I was able to find a mention of him in an article from Canada about missing children. It is dated 2002 and as of then, his mother had still not been reunited with him. I still find it strange that Clifford disappeared on his way to school one day with a friend and they think Clifford's father took him (which I tend to believe also). What happened to Clifford's friend then? Here's the mention:
(I had to translate it, thats why some of it sounds strange)


Frances Sherwood, 82 years old, lost his/her Clifford son on October 21, 1954, when his/her father removed whereas it went to the school.

"I still think that it is living some share and as long as I will not have the proof of the opposite, I will always believe it", declared Mrs. Sherwood at the time of the press conference.

Clifford Sherwood is the person missing oldest in Canada, specified Patrick Bergeron, co-director of the Network Return-Canada Children.

Mrs. Sherwood says that people reported to have seen Clifford in the West of the country in 1991, and that it was seen in the United States after its case had been made public with the emission television "Unsolved Mysteries". Her husband, who was never stopped, is deceased today.

The case of Clifford Sherwood is rare, known as Mrs. Brosseau, who estimates that more than 50% of the abductions by the father or the mother are made by a relative originating in another country, which wants to go back there with his/her child.

I would think the dad took him if it wern't for 2 facts. 1st he never sought his mom as an adult and 2nd and most importantly the other child was abducted with him. a parent would not do that. That spells fowl play. Just my opioion.

I agree...the father abduction scenario never made sense to me either.

Wait, isn't this the case were the bodies of a couple dead boys were found near where her son was supposed to be walking, and the lady refused to view them, because she "just knew it couldn't be my Cliffy"? If I'm not misremembering, this case has always annoyed me for that reason.

And that translation is a hoot, I'm sorry to say. Serious subject matter, but I will always remember "emission television UM." :D

11

Yeah, that's the case.

It's a very sad case. But the theory that Clifford is still alive is shot to hell by the fact that his friend also disappeared. They said almost nothing about the friend. If Clifford was the only one who disappeared, the theory about his father kidnapping might hold up. But two boys disappearing?

I agree that it is hard to imagine that Clifford would still be alive due to the fact that his friend disappeared with him. However, there was one clue that I remember, which made me think otherwise. There was someone in a database with the same birthday as Clifford, but the first and middle name were switched around. Does anyone else remember any other clues?

Yeah, Edward Clifford. When they went to check it out, they found the man had left without leaving a forwarding address. I will admit this is a compelling clue. It's a shame they haven't found the guy.

I rememeber that clue at the end of the segment. A man was pulled over somewhere in Canada for speeding, his drivers licence had the first and middle names switched (Edward Clifford instead of Clifford Edward) but the birthday was the same as Clifford's.

What happened to Clifford's friend really remains a mystery but I don't see how it could be out of the possibility that Nefi Sherwood could have kidnapped Clifford. The man was a real a*s to his wife while they were married. And the picture that was found many years later of Nefi and Clifford (Where Clifford obviously looks older than when he vanished) also points to that possibility.

I think that maybe Cliffords father killed the friend George in order to get him out of the way so he could kidnap Clifford. A boys body was found like a year after the dissappearance and Cliffords mother refused to believe it was her son so maybe it could have been the friend.

Interesting hypothesis, Mijada.
I'm wondering,too, if it's possible that Clifford's dad kidnapped them both, killed the friend immediately but kept Clifford alive (and on the move) for about a year (long enough to take those photos) but then either after Clifford tried to escape or tried to contact authorities about his friend's murder- killed Clifford and the reason he NEVER wanted to talk about it was that a double-homicide carries FAR more prison time than a kidnapping! I'd think that if Clifford were still alive and able to contact his mother, he'd have long since done so considering that his father's long since dead and the case has received major publicity over the decades!
Or maybe the photo was just one that no one else had seen earlier that somehow captured Clifford in a more mature-looking moment than had been normally seen.

It could also be possible, if in fact Nefi kidnapped Clifford, that he could have made up a bunch of lies about Frances or even told him that she had died. That way, he would never have reason to go find her. That could explain why, if he is still alive, he would never have tried to find her. That happens very much when ugly family custody battles turn to kidnapping. The kidnapper can tell the kid that the other parent (or guardian) is dead so they would never even think to look for them.

I may have to go back and check my tape of this case because I'm forgetting some details. There were also 4 daughters in Nefi's custody when Clifford vanished. I'm wondering how that worked out.

Originally posted by dynoguy88

I may have to go back and check my tape of this case because I'm forgetting some details. There were also 4 daughters in Nefi's custody when Clifford vanished. I'm wondering how that worked out.

That is another thing I've wondered about myself. If the dad kidnapped Clifford he obviously couldn't have had the daughters in his possesion at that time. They must have been in foster care. I think I remember it being mentioned in the story that the girls were taken from the father for a time but when they were returned to their dad they were never allowed to talk about Clifford. So that makes me wonder where Clifford was during the years after the girls went back with their father??????????

What a bogus segment this is. The whole thing about his mom not wanting to look at the dead body they found is absolutely ludicrous. That frustrates me so bad. Why would she not want to look at the body? If she "knew" it wasn't Clifford, why not look at the body and confirm it wasn't him to help another family who might be looking for their own child? How ridiculous. This never should have been profiled on Unsolved Mysteries.

