The Disappearance of Tristen "Buddy" Myers: A Little Boy Lost
On the afternoon of October 5, 2000, in the small rural community of Roseboro, North Carolina, a four-year-old boy named Tristen Alan Myers quietly slipped out of his great-aunt's mobile home while she dozed on the couch. When Donna Myers awoke from her nap around 2:00 PM, she discovered that little "Buddy," as he was affectionately known, was nowhere to be found. Also missing were the family's two dogs: Buck, a three-legged tan Chihuahua, and Sasha, a black Doberman puppy.
What began as a frantic search for a wandering child would evolve into one of North Carolina's most enduring missing person cases. More than two decades later, despite extensive searches, false leads, and the heartbreak of false hope, Tristen Myers remains missing, leaving behind a community forever marked by yellow ribbons and unanswered questions.
A Child Born into Chaos
Tristen's short life had been marked by instability and trauma from the very beginning. Born on July 16, 1996, in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, he came into the world under challenging circumstances. His mother, Raven Myers, was only fifteen years old when she gave birth, and Tristen's father remains unknown to this day. Due to Mississippi state law prohibiting minors from having custody of children, baby Tristen was immediately placed in the care of his grandparents, Robert and Sally Myers, who lived in Metairie, Louisiana.
The early years with his grandparents were relatively stable, but tragedy struck when Tristen was three years old. His grandfather Robert had been drinking and working on a car when he accidentally backed the vehicle into the toddler. The accident left Tristen with a broken leg, a deep laceration on his head requiring stitches, and several burns. The physical scars from this incident would remain with him for the rest of his short life, becoming identifying markers that would later be crucial in missing person reports.
By 2000, Sally Myers had become seriously ill, creating an impossible situation for Robert who realized he could not adequately care for both his ailing wife and his young grandson. Faced with this heartbreaking decision, Robert reached out to his brother John Myers and his wife Donna, asking them to take custody of Tristen. The couple, who lived on Microwave Tower Road in Roseboro, North Carolina, agreed to provide a home for the troubled child.
Life in Roseboro
When Tristen arrived at the Myers home in August 2000, he was a small, blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy who stood just 3 feet 1 inch tall and weighed only 38 pounds. Despite his diminutive size, he carried the weight of significant emotional and developmental challenges. Medical professionals had described him as emotionally and physically underdeveloped for his age, with severe behavioral problems that suggested attention deficit disorder, though this had never been formally diagnosed.
Tristen's speech was severely limited; he could speak only a few words and had difficulty understanding simple directions. His communication challenges were compounded by a speech impediment that made it even harder for him to express his needs and feelings. These developmental delays, combined with his traumatic early experiences, created significant challenges for his new caregivers.
The rural setting of Roseboro, a small town in Sampson County with a population of just over 1,000 people, provided a stark contrast to the urban environments where Tristen had previously lived. The Myers home sat on Microwave Tower Road, a dusty lane surrounded by woods and farmland, offering both privacy and potential dangers for a young child prone to wandering.
Eleven days before his disappearance, Tristen's behavioral issues had become concerning enough that John and Donna Myers took him to a hospital for psychological evaluation. However, due to his inability to understand simple directions and his severely limited vocabulary, medical professionals were unable to complete a comprehensive assessment. This incomplete evaluation would later become a crucial detail in understanding the complexity of Tristen's condition and the challenges his caregivers faced.
A Pattern of Wandering
Three days after the failed hospital evaluation, Tristen demonstrated a troubling tendency that would foreshadow his ultimate disappearance. He wandered away from the Myers home and was found half a mile away at a neighboring farm by concerned neighbors who recognized him and returned him safely. This incident should have served as a warning about Tristen's propensity to leave the house unattended, but it was perhaps viewed as an isolated occurrence rather than a pattern of behavior.
The fact that Tristen had successfully left the house and traveled a considerable distance without being immediately noticed highlighted both his determination to explore and the challenges of supervising a child with his particular needs. The rural setting, while peaceful, provided numerous paths and hiding places that could easily conceal a small child from view.
