Decades Old Child Abduction Case Solved?

June 18, 2009 at 4:06 PM by Cafe Cynthia - Comments (3)

Update: DNA tests have revealed that John Barnes is not Damman. The tests showed Barnes did not have the same mother as a sibling who was in a stroller at the time of the kidnapping. That meant there was no way he could possibly be the kidnapped child.

On Halloween 1955, 2-year-old Stephen Damman was abducted outside a bakery on Long Island, where his father was stationed at Mitchell Air Force Base. The boy was never found ... until perhaps today ...

John Robert Barnes, 56, of Kalkaska, Michigan, thinks he may be the boy who disappeared over 50 years ago. His baby sister, Pamela, was also taken, but she was found safely in her stroller a few blocks away.

Barnes contacted the FBI a few months ago, and now he's awaiting DNA test results to determine if he's really the abducted boy in this picture.

Barnes was doing online research when he saw pictures of the first wife of the man he thinks could be his father, according to the Associated Press. She seemed familiar and that led him to believe he might be Damman.

He also tracked down the woman that may be his sister, Pamela, and the two conducted private DNA tests that indicate a "probability" they are siblings.

According to CNN International, Damman's disappearance attracted widespread attention. Thousands of searchers looked for the toddler, but the boy was nowhere to be found. Hitting one dead end after the next, the Dammans packed up and moved from New York back to Iowa, said Jerry Damman, the boy's father.

And until now, they thought there was little chance of ever seeing their son again, said Jerry Damman, who lives on a farm in Iowa. He said authorities have contacted him, but he has not given DNA samples at this point.

Intriguing! This story is still developing, so we'll continue to follow up with any updates. I almost hope that Barnes is Damman. Even though the Dammans have missed so much of life with their son, it would be nice for a missing child story to reach conclusion -- most do not and leave parents with an empty hole their entire lives.

Have you ever had the feeling that you were someone else -- that your background wasn't exactly the way it was told to you by your parents or caregiver?

FILED UNDER: child care, safety