I agree to a point with what you said Fuji - I mean the fact that two boys vanished on the same day (and apparently together) makes me wonder if George Gumbly's (Clifford's friend who vanished with him) was abducted at the same time it sort of disqualfies Tex Sherwood as the lead suspect in the boy's disappearance in my mind. Although it is a heartbreaking case

This segment was shown today and I think it's a legit UM case. Even today, Clifford Sherwood would be less than 60 years old, and the episode obviously dates back quite a while. I really don't have any opinion if the two boys were abducted together or if the father was responsible. I've never seen info other than the UM episode.

And I can fully understand why the mother wouldn't want to identify a body. You don't want that to be the last memory of your son, potentially a gruesome state. I can still picture two grandparents of mine, with tupes stuck all over their body while in the hospital battling fatal disease. That's my last image of them and it's hard to evict. Plus my little boyhood poodle dooger was killed by a car on Super Bowl Sunday. My last image of him was with the right side of his face smashed. There are plenty of people who can positively identify a body, not just immediate relatives.

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the corpse just the lower torso of a boy's body? If so, how would she have been able to identify him even if she did look?

And I can fully understand why the mother wouldn't want to identify a body. You don't want that to be the last memory of your son, potentially a gruesome state. I can still picture two grandparents of mine, with tupes stuck all over their body while in the hospital battling fatal disease. That's my last image of them and it's hard to evict. Plus my little boyhood poodle dooger was killed by a car on Super Bowl Sunday. My last image of him was with the right side of his face smashed. There are plenty of people who can positively identify a body, not just immediate relatives.
I agree with you in your case, but those were different situations. Wouldn't you rather identify them than go your whole life not knowing whether or not they are alive? This mother had the opportunity to identify a body that could have been her child's when her child had gone completely missing. It seems that any loving parent would try to identify the body to either keep hope alive or put closure to it all.

I don't know, I just think that old lady was... I don't know what the word is. I guess I just didn't like her.

I agree with you in your case, but those were different situations. Wouldn't you rather identify them than go your whole life not knowing whether or not they are alive? This mother had the opportunity to identify a body that could have been her child's when her child had gone completely missing. It seems that any loving parent would try to identify the body to either keep hope alive or put closure to it all.

I don't know, I just think that old lady was... I don't know what the word is. I guess I just didn't like her.

I know what you're saying. But if I remember correctly this happened in Quebec, a major population base not a small remote rural area where few people would know Clifford. Seems like there would be friends, teachers or other relatives besides than the mother who could positively identify with the same accuracy. People who would be less traumatized and impacted longterm by seeing him in potentially a butchered state. I guess I'm just not thrilled with the notion only parents can positively identify. Many of them undoubtedly insist on it, just to verify, but if it's not the case, like with Mrs. Sherwood, I don't think the authorities should insist or make a big deal of it.

dynoguy88 may be right, the more I think about it, a partial torso not an intact body. Perhaps that influenced her decision. It would mine.

Do you think its possible that Tex would maybe stop the kids and ask them for a ride?

Cliff would see the man and be like 'thats my dad' so they would both get in the car without any struggle. Tex could of took them both back to his house then at some point get the boys by themselves and kills George while Cliff is somewhere else.

Tex could of then asked Cliff to join him for their trip that lasted for those years till Tex came back with his daughters. During that time he could of set up a place for Cliff to live, etc.

It said that he (the father) continued to see the daughters on a regular basis, but I don't think they went back to living with him because it said they were in foster care for "the rest of their childhoods".

There is no way Clifford Sherwood is still alive. I'm sure his mother has passed away since the segment aired as well. She looked pretty old back in 1992.

What struck me was the mother's unwavering belief that her son was still alive. Why? Well, because she just knew he wasn't dead. Um, that isn't enough. For me at least.

As far as the picture of the "older" Clifford? I think she was mistaken. I think it was a photo of him that she had never seen. It was of him with his father, correct? Well, the pictures could have been taken when he was visiting his father. Of course the mom wouldn't remember the clothes or the picture.

As far as Tex not ever wanting to talk about Clifford? I think either he knew he was dead or that he was so distraght by his disappearance that it scarred him for life.

Long story short, a boy was walking home from school and went missing. The mother never ever let the thought enter her mind that he might be dead, and that's why we had a segment on UM 35 years later. I think if Frances Sherwood had kept an open mind (which I know is hard to do when your child is missing), then she would have come to realize that her son was dead, and would have tried to identify the torso of the boy found, or any other remains. But she was stubborn, and rightfully so. But don't go on TV 40 years later asking your son to come home unless you have some concrete evidence that he is still alive. A couple of pictures isn't enough.

Well it's 2006, the year the segment noted that Tex Sherwood's military records would be unsealed. Any updates?

I find it frustrating that Clifford's mom never veiwed the body the police wanted her to see. And I am also frustrated that there's no info on the boy that went missing with Clifford. I have done a little internet research and found Clifford's profile on the Doe Network:

http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/208dmqc.html

This profile doesn't mention the child that went missing with Clifford, but it does mention something that UM didn't: Apparently, a child identified as Clifford phoned his Aunt the day after he went missing. I don't know why they wouldn't have included that in the segment.

Well some of my thoughts on Clifford Sherwood. I do believe they said they found the torso of a child, right? If thats the case as a mother I don't think I could have looked at that and it would have been hard to identify a torso as your child's. Who knows what type of condition it was in. I still don't understand why Clifford's friend name wasn't publicized along with Clifford. If Clifford was abducted by his non-custodial father than wouldn't the parents of the other boy wonder what happened to their own son? Very strange.

