International Missing Persons Wiki

Anthony "Tony" Bernard Franko is a preteen who vanished on the way to school in 1983. He is believed to have been abducted.

Background[]

Tony was born August 15, 1972. He lived with his mother and stepfather and was a fifth grader at Lemmon Valley Elementary School at the time of his disappearance. According to his mother, he could be naive for his age and would probably have spoken to a stranger.

Around a month before his disappearance, Tony briefly ran away and went up into the mountains. He was in trouble with his mother for getting poor grades at the time. He took food and dishes with him, wrote a goodbye note and returned home within hours. Afterwards he cried and told his mother that he would never run away again.

The day before his disappearance Tony had won a blue ribbon. He was a member of the 4-H club and had won the ribbon by showing his pony and rabbits at a 4-H show.

Case[]

Tony was last seen on May 8, 1983 walking to Lemmon Valley Elementary School in Lemmon Valley, Nevada. He would usually walk north of Fremont Street but went the opposite way that morning. He was seen speaking to an unidentified individual in a rusted vehicle, possibly a Ford Pinto or a Camaro, on the south end of Fremont Street. He hasn't been heard from since.

Because the school didn't tell Tony's family that he hadn't shown up for class they didn't realise was missing until later in the day. He was supposed to call his mother every day after school but failed to do so that day. He was reported missing when she returned home as it was dark outside and Tony still wasn't back.

Police initially believed that Tony may have ran away a second time. However, his mother never agreed with this as Tony had been happy that morning because of the ribbon he'd won. He had even taken it with him when he left for school that morning so he could show it to his classmates.

Police believe Tony was probably abducted on his way to school and then murdered; although his mother hopes he is still alive.

Characteristics[]

  • Brown hair.
  • Brown eyes.
  • Two light coloured moles on his cheek and nose.
  • Small birthmarks above his left eyebrow and on the right side of his neck.
  • A light scar under his lower lip.
  • He had a slight gap between his upper front teeth.

Clothing and accessories[]

  • A red T-shirt with "San Francisco 49ers" on the front.
  • A blue down jacket with a hood.
  • Blue jeans.
  • Hiking boots.

Gallery[]


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