In the summer of 1999, just after his second birthday, a little boy named Kevin Sabir Barthrop seemingly vanished. He was last seen near his home on the 100 block of Chilton Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on June 12, 1999. At the time, Kevin was living with his mother and another woman. In the days and weeks that followed his disappearance, a profound and troubling silence settled over his case. Unlike many missing persons cases that immediately trigger urgent searches and public appeals, Kevin's disappearance went unreported to law enforcement for an astonishing 13 years. This long period of inaction meant that crucial early stages of a missing person investigation, a time when leads are freshest and memories are clearest, were lost forever. The reasons behind this significant delay in reporting him missing remain a central and perplexing aspect of this heart-wrenching story.
The cold case was finally brought to the attention of authorities in 2012 when they received a tip that a child who had disappeared years earlier had never been reported missing. When investigators from the Union County Prosecutor's Office approached Kevin's mother, she confirmed that her son had indeed been missing since 1999, which finally led to a missing persons report being filed. This belated official acknowledgment opened a complex and challenging investigation, hampered by the passage of more than a decade. Investigators found themselves trying to piece together a puzzle where the initial pieces were scattered and faded by time. Despite their efforts, those they questioned were unwilling to say whether Kevin had died, adding another layer of mystery to the case. Foul play is suspected in his disappearance.
As the investigation continued, authorities came to believe that individuals with crucial information about Kevin's fate were living in specific areas, namely Essex and Union counties in New Jersey, and also in North Carolina. In an effort to generate new leads and bring awareness to the case after two decades of mystery, the Union County Prosecutor's Office released an age-progressed sketch in June 2019. This composite image, created by a New Jersey State Police sketch artist, depicted what Kevin might look like as a young man of 22. The release of this image was a renewed and heartfelt plea to the public for any information that might finally shed light on what happened to the little boy who disappeared so long ago. The Union County Crime Stoppers has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to finding Kevin or to an arrest and indictment in connection with his case. The case of Kevin Sabir Barthrop is a deeply troubling one, defined by the unusual and lengthy delay in reporting him missing and the persistent belief by law enforcement that there are people who hold the answers to his disappearance. Despite the passage of time, the investigation remains active, a testament to the enduring hope of uncovering the truth and finally understanding what became of a two-year-old boy who vanished from his neighborhood one summer day.Last Seen: Jun 1, 1999