Thanks for that link on the doe network!! I hadn't seen it before. Very interesting about the call to his aunt. I know that sometimes UM does leave out a few significant clues from each case so they will know whether the leads were credible or not. It would have added to the segment no doubt but perhaps they withheld it in case someone called the telecenter claiming to be Clifford and they wanted to see if he knew about the phone call. I wonder how many crackpots called the telecenter after the segment aired claiming they were Clifford.

In 2006 Tex Cliffords military records were to be turned over to his family. I suppose nothing came of it?

In 2006 Tex Cliffords military records were to be turned over to his family. I suppose nothing came of it?

I'm not sure. Short of a family member posting on here, I doubt we'll find out. The latest I heard about this case was that Clifford's mother passed away early last year some time. There was also a person who claimed to be related to the other missing boy, Georges Gumbley, who posted around that time. He mentioned a new theory that the boys decided to ditch school to go fishing and drowned.

I've posted my thoughts on this case before. I don't believe that Tex Sherwood had anything to do with Clifford's disappearance. Therefore I doubt that finding his military records would lead to anything significant. There is little doubt in my mind that Clifford and Georges were either abducted and killed, or drowned, and there is zero chance that they are still alive.

I'm not sure. Short of a family member posting on here, I doubt we'll find out. The latest I heard about this case was that Clifford's mother passed away early last year some time. There was also a person who claimed to be related to the other missing boy, Georges Gumbley, who posted around that time. He mentioned a new theory that the boys decided to ditch school to go fishing and drowned.

I've posted my thoughts on this case before. I don't believe that Tex Sherwood had anything to do with Clifford's disappearance. Therefore I doubt that finding his military records would lead to anything significant. There is little doubt in my mind that Clifford and Georges were either abducted and killed, or drowned, and there is zero chance that they are still alive.

As to the military records, 20 years after death is when they become public record. Anyone could request them now.

I could certainly see Tex abducted Clifford (it's unclear why he didn't take him in the first place when he took the daughters). His "double life," unusual reactions, and the picture of him and Clifford at least suggest it's not wholly implausible.

Georges is the wildcard. We know nothing about him. I suppose it's possible that Tex killed him (presumably, not in Clifford's presence, with Clifford thinking Georges was going back to Montreal), but that presumes Tex was capable, not just of parental kidnapping, but of murdering a child, a whole different type of crime.

Long time reader, first time poster. This case has always stuck out for me. (I would have posted sooner, but I couldn't remember the name of the boy.) I would have thought that something would have turned up. A body, some clue that led to an arrest or something like that. The segment on UM always left me with the impression that the father was involved somehow. I'm not sure if this was something intentional on their part or not. Either way, I'm still left with the feeling that the father was involved. Anyway, there's two more cents.

Long time reader, first time poster. This case has always stuck out for me. (I would have posted sooner, but I couldn't remember the name of the boy.) I would have thought that something would have turned up. A body, some clue that led to an arrest or something like that. The segment on UM always left me with the impression that the father was involved somehow. I'm not sure if this was something intentional on their part or not. Either way, I'm still left with the feeling that the father was involved. Anyway, there's two more cents.

The biggest problem I have with the Sherwood segment is that it is told entirely from the viewpoint of Clifford's mother, Frances Sherwood. She obviously believed that her ex-husband, Tex, kidnapped Clifford and raised him under a new identity and she seemed unwilling to entertain any other possibility.

The segment barely addresses the abduction of the second boy, Georges Gumbley. The fact that Georges and Clifford disappeared simultaneously leads me to believe they both suffered the same fate. They could have been the victims of a sexual predator. Or, they may have died accidentally and their bodies not recovered. A family member posted a few years back and revealed a new theory that they may have decided to skip school to go fishing at the local fishing spot, fell in and drowned.

As much as I love UM, the producers often took liberties and creative license with many of the stories. I think Frances Sherwood's perspective regarding her ex-husband's involvement in Clifford's disappearance made for some compelling television while the most likely conclusion to the case was probably much more mundane.

It's been a while since I've seen the segment but you're right. It would have been nice to hear other viewpoints on this. I guess I'm one of those types that would be prone to hold out hope that he would be found. But at this point, we may be down to just wanting closure.

I agree with your post Justin in that UM definitely seemed to slant this segment to incinuate that his father abducted him. Why not at least throw out that scenario that Georges' relative mentioned about the boys skipping school and had some sort of accident and drowned. That seems quite plausible...didn't they even show in the reenactment that Clifford and Georges were going to skip school that day and Clifford's best friend decided not to go with them and went on to school? It doesn't make any sense that Tex would abduct Clifford's friend and hide him all these years too. They also want you to think that since Clifford's father didn't want to talk about Clifford's disappearance and if pressed would get violent somehow makes him seem guilty. I always thought that could also be a reaction of grief on his point. Not being able to bear that his only son was out there missing and didn't want to talk about it.

BTW...has anyone checked Ancestry.com or other sites to see if any of the Canadian Service REcords from WW1 have been made available online? UK and Canadian Military records from both World Wars are sort of "hot" items now as so many US records were lost in the 1973 fire. Would simply be an interesting "tag" if we were able to see Tex's service records and get a little better glimpse at his past...for whatever it would be worth with regards to any resolution of this case.

