagement events and recruiting fairs.
Despite the passage of over five decades, the search for Boyes continues unabated. He would be 66 years old today.
"Deep down, I know, someone knows something, but time is ticking," Lee pleaded. "I'm pleading to anyone who may know anything to reach out to local authorities."
Individuals with any information that could aid investigators in locating Boyes are urged to contact Detective Sergeant Hunt at 410-535-1400 or via email at kemery.hunt@maryland.gov.
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