On a hot and muggy July evening in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 27, 1988, 13-year-old Myron Traylor was walking with his mother to his grandparents' house. The two were walking from their home near 16th Street and Nancy Lane to his grandparents' residence on East Pecan Road. Along the way, Myron told his mother he was thirsty and wanted to stop at a fast-food restaurant, OK Fish-N-Chips, located at 16th Street and Southern Avenue, to buy a soda.
His mother continued on, expecting him to catch up shortly. Myron was last seen at approximately 6:00 p.m. outside the restaurant after purchasing a cherry soda. He was also carrying a plastic bag containing dirty laundry, as he planned to do his wash at his grandparents' home where he also intended to call his younger brother who was in California for the summer. At the time of his disappearance, Myron was wearing a red and white striped shirt, white shorts with a blue print, and white sneakers. He had a half-inch scar on the right side of his head.
Myron was a quiet boy who had just completed the sixth grade at Sierra Vista Elementary School. He was known to enjoy drawing and reading and was not involved with gangs or drugs. He was an active member of his church, attending services at Southminster Presbyterian Church, where he was a member of the choir and the youth group. His family described him as a well-behaved boy who did not have a habit of staying out late and would not typically leave without informing anyone. When he failed to arrive at his grandparents' house, his mother retraced his route and inquired at the restaurant, but there was no sign of him. The police were then contacted. Initially, his case may have been treated as a runaway, but that was quickly reconsidered after friends and family described his character.
The investigation into Myron's disappearance has spanned decades and remains unsolved. Foul play is suspected in his case. Myron's father was incarcerated at the time of his disappearance and was ruled out as a suspect, as was his mother. The primary suspect identified in his disappearance was his mother's then-boyfriend, Gettus Leroy Mintz. Mintz was one of the last people to see Myron at the restaurant. Investigators theorized that Myron may have confronted Mintz about his lifestyle, which involved drugs. Shortly after Myron vanished, Mintz had an arm injury that he claimed was from a dog bite. Years later, in 2009, Mintz was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated assault in a separate case and has refused to be interviewed about Myron's disappearance. Over the years, authorities have received tips, including an anonymous letter in 1991 claiming Myron was buried on private property, but a search of the location yielded no evidence. Authorities believe he was likely killed and buried near where he was last seen. Myron's mother passed away in March 2002, never knowing what happened to her son. The case of Myron Traylor's disappearance is a somber tale of a young boy who vanished on a short walk to his grandparents' home, leaving behind a family searching for answers and a community with a lingering mystery.Last Seen: Jul 27, 1988
