Shane Graham was a boy who was last seen by his siblings in 2000. Authorities did not become aware of his disappearance until 2007.
He is believed to have been murdered by his adoptive mother, who was convicted of child abuse and fraud but was never charged regarding Shane's death. No images of Shane are available.
Case[]
Shane Graham was one of eleven disabled children adopted by Judith Leekin. He had Down syndrome, autism, and sickle-cell anemia, and he was described as being non-verbal and unable to care for himself. The siblings were all adopted from New York City, and the family later relocated to Port Saint Lucie, Florida.
While under Leekin's care, the children were starved, restrained, denied medical care, and physically abused. Nobody was aware of the abuse until one of the children, an 18-year-old girl, was found abandoned in a parking lot in 2007. She told authorities about the abuse, which lead to her siblings being rescued and Leekin being arrested. It was only then when it was realized that Shane could not be located; only adoption records showed that he even existed.
According to Shane's siblings, they last saw him alive in July 2000. They recalled Leekin either wrapping Shane in a blanket or placing him in a plastic bin and saying she was taking him to the doctor. Shane was never seen after that and it is believed he was buried in the backyard of Leekin's home, although an extensive search turned up no results.
Judith Leekin was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraud and child abuse, although she never faced charges for Shane's disappearance and presumed murder. She is still believed to have killed him, possibly by neglecting the boy after he fell ill.
Characteristics[]
- Black hair.
- Brown eyes.