On the afternoon of December 12, 2000, 12-year-old Eric Wayne Pyles stepped off his school bus in Jonestown, Pennsylvania, but instead of going home he walked away from his route. Classmates saw him cut through a yard; a secretary at the Jonestown Bible Church later saw him walking behind the building toward a wooded area near U.S. Route 22. He wore light blue pants, black sneakers, a gray sweatshirt with a deer print and carried a Washington Redskins backpack. That evening the church secretary noticed small footprints in the snow where he had been seen, and Eric was never seen or heard from again.

Eric had been living with his older half-sister Maria and her family after his parents in Luray, Virginia, lost custody. He struggled with behavioral and emotional problems, had been in counseling and inpatient care, sometimes used the name Nick and had run away briefly on prior occasions. Investigators followed scent trails into dense woods, checked unconfirmed sightings at a mall and a roller rink, and communicated with Virginia police about the possibility he tried to return to his parents, but found no evidence he arrived there.

State police continue to review the case and have conducted searches as recently as 2020; they say they believe foul play was involved but have not disclosed details or named suspects. Maria has been cleared of involvement. Does anyone have information about Eric’s movements that afternoon or about sightings after December 12, 2000?