Account
Apr 15, 2010
Mar 14, 2024
Darren
Hillis
65
14
76 inches
150 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
On the morning of March 12, 1973, 14-year-old Darren Bruce Hillis left his home in Norfolk, Virginia, to walk to his school bus stop just a few minutes away. He was wearing a green Army jacket, red bell bottom pants with white stripes, and a black and red striped shirt. Later that morning, the family received a call from Blair Junior High School informing them that Darren had never arrived. His brother, Dana, who was home sick that day with their sister, recalled that they initially thought he might be playing hooky, something he had never done before. When their parents returned home from work, their father and Dana searched the woods across the street, but found no sign of the quiet teenager who dreamed of becoming an astronaut. For decades, the disappearance of Darren Hillis remained a painful mystery for his family and community. His case was entered into national databases for missing persons, and his family held onto hope, sometimes receiving silent phone calls on holidays and birthdays that they wished were from him. Over the years, efforts were made to keep his story alive. As the 45th anniversary of his disappearance approached, his brother Dana expressed the family's enduring uncertainty and their simple desire to know he was okay. Digital billboards were even used to publicize the cold case, hoping to generate new leads. The family was left to wonder for an agonizingly long time what had happened to their son and brother on that seemingly ordinary Monday morning. The mystery of Darren's disappearance came to a devastating close after more than fifty years. On March 25, 1973, just 13 days after he was last seen, a body had been discovered floating in the LaFayette River near the Hampton Boulevard Bridge in Norfolk. The body was wearing the same distinctive clothing Darren had on the day he vanished. In a tragic failure of communication, the remains were not connected to Darren's missing person case at the time, despite being found only a few miles from his home. It was not until March 2025 that the unidentified body was officially confirmed to be that of Darren Bruce Hillis. An examination showed no evidence of injuries, and the cause of death was listed as undetermined. The overview of this case reveals a heartbreaking story that began with a boy who never made it to his school bus and ended with a discovery that provided answers, but also profound sorrow, bringing a conclusion to his family's 52-year search.
Mar 12, 1973
Norfolk
Virginia
Norfolk City
Norfolk
26631
Norfolk Police Department
Norfolk
Virginia
Norfolk City
23510
Casey Bostjancic
Detective
100 Brooke Avenue, Virginia
7576643277
Local
Law Enforcement
130911118601
Norfolk Police Department
Brown
Hazel
Hazel
Yes
06/12/2026
