On a cold winter afternoon in Pekin, Illinois, on January 17, 1972, 13-year-old Richard William Griener left his home on Brentwood Court around 4:00 p.m.. He was headed to a popular sledding hill in a local park, just four blocks away. To get there, he needed to cross a large railroad switchyard. Dressed for the weather in a gold-colored nylon jacket with an attached hood, blue jeans, a long brown ski mask, and green rubber insulated boots, Richard carried with him a blue plastic roll-up toboggan. Friends later reported seeing him at the sledding hill at about 5:30 p.m., but he never returned home for dinner as expected.
An extensive and thorough search of the area following Richard's disappearance yielded no clues as to his whereabouts. Tragically, he was never seen or heard from again. The Pekin Police Department opened an investigation into the case, which remains unsolved. Sometime after he vanished, a skull was discovered in Michigan that was initially thought to belong to Richard, but this was later proven to be incorrect. Over the years, both of Richard's parents passed away without ever knowing what happened to their son.
Authorities have long suspected that Richard met with foul play. One potential person of interest in the case is William 'Freight Train' Guatney, who confessed to the murders of several children. One of Guatney's victims was abducted just 200 yards from where Richard was last seen. However, Guatney typically committed his crimes during warmer months, and Richard disappeared in the middle of winter, making his connection to this case less certain. Guatney, who was a transient and known to frequent train yards, was eventually institutionalized after being found incompetent to stand trial for murder and died in 1997. He was never charged in connection with Richard's disappearance. The case of Richard Griener is a sorrowful mystery that has endured for decades, leaving a family and a community with unanswered questions. The official investigation into his disappearance is ongoing, a cold case that continues to seek resolution.
Last Seen: Jan 17, 1972