This first disappearance and safe return may have given his caregivers a false sense of security. They knew he was capable of wandering, but his previous safe return might have suggested that he would either come back on his own or be found by helpful neighbors. Unfortunately, this assumption would prove tragically incorrect just three days later.
The Day Everything Changed
October 5, 2000, began as an ordinary Thursday afternoon at the Myers household. Donna Myers, exhausted from the constant vigilance required to care for a child with Tristen's needs, decided to take a brief nap on the living room couch while she believed Tristen was also resting. The house was quiet, and there was no indication that anything unusual was about to occur.
When Donna awoke around 2:00 PM, she immediately noticed the silence was different. Calling out for Tristen and receiving no response, she began searching the small mobile home, checking each room with growing concern. The boy was nowhere to be found, and neither were Buck, the family's three-legged Chihuahua, and Sasha, the young Doberman. The realization that both the child and the dogs were missing suggested that Tristen had not simply hidden inside the house but had actually left the property.
Donna's initial search of the immediate yard and surrounding area yielded no sign of Tristen or the dogs. As the minutes turned into an hour without any trace of the boy, panic began to set in. The earlier incident of Tristen wandering away was fresh in her mind, but this time felt different. The afternoon was growing later, and there was no sign of neighbors finding him as had happened before.
The Search Begins
Donna Myers contacted the Sampson County Sheriff's Office, and within hours, a massive search operation was underway. Law enforcement officers, volunteer firefighters, and community members converged on the rural area around Microwave Tower Road, determined to find the missing child before nightfall. The urgency was heightened by Tristen's young age, his developmental challenges, and his inability to communicate effectively if he encountered strangers.
The search effort was coordinated by the Sampson County Sheriff's Office under the direction of Sheriff Jimmy Thornton, with assistance from multiple agencies including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Search and rescue teams with trained dogs were brought in to track Tristen's scent, while helicopters provided aerial surveillance of the dense woods and farmland surrounding the Myers home.
Local volunteers, many of whom had children of their own, joined the professional searchers in combing through the thick underbrush and checking every possible hiding place where a small child might seek shelter. The community response was immediate and overwhelming, with hundreds of people participating in the search efforts over the following days.
The search dogs quickly picked up Tristen's scent and followed it through the woods behind the Myers home. The trail led the searchers to the edge of a pond approximately half a mile from the house, where the scent seemed to disappear. This discovery was particularly troubling because Tristen could not swim, raising the terrifying possibility that he had fallen into the water and drowned.
A Heartbreaking Discovery
The discovery of Tristen's scent trail ending at the pond prompted authorities to focus their efforts on the water. Emergency response teams worked to drain the pond while divers searched the murky bottom for any sign of the missing child. The process was painstaking and emotionally draining for everyone involved, particularly the family members who maintained a vigil at the search site.
After the pond was completely drained and thoroughly searched, no trace of Tristen was found. While this news brought relief that his body was not in the water, it also deepened the mystery of what had happened to him. If he had reached the pond's edge, why had his scent trail ended there? Had someone picked him up at that location? Had he somehow managed to continue on without leaving a trackable scent?
The search expanded beyond the immediate area, with teams covering miles of rural terrain including farms, abandoned buildings, and other bodies of water. Every lead was followed, every tip investigated, but despite the massive effort involving hundreds of searchers over multiple days, no additional evidence of Tristen's fate was discovered.
Then, on the fifth day after Tristen's disappearance, Buck the Chihuahua returned home on his own. The little three-legged dog appeared thin but unharmed, offering no clues about where he had been or what had happened to Tristen. More than a week later, Sasha the Doberman puppy also returned, slightly thinner than when she had left but otherwise healthy.
The Return of the Dogs
The return of both dogs without Tristen created more questions than answers. If the dogs had remained with the boy during his wandering, why had they eventually come home without him? The animals could not communicate what they had witnessed, leaving investigators to speculate about the significance of their separate returns.
Some theories suggested that the dogs might have become separated from Tristen early in his journey, explaining why they eventually found their way home while he did not. Others wondered if the dogs' return indicated that Tristen had been picked up by someone, either willingly or unwillingly, at which point the animals would have been left behind.
