Anthony Tyrone Woodson, a 5-year-old boy from Mansfield, Texas, disappeared on August 29, 1981. He was last seen by his uncle, Terry Lee Woodson, who initially claimed that Anthony was in the backseat of his car during a trip to a 7-Eleven store. According to Terry, when he returned home, he realized that Anthony was no longer in the vehicle, leading to an extensive search by police and volunteers.
Over the years, suspicion grew around the circumstances of Anthony’s disappearance, and the case remained cold until it was reopened in 2017. During a new investigation, Terry Woodson changed his story, eventually confessing that Anthony had not been kidnapped as initially reported. Instead, he admitted that the child had died after being beaten, allegedly as part of "discipline" by both Terry and his wife, Della. Terry claimed that after the fatal beating, he disposed of Anthony's body along a dirt road, though his remains were never recovered. Despite retracting parts of his confession later, Terry was arrested and charged with murder in 2018.
The case remains one of the more tragic examples of a child disappearance evolving into a murder investigation, with law enforcement still seeking Anthony’s remains decades later.Last Seen: Aug 29, 1981