I recently saw this segment for the first time.

Having watched it again, and done some reading on the internet (including the many posts by users of this website), I thought I would add my two pennies.

Given the fact that both Clifford Sherwood and his friend George Gumbley vanished together, and seemingly neither were ever found, the idea that Clifford's father Nephi "Tex" Sherwood was the abductor of both seems unlikely. As many posters have written, kidnapping both the son and his friend makes this theory less plausible. It would have been difficult to have hidden both boys, and for there never have been the tiniest trace all these years later; there has been some conjecture that Mr. Sherwood had murdered George and kept Clifford, but this remains conjecture. More plausibly, the boys were abducted by an unknown party, or had died accidentally (the theory of Mr. Gumbley's relative, of the boys skipping off from school to go fishing, and then drowning). However, there are a number of factors which can at least create a small amount of reasonable doubt to these likelihoods.

A policeman I knew years ago said to me: "First we have to eliminate the parts that are not possible" or something to that effect (I've been told that was paraphrased from Arthur Conan Doyle). In the case of Clifford Sherwood, there are a few details (some would say "wild cards", some "red herrings") which ought to be eliminated from consideration if there is to be something closer to certainty. Most likely, as stated, Nephi Sherwood was not connected to the disappearances, though the small possibility that he was involved could be eliminated if these aspects could be examined, and if possible, completely eliminated:

1. Mrs. Sherwood did not identify the remains of a young boy (said to be around the age of nine) found 100 miles from Montreal. Whilst it may have seemed like the best thing to do to put an end to feeling of "not knowing", it is doubtful that she could have made an accurate identification of these remains, a lower torso, as her son. As was stated, the lower torso was believed to have been where it was found for at least a year. It fits into the time frame of when the boys went missing, but given the limitations of forensic science in the mid-1950s, there was no way of being certain the remains were that of Clifford, even if Mrs. Sherwood had viewed them. I wonder if George's family was ever approached to identify them? I have noticed these unidentified remains are not listed on the Doe Network (which doesn't mean they were identified, of course, it just means their listings are not complete). But, were they identified as someone else? Were Clifford and George the only two missing boys from the area at that time? If there were, could any of these disappearances be linked to those of Clifford and George (any similarities, etc.)? If the remains can be traced now, a DNA sample could hopefully be extracted, and compared with the DNA of either the late Mrs. Sherwood or her daughters, or that of the Gumbley family, without anyone having to view a decomposed lower torso. This could either prove all along it was Clifford (or George) or rule out this avenue. Of course, only one body was found. If this body was proven to belong to George, it would raise questions certainly, but even this would not definitely implicate the involvement of Nephi Sherwood.

2. The photographs found among the belongings of Nephi Sherwood; they are another interesting point. He does appear to be older in these than when he vanished, but we all know photographs can be deceiving. If there was someone who could recall the last visit Mr. Sherwood had with his son, which I'm sure there sadly isn't, then some light could have been shed on these. So, they may or may not be evidence that Clifford lived on after his disappearance. I'm guessing that no other photographs were found which may have indicated a Clifford who was older still? The presence of such photos would certainly suggest he was taken by his father, but since none such have surfaced, the ones we have seen are not strong enough evidence of anything.

3. The man whose drivers' license was discovered, bearing the name Edward Clifford Sherwood, born March 30th, 1945; it may be a coincidence, or may not be. If the man could finally be tracked down, the case could be solved, or this clue eliminated completely.

Whilst eliminating these clues would not solve the case, there would be a somewhat clearer picture of what may have happened to the boys.

Other points of interest: Nephi Sherwood's whereabouts and activities during the time he had "dropped from sight" (I cannot remember the time frame); would they shed any light on the case? It is unlikely any information will surface regarding that aspect. It is interesting that his daughters were living in foster care during the time of the disappearance, but certainly does not prove anything. If he had been raising Clifford on his own, surely there would be some record (schools, etc.) of the boy during those years. It would seem nothing has been found, or it is private information the public would not be permitted to access.

The telephone call apparently made by Clifford to his aunt, as stated by the Doe Network and not mentioned on UM, is interesting. Of course, if it were Clifford, this would make it seem that abduction was more likely than an accidental death, but does not at all implicate Nephi Sherwood.

If Nephi Sherwood had indeed abducted his own son as well as the son's friend, he will have committed a perfect crime; neither the son nor his friend were ever located, and he himself was never seriously considered a suspect by law enforcement (or so it would seem). These perfect crimes have been committed in the past, but they are unlikely.

As a closing note, I have noticed that some sources list Nephi Sherwood's death as April 1976, and others (including UM) as 1987. The earlier one seems the more likely, I'm guessing, since thirty years onwards brings us to 2006, whereas twenty years from 1987 (as stated on UM) is 2007. It would seem that the wait, regardless of how long, for his military records to be unsealed, came to nothing in regards to information about Clifford. The only points of interest seemed that he stated he had never been married, nor had any children (correct me if I'm wrong). Of course, this too, unfortunately, does not prove anything.

I still can't believe nothing has come to light in this case. I still feel they need to test the torso they found to see if it is Clifford's or his missing friend's torso. With all the technology we have today, I don't see why not.

A policeman I knew years ago said to me: "First we have to eliminate the parts that are not possible" or something to that effect (I've been told that was paraphrased from Arthur Conan Doyle).

