# Did they ever find the little boy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 27, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307 "2006-02-27T13:19:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![danhughes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@danhughes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danhughes)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/1 "2006-02-27T13:19:52Z")
The June 9, 1956 issue of the Saturday Evening Post carried an article called “Have You Seen This Baby?,” about a child who disappeared from his mother’s grocery cart while she was shopping in the next aisle. This story has haunted me since I read it when it first appeared (I was 8 at the time), and I’ve often wondered if the mystery was ever solved. I’ve tried a few Google searches with no luck; I know I’d have a better chance if I could find a copy of the magazine to get the names of the people involved, and the city, etc. Any help? ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/2 "2006-02-27T13:32:30Z")
The boys name was Steven Damman [http://americasunknownchild.net/summary.htm](http://americasunknownchild.net/summary.htm) And he is still missing [http://www.nymissing.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=51](http://www.nymissing.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=51) ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/3 "2006-02-27T19:21:38Z")
A related question about the second link. It says > [@](#): > > She had her son Steven, age 34 months and her daughter Pamela, age 7 months with Pamela strapped into a baby carriage with her.\*\* She left her daughter in the carriage out in front of the store with her son standing beside it while she did her shopping\*\*. When she came back ten minutes later, both the carriage and her children were gone. Was it common back then to leave your kids outside while you shopped? Surely children were allowed in stores right? I’m not judging anyone of course, just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/4 "2006-02-27T19:32:18Z")
> [@Omega Glory](#): > > A related question about the second link. It says > > Was it common back then to leave your kids outside while you shopped? Surely children were allowed in stores right? I’m not judging anyone of course, just wondering. According to my grandmother, at least, this was very common. You’d see lines of strollers outside stores, with babies inside. She says the aisles were too narrow to gracefully accomodate the pre-umbrella stroller type stroller, and no one imagined someone would make off with your baby while you were shopping. I’ve even seen black and white photos of this, but I’m not finding them on Google. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/5 "2006-02-27T19:38:16Z")
> [@danhughes](#): > > The June 9, 1956 issue of the Saturday Evening Post carried an article called “Have You Seen This Baby?,” about a child who disappeared from his mother’s grocery cart while she was shopping in the next aisle. > > This story has haunted me since I read it when it first appeared (I was 8 at the time), and I’ve often wondered if the mystery was ever solved. You remembered the exact date for 50 years? Holy cow. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/6 "2006-02-27T19:44:01Z")
Thanks WhyNot. It seems like people’s toddlers would try to wander away all the time. I guess maybe there were more people outside who would stop them. Interesting how times change.\* \*This is about the practice itself, not about runaway tots. Most people wouldn’t let that happen today either. ---
**Author:** ![danhughes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@danhughes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danhughes)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/7 "2006-02-27T19:45:01Z")
> [@Fish Cheer](#): > > You remembered the exact date for 50 years? Holy cow. No. First I did a Google search for the Saturday Evening Post site and found only discussion boards for old people’s diseases. (The magazine is for geriatrics only nowadays). Then I searched for “Saturday Evening Post” “Have You Seen This Child” and found several magazine dealers with the issue in question. (A picture of the boy is in the corner of the cover). Thanks to the rest of you for completing the detective work for me! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/8 "2006-02-27T20:18:17Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > According to my grandmother, at least, this was very common. You’d see lines of strollers outside stores, with babies inside. She says the aisles were too narrow to gracefully accomodate the pre-umbrella stroller type stroller, and no one imagined someone would make off with your baby while you were shopping. > > I’ve even seen black and white photos of this, but I’m not finding them on Google. This should do: [http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/ads/ap.html](http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/ads/ap.html) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/9 "2006-02-27T21:43:29Z")
> [@Omega Glory](#): > > A related question about the second link. It says > > Was it common back then to leave your kids outside while you shopped? Surely children were allowed in stores right? I’m not judging anyone of course, just wondering. For all we know, this could have been the event that put an end to the practice. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/10 "2006-02-27T22:38:46Z")
I wouldn’t be surprised. What a terrible tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/11 "2006-02-27T23:06:38Z")
Reading this made me pretty sad. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/12 "2006-02-28T00:16:03Z")
> [@Omega Glory](#): > > A related question about the second link. It says > > Was it common back then to leave your kids outside while you shopped? Surely children were allowed in stores right? I’m not judging anyone of course, just wondering. Actually it is still common in other parts of the world. I recall reading a newpaper article a couple of years ago about a mother from Denmark who was arrested in New York for leaving her child in a stroller while she went into a restaurant. It seems that where she came from this was still a common practice. Or at least that is what the article said. I can vouch that kids were left in strollers outside back then, as I recall seeing them. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/13 "2006-02-28T01:19:36Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > According to my grandmother, at least, this was very common. You’d see lines of strollers outside stores, with babies inside. She says the aisles were too narrow to gracefully accomodate the pre-umbrella stroller type stroller, and no one imagined someone would make off with your baby while you were shopping. > > I’ve even seen black and white photos of this, but I’m not finding them on Google. It is still widely practiced in Europe. In fact, a European couple visiting Colorado learned the hard way that we don’t do that here. They left their stroller outside a store and went inside. By the time they came back the police were there in force and the parents were arrested for child abuse. (the kid was fine). They had a terrible time getting home. The courts didn’t want to let them leave in spite of extensive (negative) publicity about the ignorant Americans in their home country. (Austria I believe, but am not sure). IIRC, they promised to take good care of their children and thankfully got back home safe. ---
**Author:** ![danhughes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@danhughes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danhughes)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/14 "2009-06-18T02:32:32Z")
Bringing this one back from the dead - looks like they may have found him! [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/17/national/main5094009.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/17/national/main5094009.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel) —Dan Hughes, [http://danhughes.net](http://danhughes.net) ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/15 "2009-06-18T02:48:55Z")
To get this in before the zombie thread is locked – Ho. Lee. Shit! :eek: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/16 "2009-06-18T03:06:42Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > To get this in before the zombie thread is locked – > Ho. Lee. Shit! :eek: ☹ My policy is to NOT lock a Zombie thread IF it supplies any new info about the subject. We’ll have to wait to see how this one plays out. **samclem** Moderator, General Questions ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/17 "2009-06-18T03:20:23Z")
Was there any info on what happened to the guy during his childhood? Was he just taken and then raised normally by his kidnapper? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/18 "2009-06-18T03:35:23Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Was there any info on what happened to the guy during his childhood? Was he just taken and then raised normally by his kidnapper? He doesn’t know. IIRC his “parents” are both dead and he has always assumed that they were his biological parents. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/19 "2009-06-18T03:43:10Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > He doesn’t know. IIRC his “parents” are both dead and he has always assumed that they were his biological parents. I wonder how he figured it out. Did a relative tell him? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307/20 "2009-06-18T03:53:23Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I wonder how he figured it out. Did a relative tell him? Going off what I heard (and I wasn’t really paying attention) he started getting suspicious many years ago, and then something is mother said just before she died made him very suspicious. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-ever-find-the-little-boy/346307.md?page=2)