David Warner Missing Person Case

Jul 24, 2011

Aug 12, 2020

David

Warner

55

12

58 inches

100 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

On March 2, 1983, a 12-year-old boy named David Clayton Warner, also known as "Little David," vanished from his neighborhood in Jefferson City, Tennessee. That afternoon, David, a fourth-grade student at Jefferson City Elementary School, had plans to attend a function at a church just a few doors down from his Beeler Avenue home. He walked to the church but, for reasons unknown, did not go inside. Instead, he continued up the street to Druther's Restaurant. The restaurant had a policy of rewarding students with good grades, and David, having received an A in physical education, was given a free hamburger. Afterward, the timeline of his movements becomes less clear. Some reports indicate he went to a friend's house to watch television, leaving around 7:00 p.m. for the short, 30-yard walk back to his own home. He was wearing a black and white Pittsburgh Steelers sweatshirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. David was never seen again. The morning after his disappearance, David's family discovered he was not in his room. His bed covers had been arranged in a way that suggested someone was sleeping there, a detail that initially led his family to believe he might have spent the night at a friend's house, as he often did. When they realized he was missing, they contacted the police. Initially, investigators considered the possibility that David had run away, a theory his family has never believed. A massive search effort was launched, involving firefighters, a rescue squad, and over 200 volunteers who conducted both ground and air searches, but no trace of David was found. The lack of evidence was baffling to investigators; it was as if the young boy had simply vanished. Over the years, the investigation into David's disappearance has explored various leads, none of which have led to a resolution. A tip suggesting he was living in Florida with a relative of his biological father was investigated and ultimately discounted. Authorities have come to suspect foul play, believing David may have been abducted and murdered, though they lack evidence to support this theory. His family described him as a friendly and trusting child, who would help neighbors with their groceries and wouldn't have thought twice about getting into a car with a stranger. This trusting nature may have made him a vulnerable target. David also had epilepsy, and his aunt has wondered if he might have had a seizure and the people he was with did not know how to respond. Despite the passage of decades and the pain of not knowing, David's family continues to hold out hope for answers, and his case remains open. The Jefferson City Police Department continues to seek any information that might finally shed light on what happened to David Clayton Warner.

Mar 02, 1983

Jefferson City

Tennessee

Jefferson County

No

2566

Jefferson City Police Department

Jefferson City

Tennessee

,

83-08-001

1983-03-02

Jefferson City Police Department

Blond/Strawberry

Brown

Brown

07/05/2026