Katharina Buczek
In 1975, two developmentally disabled adolescents disappeared from the New Lisbon State School in New Jersey.
The state-run facility, which is now known as the New Lisbon Developmental Center, consisted of a 1,896-acre campus located off Route 72 that was dedicated to housing both students and adults who required full-time services and care.
And in 1975, 17-year-old Steven Anderson lived at the facility with his roommate, David Williams, who was 12. Both boys were unable to care for themselves without caregiver supervision, according to officials.
By April 7 of that year, though, tragedy struck. At about 4:15 p.m. that day, Steven and David decided to go to a baseball field that was located near campus. But, the boys never returned that evening, and at about 8:00 p.m., they were both reported missing.
It is now believed that Steven and David might have wandered off into the woods. However, no trace of the boys has ever been found, and they have remained missing for over 47 years now.
According to authorities, Steven had trouble communicating and was last seen wearing blue pants and a blue hooded jacket. At the time of his disappearance, he was five foot eight, weighed approximately 141 pounds, and had brown hair and blue eyes.
David was a Black male who had epilepsy, took daily medication, and often wore a helmet to protect his head. He was five feet tall, weighed about 113 pounds, and was last seen wearing striped pants and a blue jacket.
Steven would be 65-years-old today; meanwhile, David would be 60-years-old today.
Despite the boys’ case remaining unsolved, though, authorities have pledged to continue searching for answers. Most recently, in 2017, the FBI began pushing for new information and added the case to the FBI’s Kidnapping/Missing Persons website.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