The condition of the dogs upon their return provided some clues about their experiences. Both animals showed signs of having been outdoors for an extended period, but neither appeared to have been harmed or mistreated. This suggested that they had either been wandering freely or had been cared for by someone who eventually released them to return home.
The timing of the dogs' returns also raised questions. Buck's return after five days and Sasha's after more than a week suggested different experiences or different routes home. Had they become separated from each other as well as from Tristen? The mystery of their individual journeys would never be solved.
Years of Searching and Hoping
As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, the intensive search efforts gradually scaled back, but the case never closed. The Sampson County Sheriff's Office continued to investigate every lead and follow up on reported sightings, while the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children included Tristen in their database and created age-progression photos showing what he might look like as he grew older.
Yellow ribbons appeared throughout Roseboro and the surrounding communities, tied to utility poles and trees as silent reminders of the missing child. Store windows displayed missing person posters featuring Tristen's photograph, keeping his image in the public consciousness and encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
The case garnered regional and national attention, with coverage on television programs and in newspapers across the country. Despite this exposure and numerous reported sightings, no credible leads emerged that brought investigators closer to understanding what had happened to Tristen Myers.
As the years passed, the yellow ribbons began to fade and disappear, blown away by storms or removed by utility workers. The missing person posters grew weathered and were eventually replaced or removed entirely. The initial intensive media coverage gave way to occasional anniversary stories, and gradually, the case slipped from the public consciousness.
A Glimmer of False Hope
In February 2003, nearly three years after Tristen's disappearance, the case suddenly thrust back into the national spotlight when authorities in Evanston, Illinois, discovered a young boy under suspicious circumstances. A man named Ricky Quick had brought a dirty, malnourished 6-year-old child to St. Francis Hospital, claiming the boy needed treatment for aggressive behavior.
Hospital staff, concerned about the child's condition and the circumstances of his appearance, contacted police and the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. The boy, who Quick claimed was his son "Eli Quick," appeared to have been neglected and showed signs of possible abuse. When authorities could not verify the child's identity or Quick's relationship to him, they placed the boy in foster care and began investigating his true identity.
A social worker, running the boy's description through missing children databases, discovered a potential match with Tristen Myers. The physical similarities were striking: both boys had blonde hair and blue eyes, similar facial features, and most compellingly, the Illinois boy had scars on the left side of his neck that matched Tristen's identifying marks from his childhood accident.
DNA Testing and Devastating Results
The discovery of the potential match sent shockwaves through the Myers family and the North Carolina community that had never stopped hoping for Tristen's safe return. Donna Myers was contacted by authorities and asked to view photographs of the Illinois boy. Her initial reaction was mixed; while the child appeared older and larger than she remembered Tristen, certain features, particularly the eyes, nose, and ears, convinced her this might be her missing great-nephew.
The case received massive media attention as reporters descended on Roseboro and the Myers home on Microwave Tower Road. For the first time since Tristen's disappearance, the family found themselves at the center of a media frenzy, with news crews camping outside their home and following their every move. The attention was both welcome and overwhelming, bringing renewed hope but also intense pressure.
DNA samples were collected from Tristen's biological mother, Raven Myers, who was living in North Carolina but had maintained limited contact with her son since his placement with various family members. The samples were compared to DNA from the Illinois boy in what would prove to be the most emotionally charged week in the family's long ordeal.
On Friday, May 2, 2003, FBI agent Thomas Kneir delivered the devastating news at a press conference. The DNA testing had conclusively proved that the boy found in Illinois was not Tristen Myers. "I wish I were here to give you and more importantly, the family of Tristen Myers some good news," Kneir stated. "Unfortunately, that is not the case."
Shattered Dreams and Continuing Mystery
The news that the Illinois boy was not Tristen left the Myers family and the entire community bitterly disappointed. For a brief moment, it had seemed that their years of waiting and wondering might finally come to an end, that the yellow ribbons and prayers had somehow brought Buddy home. Instead, they were left with the same unanswered questions that had haunted them for nearly three years.
The false identification also raised troubling questions about the identity of the Illinois boy known as "Eli Quick." If he was not Tristen Myers, who was he? Where had he come from, and what had happened to his real family? The boy remained in foster care while authorities continued trying to determine his true identity, representing another tragedy within the already tragic story.
