On a summer day in New York, New York, on July 17, 1983, one-year-old Derik Reid vanished. At the time of his disappearance, the young African American boy was described as being two feet tall and weighing approximately 18 pounds. He had brown eyes and black hair styled in braids. When he was last seen, Derik was wearing blue jeans paired with a black and white shirt that had red lettering on it. The specific circumstances that led to his disappearance have never been made clear to the public, leaving a void of information in a case that has spanned decades.
There is very limited information available regarding the official investigation into Derik's disappearance. In a city as vast as New York, the initial hours of a missing child case are critical, and would have involved a significant response from the New York City Police Department. Standard procedure would have included extensive searches, interviews with family, and appeals to the public for any information. One theory that has been mentioned is the possibility that Derik may have fallen into the water near Randall's Island, which is suggested to be where he was last seen, although no definitive evidence has ever surfaced to support this possibility.
Decades have passed since Derik Reid was last seen, and his case remains unsolved. It is officially classified in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System a testament to the enduring mystery of his whereabouts. The New York City Police Department - Missing Persons Squad continues to be the primary agency on the case, hoping that someone might still come forward with the key piece of information that could provide answers. The overview of this case is one of a heartbreaking and perplexing disappearance of a very young child, with a scarcity of public leads or information, leaving his family and community to wonder what happened on that July day in 1983.
Last Seen: Jul 17, 1983
