Robert “Bobby” Clarence Dunbar was a boy who disappeared while on a fishing trip with his family. Another child who closely matched Robert’s description was ruled by a court to be him in 1913, but DNA testing proved this false almost a century later.
Background[]
On August 23, 1912, the Dunbars were on a family fishing trip at Swayze Lake, which was near Opelousas, Louisiana. At noon the family went to the cabins for lunch, and Robert apparently wandered away.
When the area was searched it was concluded that Robert must have been abducted, as searchers found a set of bare footprints from the swamps to the railroad trestle, and a strange man had been lurking around the area. In April 1913, an itinerant handyman named William Cantwell Walters was found in Mississippi with a boy who strongly resembled Robert.
The boy, who Walters claimed was named Bruce Anderson, initially claimed that he didn’t know Bobby’s mother and he also didn’t answer to the name Bobby Dunbar. Although Julia Anderson, Walters’ servant, claimed Bruce was her son, a court-appointed arbiter decided that Bruce was Robert. He was given to the Dunbars and raised as their son, and as an adult stated in an interview that he recalled his kidnapping. But despite this, he was uncertain about his true identity for his whole life. After his death he was buried under Bobby’s name.
Bruce had four children during his life. His granddaughter, suspicious as to whether or not Bobby Dunbar was actually her grandfather, began researching the case in 1999. One of Bruce’s sons provided a DNA sample to be compared with Bobby’s brother, and this proved that the two were not related. In 2004, authorities announced that Bruce Anderson was not Bobby Dunbar. After this, Bobby was reclassified as a missing child.
Bobby’s case is no longer being investigated by law enforcement due to its age. He hasn't been found and it's possible that he fell off the nearby railroad trestle and died.
Characteristics[]
- Darkening blond hair.
- Blue eyes.
- Mole on neck.
- Burn scar on big toe.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Straw hat.
- Blue rompers.
- No shoes.
Sources[]
- Bobby Dunbar on Wikipedia
- Bobby Dunbar at the Charley Project