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

I am much obliged for that :)

The last time I was on here I didn't really know what I was talking about. Now I seem to have a little better grasp of things, however, I do come bearing bad news. Mustang_dan, who was actively gathering more information on Georges, passed away. This really took me back a bit.

Some information about me. Georges is/would have been my Great Uncle. In my home town I live right behind Georges brother (my grandfather).

I can understand why Georges was left out of the conversation throughout all of the television shows and newspaper articles. Our family seems to accept the situation for what it is. I'm not exactly on their side because I'd love to figure out what happened, but at the same time I'm hesitant to bring up the gloomy past.

I know my grandfather doesn't like talking about it. In fact, I believe they were asked to take part in the UM episode, but declined (I think my other great-uncle was willing to do it, I don't remember the exact details).

If you have any questions let me know. I just remembered this site after trying to find some working newspaper links to the Clifford Sherwood case but they all seem to be down.

Oh and another thing I mentioned awhile ago. When my grandparents lived in Verdun (moved away awhile ago) my mother was visiting and answered a home phone call. The person calling was asking for "Georgy". Take it for what it is I suppose. She was a little freaked out.

Jdog I e mailed you about your great uncle's case.

This is a very sad case. In my opinion the two boys decided to run away from home,go on an adventure,that kind of thing. They were both spotted hitchhiking in the area from what I have read on another site,so I think that rules out Clifford's father. Not wanting to cause his mother unnecessary anguish he telephoned his Aunt Hilda as a signal that he was alive and well.

I think Clifford decided to run away from home(I have also read he was living with his grandmother at the time,not his mother as depicted on UM) and though he didn't want anything more to do with his family I don't blame the mother who may well have been too ill to look after any of her children. I think Clifford and George decided to go their separate ways(was George a Francophone?)and I suspect foul play in George's disappearance. However sad it was that Clifford did not want to make contact with his natural family I think he probably still is alive and is the same man as the Edmonton person with the driving license having the same name and birthdate.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Clifford is still out there. If that is the case it is definitely frustrating seeing as though he is keeping 2 families in the dark.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Clifford is still out there. If that is the case it is definitely frustrating seeing as though he is keeping 2 families in the dark.
Much of this is speculation,but taking the photograph of Clifford looking older than his nine years and the clothes his mother did not recognize I would guess that Clifford made the journey to his father,who covered up the fact that he had made contact with him. He may also have been responsible for putting him through school with a false name maybe. Clifford would not have known the whereabouts of his sisters in any case and probably wanted to make a complete fresh start,however sad that seems to an outsider.

I think that some people are being a bit too harsh in their criticism of Frances Sherwood regarding the "identification of the body parts" issue. Her exact words in the segment were, "All they did was just read me what they'd found, didn't show me nothing". This doesn't sound like someone who flat out refused to look at the remains. In fact, in the mid-1950s, I could see law enforcement officers (all men, I'm sure) not even showing the remains to a "delicate" woman! This is not a criticism of Montreal authorities; just a guess based on what things were like in that era.

In any event, I'm not sure if anything would have come from her viewing the remains. The authorities believed it was a boy's lower body, and apparently it had been about a year since the person died. These facts suggest that the remains were in bad shape.

I think that some people are being a bit too harsh in their criticism of Frances Sherwood regarding the "identification of the body parts" issue. Her exact words in the segment were, "All they did was just read me what they'd found, didn't show me nothing". This doesn't sound like someone who flat out refused to look at the remains. In fact, in the mid-1950s, I could see law enforcement officers (all men, I'm sure) not even showing the remains to a "delicate" woman! This is not a criticism of Montreal authorities; just a guess based on what things were like in that era.

In any event, I'm not sure if anything would have come from her viewing the remains. The authorities believed it was a boy's lower body, and apparently it had been about a year since the person died. These facts suggest that the remains were in bad shape.

I agree with everything stated here, and they are all excellent points IMO. I can't imagine someone's fear of seeing a loved one (or anyone) deceased overriding a desire to find out what happened to his or her missing child. I never thought Frances Sherwood was any different.

I agree with everything stated here, and they are all excellent points IMO. I can't imagine someone's fear of seeing a loved one (or anyone) deceased overriding a desire to find out what happened to his or her missing child. I never thought Frances Sherwood was any different.

And with Georges being missing as well, did they call his parents in? Could it have been him?

I agree with everything stated here, and they are all excellent points IMO. I can't imagine someone's fear of seeing a loved one (or anyone) deceased overriding a desire to find out what happened to his or her missing child. I never thought Frances Sherwood was any different.
I definitely agree with you and the post above. I really don't see how viewing a torso would have helped. Sorry to be grisly, but could you really recognize your child by their torso, especially at an age when the child was dressing themselves already? Unless he had any scars or birthmarks in that area, I don't see how it could have helped, especially if the remains were in bad shape as implied. I think Frances made the right choice; she was given very little evidence that this was her son.

I think that they should try to do modern forensic testing on these remains not only in case they turn out to be from Clifford or Georges but more importantly to finally identify this poor boy whoever he is. Somebody else's family may be sitting around wonder what happened to a missing loved one. And he deserves to be identified all these years later.

This case really bothers me. I get chills during the beginning of the segment when the real Frances comes out of her home, a full 38 years after her child went missing.

