MISSING CHILD
DAVID BORER
DATE OF BIRTH: MARCH 21, 1981,
HAIR: BLOND
EYES: BLUE
David left home around 5:00 pm telling his sister he was going to play at a frozen sandbar, or at a friend’s house. His family reported him missing at 7:00 pm. David was wearing a red coat, green jeans, a green plaid shirt and Sorel winter boots. He has a small scar under his right eye and a scar above his left eye. His front teeth protrude slightly, and he is left-handed. He was last seen near the mile 82 marker on Parks Highway.
LAST SEEN: APRIL 25, 1989, WILLOW, ALASKA
Media: October 24, 2020
EARLY LIFE:
David Michael Borer was born on March 21, 1981, to his parents, Linda and Mike. At the time of his disappearance in 1989, the pair had separated and thus David and his four siblings lived with their mother in the small Alaskan town of Willow.
David was a first-grade student at Willow Elementary School. He is described by those who knew him as being a very independent child.
DISAPPEARANCE:
Sources differ in regard to the exact date David’s disappearance occurred, with NamUs stating it happened on April 25, 1989, and other websites reporting April 26.
At around 5:00 pm on the day David went missing, he is said to have told his sister he was heading to the sandbar near the then-partially frozen Kashwitna River, just outside of Wasilla, Alaska. That area of the river is located about 11 miles north of the Borer home in Willow and is situated along the busy Parks Highway, near the Mile 82 marker.
Another version of events says he had left the family home to go visit a friend of his. Despite what really happened, David did not return that evening and by 7:00 pm his mother had reported him missing to the Alaskan State Troopers.
SEARCH:
Throughout the course of the summer, investigators searched for David with the help of the Boy Scouts, search dogs and a Chicago-based psychic who travelled to the area numerous times. Specifically, the dogs tracked his scent to the edge of the Parks Highway, but they were unable to uncover any other signs that he had been in the area.
The disappearance made local headlines for the rest of the summer, with both his mother and father giving multiple interviews to the media.
Rewards were initially offered in the case in the hopes of them prompting someone with information to come forward, and a foundation was set up to help raise funds for the numerous searches.
Currently, there are no known suspects in the case. David’s dental and DNA are available for comparison, should any remains be found.
THEORIES:
1) Initially, investigators looked into the theory that David fell through the ice, as the Kashwitna River has a swift current and the centre of it was not frozen over at the time. However, this theory was soon put to the wayside, given the shallowness of the river, the lack of a hole in the ice and the fact divers were unable to find any trace of him having gone into the water.
2) The possibility that David was abducted has also been looked into. It’s been reported that David had once hitchhiked along the Parks Highway to Wasilla. However, police have had difficulty investigating this line of thought due to the business of the highway and the lack of evidence they have.
3) Approximately a month after David went missing, investigators looked into the possibility that he had been attacked by a bear, this despite a lack of a body. Family members were sceptical of this theory and believed it would detract from the search for David’s potential kidnapper if he had indeed been abducted.
4) A final theory in the case, as proposed by those who have looked into the disappearance, is that David wandered into the woods and died of exposure, given the fact that Alaskan springs are quite a bit colder than those experienced in other areas of the United States. This theory has not been confirmed, as David’s body has never been located.
AFTERMATH:
Less than a year after David’s disappearance, Linda gave birth to another son. Unfortunately, the baby boy died at just four weeks old after being bitten in the head by a dog-wolf hybrid.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
David Michael Borer went missing near Willow, Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska on either April 25 or 26, 1989. He was eight years old and was last seen wearing green jeans, a green plaid shirt, a red coat, and Sorel-brand winter boots with felt inserts. At the time of his disappearance, he stood at 4’0″ and weighed between 55 and 65 pounds. He has strawberry blond hair and blue eyes. His front teeth protrude slightly, and he has two scars, one under his right eye and another above his left eye.
Currently, his case is classified as a non-family abduction due to the lack of evidence available. If alive, he would be 39 years old.
Those with information regarding the case are asked to contact the Alaska State Troopers at either 907-733-2256 or 907-269-5511.