For Donna Myers, who had spent years maintaining Tristen's room exactly as he had left it and decorating her home with yellow ribbons, the disappointment was particularly crushing. She had allowed herself to believe that her long vigil was finally over, only to discover that the nightmare of not knowing continued.
The Death of a Mother
Adding another layer of tragedy to an already heartbreaking story, Tristen's biological mother Raven Myers died in a car accident in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on May 23, 2003, just weeks after the devastating DNA results were announced. According to police reports, the 23-year-old woman died from massive head injuries after jumping from a moving pickup truck following an argument with the driver.
Lieutenant E.B. Dalton of the Fayetteville Police Department stated that the evidence suggested Raven had voluntarily jumped from the vehicle rather than being pushed or falling accidentally. "We heard there was an argument prior to them getting on the road, and for whatever reason she jumped out of the car," Dalton explained. The incident remained under investigation, but police did not suspect foul play.
Raven's death meant that Tristen had lost the one person who might have provided crucial information about his early life and family history. Despite having limited contact with her son since his placement with various relatives, she had maintained hope for his return and had cooperated with DNA testing during the Illinois investigation. Her death also meant that if Tristen were ever found alive, he would never have the opportunity to reunite with his birth mother.
A Case That Never Closes
More than two decades after Tristen Myers vanished from his great-aunt's home, his case remains open and active with the Sampson County Sheriff's Office. The passage of time has brought new technologies and investigative techniques, but it has also meant the loss of key witnesses and the fading of physical evidence.
Both of Tristen's grandparents, Robert and Sally Myers, passed away without ever learning what happened to their grandson. His great-uncle John Myers died in January 2015 at age 67, taking with him any insights he might have had about Tristen's behavior and state of mind in his final days. Donna Myers, now the sole surviving caregiver who knew Tristen personally, continues to live with the unanswered questions that have defined her life for more than twenty years.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has continued to age-progress Tristen's photograph, showing what he might look like at various stages of his life. The most recent progression shows him as a young adult of 19, a stark reminder of the years that have passed and the milestones he has missed.
Current investigators continue to follow up on any credible tips or sightings, though these have become increasingly rare as time has passed. The case file remains active, and authorities encourage anyone with information to contact the Sampson County Sheriff's Office at (910) 592-4141.
Theories and Possibilities
Over the years, various theories have emerged about what might have happened to Tristen Myers. The most commonly accepted possibilities fall into several categories, each with its own supporting evidence and troubling implications.
The accidental death theory suggests that Tristen, wandering through the rural area with his limited understanding of danger, may have fallen into the pond or another body of water despite the extensive searches. Proponents of this theory point to the fact that his scent trail ended at the water's edge and note that small bodies can be difficult to locate even in thoroughly searched areas.
The stranger abduction theory proposes that Tristen was picked up by someone while wandering, either by a predator who specifically targeted him or by someone who happened upon the lost child. The presence of the dogs in this scenario could be explained by their being left behind when Tristen was taken into a vehicle.
A third possibility involves Tristen succumbing to exposure or injury while lost in the woods, with his remains being hidden by natural processes or animal activity. The extensive searches make this less likely, but the dense forest and varied terrain could potentially conceal evidence even from trained search teams.
Some investigators and family members have also considered the possibility that Tristen was taken by someone known to the family, though this theory has less support due to the lack of any identified suspects or motives within the family's social circle.
The Lasting Impact
The disappearance of Tristen Myers has left an indelible mark on the small community of Roseboro and the surrounding areas of Sampson County. For years after his disappearance, yellow ribbons served as constant reminders of the missing child, though time has now erased most of these visible memorials.
Local residents who participated in the original search efforts often speak of the case as a defining moment in their community's history. The intensive search brought together people from all walks of life in a common cause, creating bonds that lasted long after the immediate crisis had passed.
The case also highlighted the particular vulnerabilities of children with developmental disabilities and the challenges faced by families caring for such children. Tristen's limited communication abilities and tendency to wander represented risk factors that might not have been fully understood or adequately addressed at the time of his disappearance.