I think either Clifford and his friend Georges were abducted and killed shortly after they went missing, or that the two died in an unfortunate accident. I remember reading a newspaper article (may have been on one of these older threads) about how Clifford and Georges liked to go fishing, and that there was a theory that one of them fell into the water and the other went in to help and they both were pulled by a strong current and drowned. I do think there was some wishful thinking on Clifford's mother's part, and that she truely believed Clifford was still alive. And they had some good evidence to go on (the man with the same name with the same birthdate, Tex Sherwood's refusal to discuss the case, etc.). But I don't think Tex had anything to do with Clifford's abduction. He would have had to have abducted or killed Georges, and I don't see any reason as to why he would have done that. I also don't see how two runaway young boys would have been able to survive and live to this day without the aid of someone else, who would have questioned the boys' real identity.

I think either Clifford and his friend Georges were abducted and killed shortly after they went missing, or that the two died in an unfortunate accident. I remember reading a newspaper article (may have been on one of these older threads) about how Clifford and Georges liked to go fishing, and that there was a theory that one of them fell into the water and the other went in to help and they both were pulled by a strong current and drowned. I do think there was some wishful thinking on Clifford's mother's part, and that she truely believed Clifford was still alive. And they had some good evidence to go on (the man with the same name with the same birthdate, Tex Sherwood's refusal to discuss the case, etc.). But I don't think Tex had anything to do with Clifford's abduction. He would have had to have abducted or killed Georges, and I don't see any reason as to why he would have done that. I also don't see how two runaway young boys would have been able to survive and live to this day without the aid of someone else, who would have questioned the boys' real identity.

I agree. I think that the photograph found with the father was from a previous visit and that Frances and her daughters assumed Clifford looked older because he was wearing clothing they had never seen before. I have seen pictures of myself at age nine where I looked thirteen because of different clothes/lighting/ facial expression, etc. I think they were mistaken that it was taken after Clifford disappeared. I honestly can't blame them for thinking Tex was involved due to his violent tendencies, including with Clifford was brought up in conversation. As much as he seems to have had severe anger issues, I doubt he would have abducted his son AND slain a young boy his son happened to be with. Also, how would he have known that the boys were going to ditch school? Sadly, I think the father was just a red herring.

I think the boys ran away, maybe for excitement/adventure and then encountered a predator or met with some accident such as drowning as you mentioned. I'm envisioning Tom Sawyer here: Two young boys having fun along the river fishing and such. It could have gone terribly wrong. I think it would have been very difficult for two nine-year-old boys to survive on their own without money or shelter. And if they had survived, I think they would have at least contacted home. Sadly, I think they are both deceased. I think more than likely something bad happened to them very swiftly after they ran away, as they were never spotted again.

I'm not sure. Short of a family member posting on here, I doubt we'll find out. The latest I heard about this case was that Clifford's mother passed away early last year some time. There was also a person who claimed to be related to the other missing boy, Georges Gumbley, who posted around that time. He mentioned a new theory that the boys decided to ditch school to go fishing and drowned.

I've posted my thoughts on this case before. I don't believe that Tex Sherwood had anything to do with Clifford's disappearance. Therefore I doubt that finding his military records would lead to anything significant. There is little doubt in my mind that Clifford and Georges were either abducted and killed, or drowned, and there is zero chance that they are still alive.

I am a granddaughter of "Tex Sherwood". I will be happy to tell what I know. My grandfather "Tex" is actually Edward Walter Thorne. After the UM broadcast my father, Clifford Thorne was contacted. What he found out was that not only did my grandfather have a family in Texas but also in Michigan and Canada. They all had the same picture of my grandfather. He had children named the same thing in most places, Edward, Clifford, Colleen, Hazel to name a few. After learning about the family in Canada, my father kept in touch with them for years. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2010 so information I have was what he told me prior to that.

When I read about the photograph of Clifford that seemed older, could it have been a picture of one of the other Clifford's that were his son, and that is why no one could recognize the boy or clothes.

Colleen, his daughter from Canada did try to access his military records but they would not release them to her because she could not prove he was her father. In Canada he went under the last name Sherwood. His military records were under the name Thorne. I was able to get a copy of his enlistment and he served in WW I.

From what I remember my father telling me is that... Frances or her family had said George's family had accepted the remains found even though they had not been positively identified. Unfortunately we may never really solve this mystery unless Clifford Sherwood or his children if he ever had any, come forward. I am sure if he ever did, sometime or another he would tell them the whole story.

If there are any questions I can answer, I will be more than glad to but I only have limited info which was passed on to me.

I am a granddaughter of "Tex Sherwood". I will be happy to tell what I know. My grandfather "Tex" is actually Edward Walter Thorne. After the UM broadcast my father, Clifford Thorne was contacted. What he found out was that not only did my grandfather have a family in Texas but also in Michigan and Canada. They all had the same picture of my grandfather. He had children named the same thing in most places, Edward, Clifford, Colleen, Hazel to name a few. After learning about the family in Canada, my father kept in touch with them for years. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2010 so information I have was what he told me prior to that.

When I read about the photograph of Clifford that seemed older, could it have been a picture of one of the other Clifford's that were his son, and that is why no one could recognize the boy or clothes.

Colleen, his daughter from Canada did try to access his military records but they would not release them to her because she could not prove he was her father. In Canada he went under the last name Sherwood. His military records were under the name Thorne. I was able to get a copy of his enlistment and he served in WW I.

