I've been thinking a lot lately about the death of a boy from the Dallas, TX area where I grew up. His name was Kim Nguyen, an 8 year old autistic boy from Garland, Texas who disappeared outside his home in 1993. If I'm remembering correctly, Kim could not speak and had the mental development of a 2 year old child. After a frantic 11 day search, some teenagers found Kim's body in a field near a freeway intersection just a few miles from my home in Mesquite, Texas. He had been kidnapped and murdered, and his body was badly decomposed.

Kim's case has haunted me for years. It seemed like the case went cold very quickly and was forgotten by most of the community. After a few days of research I've learned that there were never any suspects, leads, or even a cause of death. There was only a suspicion that the disappearance of some missing posters in the boy's area may have been connected with the killer. There is almost no information about him on the internet besides a few newspaper archives. Not even a photograph. The interviews with Kim's father Rudolph Nguyen are just heartbreaking.

I just feel like Kim, like so many others, has been forgotten. He never got the attention of Natalie Holloway, Lacy Peterson, or even Amber Hagerman (who disappeared just a couple years later across town, and for whom the Amber Alert is named).

Does anyone on the board remember this case? Are there any forgotten cases like this that are close to your heart? I thought there might at least be a chance that someone out there remembers like I do, and might come across my post some day on an internet search.

I think I vagley remember it. There was a case that sounds like this that was on UM once although I am not sure if it was the same one. Who would want to do this to any child is really beyond me. But this happens all too often in towns where the case goes cold fast and the case while it remains open doesnt have investigators on it because there is too much stuff going on. It is quite sad. I am sure it was the killer tearing down the missing person's posters. The killer would be the only person with motive to do that. It is so sad whenever I hear about a child being kidnapped. I dont know if it is better that their bodies are found or not. I guess if their bodies arent found you can always hold out that slim hope that they are alive. Like here in Minnesota, Jacob Wetterling who disapperaed in 1989 was a huge one that I believe generated national attention. Like when he would have graduated in 1996 the school actually gave his parents a high school diploma in his name and stuff. Most people assume Wetterling is dead but because his body hasnt been found there is slim hope. I think there was a prisoner once who claimed that Wetterling was sold into child prostituion in Europe but dont know if that is true.

People theorize that Jacob Wetterling was sold into child prostitution? Man, that's messed up. Wetterling and I are about the same age and I remember when he went missing. My mom quit letting me ride my bike without my older brother around... :/

It's funny that you'd mention him. I was just thinking about his case the other day, wondering if there had been any developments.

In my area there was an abduction/murder of a little girl (about 10 years old) named Christina Williams. This happened in 1998 I believe. This wasn't on Unsolved Mysteries, but it did get national attention and I think it was on America's Most Wanted.

She was last seen walking her dog in the Fort Ord area of Monterey, CA. Somebody said they saw her in a car with two men. There were sketches made, but nothing ever came of them. Her body was found about 3 months after her abduction.

After a couple of years, the parents moved away and I never hear anything about it. It makes me sick that these 2 cowards could have gotten away with this and are still potentially hurting young girls.

In my opinion, child molesters and killers are the worst scum of society and should be isolated on an island together so they can have their way with each other.

I'm from Arlington where Amber Hagerman was abducted, but I can't remember the Nguyen case offhand. With Jacob Wetterling, though, it's great that his family keeps his case active and has even started a very active foundation for missing children.

Some other missing children I can think of offhand are:

The Baskins - Many of us are familiar with this case off UM.

Mark Himebaugh - Vanished in 1991 from New Jersey and was never recovered. More info at http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/himebaugh_mark.html. Very sad case.


Tiffany Sessions - College student in Florida missing in 1989. Believed to have been abducted. More at http://www.tiffanysessions.com/.

Kevin Collins - One of the first cases to gather national media attention. http://www.find-missing-children.org/Posters/poster593.htm.

Etan Patz - Before Collins, the first missing child to gather national attention. Missing in 1979, declared dead in 2001, one man ruled responsible for his murder by a judge. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/patz_etan.html.

More about these cases is available on Google.

I remember him. I grew up in Garland and was around 10 at the time. My mom even helped the neighborhood moms in the search. For some reason we were discussing autism tonight and it reminded me of him. I was curious what the official cause of death was.

I remember him. I grew up in Garland and was around 10 at the time. My mom even helped the neighborhood moms in the search. For some reason we were discussing autism tonight and it reminded me of him. I was curious what the official cause of death was.
I'm so glad you remember him too. After I originally posted this thread, I heard from a family member of Kim's. The family member was not able to provide any information. The detective in the case said he would have to rely on a confession because there was no evidence to go on. Obviously, no confession is forthcoming. :( The family member expressed their gratitude at the community for helping to search for Kim and for rallying around the family when they were grieving. I still hope that their is justice for this terrible crime.