Bob Louis Richard Boyes, lovingly called “Bobby” by those who knew him was born on 10 February 1958, in Port Republic, Maryland. He was one of five siblings—three boys and two girls—in the Boyes family, who lived on a spacious 10-acre property.
Their land included both a two-story home and a mobile trailer. To save on heating expenses during the winter, the family would stay in the trailer and return to the main house during the warmer parts of the year.
Bobby’s younger sister, Joy Lee remembered him as a sweet-natured, kind child who loved animals and the outdoors. He shared a unique bond with his pet deer named Pete. Joy recalled, “Bobby and Pete shared the same mild-mannered nature, and were often seen together, with Bobby walking Pete on a metal chain.”
The Day Bobby Vanished
On 26 December 1968, ten-year-old Bobby left a friend’s house located on Wash Hance Road. He was accompanied by his deer, Pete. According to Fox 5 DC, Pete returned home alone—but Bobby never did. A massive search effort followed involving hundreds of volunteers, helicopters and search teams on the ground. Despite the scale of the search, no evidence or trace of Bobby was found.
Joy, who was only three years old at the time, recalled what search teams told her family: “I’ll forever remember the response from the search team that Bobby disappeared in thin air, without a trace,” she told The Southern Maryland Chronicle.
The Maryland State Police were in charge of the investigation. Despite widespread interviews, house-to-house visits and aerial surveillance, the case eventually went cold as no leads emerged.
Years later in 2021, Detective Sergeant Kemery Hunt reopened the case in hopes of generating new public interest. He explained, “We’ve delved into this case deeply, and our plan of attack was to knock on every door that we can.” His team worked with determination, seeking any possible clue that might solve the decades-old mystery.
Troubled Family Environment
As the case was reexamined, investigators turned their focus toward Bobby’s home life. Reports from Bobby’s teacher revealed that he often came to school looking unclean and had to be told to wash up before starting class. As they looked deeper, disturbing family patterns emerged. Both parents—Richard and Jane Boyes—were said to have problems with alcohol and volatile tempers.
Richard’s stepfather, Clarence, recounted a troubling memory in which Richard once threatened him with a shotgun and tried to stab him with a broken bottle during a disagreement over money. Years later, Joy Lee voiced her suspicions: “I think my father had something to do with it. I can just leave it at that,” per WMAR 2 News.
During the investigation, both Richard and Jane underwent lie detector tests. The results showed signs of deception from Richard especially when questioned about Bobby’s disappearance. Richard pointed fingers at a neighbor who had previously threatened him but this person had a solid alibi and was cleared by the police.
Officers also found it strange that the parents didn’t show much concern. As reported by The Ranker, the Boyes parents appeared “cold or annoyed” during questioning and didn’t seem emotionally affected by Bobby’s disappearance.
A Suspicious Fire and Family Breakdown
Between 1968 and 1970, tragedy struck again when the family’s two-story home burned down under suspicious circumstances. Richard claimed the fire started when the family dog knocked over a lamp. But Bobby’s brother, John told a different story—he believed the fire may have started while he and another sibling were playing with matches.
Jane suspected Richard had intentionally set the house on fire. Not long after, she moved the remaining children to San Diego, California and filed for divorce. Richard later called her, demanding the return of the boys, saying he “didn’t want the girls.”
A Case That Remains Open
The disappearance of Bobby Boyes continues to remain a mystery more than five decades later. The Maryland State Police, in cooperation with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the FBI still consider it an open investigation.
As part of renewed efforts, officials have distributed National Child ID Program kits to assist in locating missing children. Detective Hunt remains determined in his pursuit of the truth.