From what I remember my father telling me is that... Frances or her family had said George's family had accepted the remains found even though they had not been positively identified. Unfortunately we may never really solve this mystery unless Clifford Sherwood or his children if he ever had any, come forward. I am sure if he ever did, sometime or another he would tell them the whole story.

If there are any questions I can answer, I will be more than glad to but I only have limited info which was passed on to me.

Wow, thanks for posting that information on here! It makes sense that if Tex had other children that the boy in the photo could have been Clifford's half-sibling. Sounds like Georges' family members believed the theory that he and Clifford had fallen into the water and drowned, which I tend to think is the most likely scenario as well.

I am a granddaughter of "Tex Sherwood"...
Thank you so much for posting! We are always grateful when family members and friends provide information.

Thanks for providing some insight into the "older" photo of Clifford. Based on your knowledge of your grandfather, do you think he was capable of kidnapping one of his own children (and Georges)? I've always had a hard time believing that theory.

On a personal note, my grandfather also had multiple families and named two of his sons the same name (his own). :rolleyes:

Haven't post here in a while regarding this case.

I talked to my Mom today and she mentioned that she had talked to her father (one of Georges brothers) about the case because I believe she was watching some cold case show and it just peeked her interest.

Anyways, apparently all of the information regarding the Gumbley side of the family not being involved with the case is not true. My grandfather told my mother that he and his father went searching by the river/lake after Georges' disappearance because the police at the time were not helping them out.

He also mentioned that his family being protestant may have been a factor in the police's lack of involvement. This is just speculation.

My grandfather never brings the case up himself, and does not give much information unless you really try, but who really wants to put someone through that? Because of this I find his side of the story very compelling considering how their family is perceived.

Below is the text of an obituary for Clifford's mother, copied off another site, as the original page can't be found, with a very important detail highlighted in red, which was not only not mentioned in the Unsolved Mysteries episode featuring the story, but quite the opposite was implied!

Also, the Unsolved Mysteries story gave the father's name as Tex. This article says he was "known as Nephi," which is a Latter Day Saints or Mormon name.

Mother held out hope for her missing son

Only her death ended 55-year vigil

THE GAZETTE
JANUARY 11, 2009

Frances Sherwood holds an early photo of herself with son, Clifford Sherwood, who disappeared in 1954 at the age of 9 with classmate George Gumby. Her long vigil for the return of her son ended with her death Friday.

For 55 years, Frances Sherwood never gave up hope that her son, Clifford, who vanished in 1954, would one day turn up on her Verdun doorstep.

Sherwood often vowed she would never die until she was reunited with her son.

It was a promise she was unable to keep.

On Jan. 7, she died at age 90 without knowing what happened to her boy. With her death, the mystery of her missing son remains unresolved.

Sherwood always believed her son and another boy, George Gumby, who disappeared the same day, had been kidnapped by her estranged husband.

Even though a badly decomposed torso that might have been Clifford was pulled from the St. Lawrence River one year after both boys vanished, Sherwood was adamant the body was not his.

"Unless parents have been through this themselves, they have no idea of the kind of pain a parent goes through when their child goes missing," Sherwood told The Gazette 10 years ago. "There is an emptiness that can never be replaced. Not knowing is the hardest part, but you can never lose hope, either."

Sherwood had lived in Toronto when she was married. She had four daughters and a son. She said while she was ill in hospital, her husband, known as Nephi, abandoned her, taking their four daughters to British Columbia.

At the time, Clifford was being cared for by his grandmother in Verdun. On Oct. 1, 1954, Clifford and classmate George Gumby disappeared while on their way to school. A police investigation turned up nothing.

There were no further leads until 1987, when the Missing Children's Network determined that a Clifford Sherwood was living in Edmonton. He had the same birth date as the missing boy. But that was about the extent of it.

Sherwood's father was able to prove he was on the West Coast when his son disappeared, and police ruled him out as a suspect. Sherwood never wavered in her faith that she would see her son again.

"I don't want to interfere in his life; I just want to know he's alive," she said. "I'd also love to see him. Everyone will know when he comes home, too. I'll let out a whoop and a holler."

The case was featured on the U.S. television show Unsolved Mysteries in 1992. But the program only added to the puzzle. Did the boy make a telephone call to his aunt Hilda the day after he vanished? Was Nephi Sherwood somehow involved, and why did he have an alias, Edward Thorne? If he had his son abducted, why was George Gumby kidnapped? And what ever happened to George Gumby?

Frances Sherwood served as a poster mom for the Missing Children's Network, a song was written about her and she and became something of a local folk hero.

"She was an exceptional woman who truly exemplified courage, dignity and strength," Pina Arcamone, the Network's director-general, is quoted as saying on the group's website.

Below is the text of an obituary for Clifford's mother, copied off another site, as the original page can't be found, with a very important detail highlighted in red, which was not only not mentioned in the Unsolved Mysteries episode featuring the story, but quite the opposite was implied!

Also, the Unsolved Mysteries story gave the father's name as Tex. This article says he was "known as Nephi," which is a Latter Day Saints or Mormon name.

Mother held out hope for her missing son

Only her death ended 55-year vigil

THE GAZETTE
JANUARY 11, 2009

Frances Sherwood holds an early photo of herself with son, Clifford Sherwood, who disappeared in 1954 at the age of 9 with classmate George Gumby. Her long vigil for the return of her son ended with her death Friday.