For law enforcement agencies, the case provided valuable lessons about search protocols, evidence preservation, and the importance of quick response in missing child cases. The techniques and technologies available in 2000 were significantly more limited than those available today, and investigators continue to hope that advances in forensic science might eventually provide new leads.
The Yellow Ribbons Remembered
Today, few visible reminders of Tristen Myers remain in Roseboro. The yellow ribbons that once adorned utility poles throughout the community have long since disappeared, victims of weather, time, and the inevitable fading of public memory. The missing person posters that once hung in store windows have been replaced by other announcements, and the media attention that once focused on the small North Carolina town has moved on to other stories.
Yet for those who knew Tristen, participated in the search efforts, or followed his case closely, the memory remains vivid. Community United Effort (CUE), a North Carolina-based organization that assists families of missing persons, has maintained information about Tristen's case as part of their commitment to ensuring that no missing person is forgotten.
Monica Caison, who runs the CUE Center and was involved in the original search efforts, has written movingly about the lasting impact of Tristen's case. She describes driving through Roseboro years later and noting the absence of the yellow ribbons that once served as symbols of hope and community solidarity.
A Child Who Would Have Been
As Tristen's case approaches its third decade without resolution, those who remember him often wonder about the man he might have become. At 28 years old, he could have overcome his early developmental challenges and found his place in the world. He might have followed various paths: joining the military like many young men from his rural North Carolina community, becoming a long-distance truck driver like his great-uncle, or pursuing any number of other careers and life choices.
The speculation about Tristen's potential future serves as a poignant reminder of all that was lost when he disappeared. Beyond the immediate tragedy of a missing child, his disappearance represents the loss of all the experiences, relationships, and contributions he might have made during the years that have passed.
His story also stands as a testament to the enduring love of family members who refuse to give up hope despite the passage of time. Donna Myers and other surviving relatives continue to hold onto the possibility that someday, somehow, they will learn what happened to the little boy they called Buddy.
The Search Continues
Despite the years that have passed and the challenges inherent in solving such an old case, law enforcement agencies have not given up on finding answers about Tristen Myers. Advances in DNA technology, improved communication between agencies, and new investigative techniques continue to offer hope that previously unexamined evidence might yield new leads.
The case remains listed with multiple missing persons databases, including the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and various state and local databases. These listings ensure that Tristen's information is available to investigators working on other cases who might discover connections that were previously overlooked.
Social media and internet-based missing persons advocacy groups have also helped keep Tristen's case in the public eye, sharing his photographs and case details with new generations of potential witnesses or investigators. While most social media attention focuses on more recent cases, dedicated advocates continue to highlight older missing persons cases like Tristen's that deserve continued attention.
Hope Against Hope
For more than twenty years, the question of what happened to Tristen "Buddy" Myers has remained unanswered. His case represents the particular heartbreak of missing children cases: the absence of closure that leaves families in perpetual limbo, never able to fully grieve or completely let go of hope.
The yellow ribbons that once marked his community's commitment to finding him may have faded and blown away, but the memory of a little boy who loved to play with toys in his great-aunt's living room remains. Somewhere, perhaps, Tristen Myers continues his journey through life, unaware of the heartbreak his disappearance has caused or the community that has never stopped wondering what became of their missing child.
Until that day when answers finally come, Tristen's case stands as a reminder that every missing person is someone's child, someone's family member, someone whose absence leaves an unfillable void in the lives of those who love them. The search for Buddy Myers may have evolved from an intensive ground operation to a more passive hope for information, but it has never truly ended.
For anyone who might have information about Tristen Myers, the Sampson County Sheriff's Office continues to accept tips and investigate leads. Sometimes the smallest detail, remembered years later, can provide the key to solving cases that have remained mysteries for decades. In the case of a little boy who walked out of his home with two dogs on an October afternoon in 2000, that breakthrough still awaits.
Sources
The Charley Project - Tristen Alan Myers
NamUs Missing Person Case MP6442
The Doe Network - Case 4638DMNC
True Crime Diva - "The Puzzling Disappearance of Tristen Alan Myers"
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Websleuths Forums - NC Tristen "Buddy" Myers
People Magazine - "Little Boy Lost"