For 55 years, Frances Sherwood never gave up hope that her son, Clifford, who vanished in 1954, would one day turn up on her Verdun doorstep.

Sherwood often vowed she would never die until she was reunited with her son.

It was a promise she was unable to keep.

On Jan. 7, she died at age 90 without knowing what happened to her boy. With her death, the mystery of her missing son remains unresolved.

Sherwood always believed her son and another boy, George Gumby, who disappeared the same day, had been kidnapped by her estranged husband.

Even though a badly decomposed torso that might have been Clifford was pulled from the St. Lawrence River one year after both boys vanished, Sherwood was adamant the body was not his.

"Unless parents have been through this themselves, they have no idea of the kind of pain a parent goes through when their child goes missing," Sherwood told The Gazette 10 years ago. "There is an emptiness that can never be replaced. Not knowing is the hardest part, but you can never lose hope, either."

Sherwood had lived in Toronto when she was married. She had four daughters and a son. She said while she was ill in hospital, her husband, known as Nephi, abandoned her, taking their four daughters to British Columbia.

At the time, Clifford was being cared for by his grandmother in Verdun. On Oct. 1, 1954, Clifford and classmate George Gumby disappeared while on their way to school. A police investigation turned up nothing.

There were no further leads until 1987, when the Missing Children's Network determined that a Clifford Sherwood was living in Edmonton. He had the same birth date as the missing boy. But that was about the extent of it.

Sherwood's father was able to prove he was on the West Coast when his son disappeared, and police ruled him out as a suspect. Sherwood never wavered in her faith that she would see her son again.

"I don't want to interfere in his life; I just want to know he's alive," she said. "I'd also love to see him. Everyone will know when he comes home, too. I'll let out a whoop and a holler."

The case was featured on the U.S. television show Unsolved Mysteries in 1992. But the program only added to the puzzle. Did the boy make a telephone call to his aunt Hilda the day after he vanished? Was Nephi Sherwood somehow involved, and why did he have an alias, Edward Thorne? If he had his son abducted, why was George Gumby kidnapped? And what ever happened to George Gumby?

Frances Sherwood served as a poster mom for the Missing Children's Network, a song was written about her and she and became something of a local folk hero.

"She was an exceptional woman who truly exemplified courage, dignity and strength," Pina Arcamone, the Network's director-general, is quoted as saying on the group's website.
How interesting. TY for sharing. I think this means both boys were taken together by a stranger and UM got it very wrong.

Mrs Sherwood was compelling television. Even documentary and true crime type programs need to be compelling and interesting to stay on the air. UM told the story from Mrs Sherwood's point of view because it was the most interesting option. They touched on the other possibilities.

Does anyone have any new information? I'm related to George Gumbley's brother.

Did Georges's family accept the remains found as his? If so, perhaps they buried them and they could be located and tested to see if their DNA matched the family's or the Sherwood family's. Hopefully this proves the case and the remains were not misplaced like Adam Walsh's head. I tried contacting law enforcement in the area and got an unsatisfactory answer or no answer.

Did Georges's family accept the remains found as his? If so, perhaps they buried them and they could be located and tested to see if their DNA matched the family's or the Sherwood family's. Hopefully this proves the case and the remains were not misplaced like Adam Walsh's head. I tried contacting law enforcement in the area and got an unsatisfactory answer or no answer.

No, they did not.

I just posted the latest article to my blog and its about the case of Clifford Sherwood and Georges Gumbley. A lot of info not mentioned in UM:

https://lostnfoundblogs.com/f/remembered-forgotten-clifford-sherwood-georges-gumbley

I just posted the latest article to my blog and its about the case of Clifford Sherwood and Georges Gumbley. A lot of info not mentioned in UM:

https://lostnfoundblogs.com/f/remembered-forgotten-clifford-sherwood-georges-gumbley

Great write up.

I still think Tex had nothing to do with their disappearance, and that the theory of them accidentally drowning makes the most sense to me.

This case from before Clifford Sherwood has just been solved.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/babes-in-the-woods-identified-1.6352438?fbclid=IwAR04F6DJOBOYIRqdiklnvjx291p22WcVEHxCpiJ4CNRP5tz4RSUKZQ79nqY

This case from before Clifford Sherwood has just been solved.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/babes-in-the-woods-identified-1.6352438?fbclid=IwAR04F6DJOBOYIRqdiklnvjx291p22WcVEHxCpiJ4CNRP5tz4RSUKZQ79nqY
Awesome they finally solved that.

This case came up on my playlist. I want to make sure I understand this: the police didn’t show her the unidentified remains, they just read to the report to her and she decided they didn’t belong to Clifford? The remains really need to be exhumed. I guess by now it’s up to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Clifford’s sisters to to press for this. I hope they do so someday.

This case came up on my playlist. I want to make sure I understand this: the police didn’t show her the unidentified remains, they just read to the report to her and she decided they didn’t belong to Clifford? The remains really need to be exhumed. I guess by now it’s up to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Clifford’s sisters to to press for this. I hope they do so someday.

I have NEVER been able to learn whether these remains were preserved and whether anyone knows where they are now! Has anyone else? These should be tested against relatives of Clifford and Georges to at least rule them out! Thank you.