Hi everyone,
I'm a longtime fan of "Unsolved Mysteries." I was wondering if anyone knows any information/details on when(the date) Gary Grant Jr. was murdered. I know it was in New Jersey somewhere. Does someone have any information? thanks Erin.. ps this story was aired on "Unsolved Mysteries" sometime in the late 80's or early 90's, but the date of the airing I'm not sure of. If anyone knows the date of when the case aired, please tell me in this reply and please respond back.

Originally posted by Lu/RosaFan429
I was wondering if anyone knows any information/details on when(the date) Grary Grant Jr was murdered I know it was in new jersey some where does someone have any information.... thanks Erin ps this story was aired on "Unsolved Mysteries" sometime in the late 80's or early 90's but the date of the airing i'am not sure of but if anyone knows that date of when the case aired pleae tell me in this reply and pleae respond back

I'm not sure the airdate, but I am positive that the segment in question aired sometime during the 1993-94 season.

At the end of the segment, Robert Stack mentioned that Gary Grant, Jr. would have been 17 at the time if he had lived. As you'll recall, Gary Grant, Jr. was murdered in January of 1984. He was only seven years old.

did they ever do an update on the gary grant case?
just how stupid can the cops be!!??
they charge a 12 year old boy who is much smaller than the 7 year old with murder saying he bludgeoned him to death?! gimme a break!

This case took place in my area, actually in the city right next to mine. There has been no update, unfortunatley.

i wonder if carl mason knows anything, as i remember it they said there was some doubt if he had not been at the crime scene, though he did not do it

Today's episode...actually, it's still playing out here...anyway, they covered the story of Gary Grant Jr., who was murdered by an unknown person who used a pipe, and the murder had been unsolved for 9 years at the time of the broadcast, I believe. Does anyone know if there are any updates on this case? I don't know why, but I just found this case very interesting and took it to heart. Who would want to do that to a 7 year old boy? Does anybody have any information on this case, or is it still unsolved?

Thanks.

I feel there is a lot more behind Gary Grant Jr's appointment then most people think and feel it is highly likely he knew his killer. Gary could have very easily stopped off at a friends house to play for awhile and then went to meet this person (or people) and this meeting ended in his death.

The question in my mind is who did Gary Grant Jr. go to meet? - Was it Boo Mason? - Was it somebody he thought he could trust?

Gary Grant Jr. could have very easily been lured by someone he thought he trusted possibly an older aquiantance and was killed by this person. It doesn't have to be a child that Gary Grant Jr. could have had the appointment with - he might have known somebody a bit older than he who knew someone and they got into an altercation and during this altercation Grant was killed.

It is equally possible that the motive behind the killing could have been revenge for one of his fathers police arrests. The problem is having googled the search and finding nothing and assuming the case is still unsolved this avenue has produced no strong leads over the myriad of years since the murder took place. I strongly believe that Gary Grant knew his killer and his killer was whomever Grant had the "appointment" with - I do not believe this was a random act of violence but something that was pre-planned and thought out well in advance. As far as Boo Mason goes it is easy to clear his name based on his mental state and perhaps he is innocent - the only problem is if Gary Grant Jr. was indeed killed by someone in his age group somebody else knows something about it but they are not talking - but they know

Later.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, DarkDante. I agree with you. I think Gary Grant Jr. knew his killer, and that he was indeed older than him, and he was the person he told his mom he had the "appointment" with.
I am sad to hear that this case has gone cold though. I was hoping it had been solved, although it has been over 20 years since the murder. :(

I live five miles from Atlantic City, so this hits close to home. Sadly, it hasn't been solved.

Oh, I'm sorry, MikeAssad.

I haven't forgotten that case. One of the things I remember about the segment was that someone wrote graffiti, making references to Gary Grant Jr.'s murder. Part of the graffiti said "payback is an MF." The graffiti led to a theory that someone killed the boy out of revenge. The boy's father, Gary Grant, Sr., was unable to recall any incident where someone vowed to get even with him (Gary, Sr.). If the unknown killer was motivated by revenge, it could be very well that the person didn't want Gary Sr. to know that he/she was going to get even with him until it was too late. It is possible that the unknown killer was someone Gary Sr. once arrested, and wanted to pay him back by hurting him in some way. And murdering his son might have been that "some way."

According to the UM segment, Gary Sr. is barred from officially working on the case. There's probably a very good reason for it: I suspect that his fellow officers were concerned that he'd take the case so personally that he would be unable to investigate it objectively. In other words, having him officially investigate the murder of his own son could be seen as a conflict of interest.

There is no way Carl Mason killed Gary Grant Jr. He only "confessed" so they would leave me alone. Pretty dodgy police work, they should have sent in a psychologist to help with the interview process.

The killer is most likely somebody who is plotting revenge against Gary's father for an arrest he made. This seems plausible and explains the graffiti on the cop car.

I bet whoever wrote "payback is a M.F." on the man's car has an idea of who did it. They should go looking for thugs who don't like to curse.

Any??

Any??

Not to my knowledge. Sorry.

Did Gary know his killer? He told his mother that he had an "appointment" on the day of the murder but also told her that it was a secret and he couldn't say who he was meeting with.

Also, did Boo know more than he was telling? I seem to recall that he missed a question on the polygraph pertaining to if he had any knowledge of the killer's identity.

This is reaching, but I wonder if someone approached Gary and told him he was a friend of his Dad's and needed to talk to him about something (remember Cicilia Newball's surprise "baby shower" / viewing the video of her husband kissing another woman) and it went from there. Perhaps Gary told Boo about the meeting and inadvertently put his life in danger but Boo was too scared to talk.

I think Gary did know his killer and it was whomever he had the appointment with that day. It could've been an adult or a child, just depends on how trusting Gary Grant Junior was.

Just my take.

any updates on this one?

I don't think so. It seemed that several months back dynoguy said he had some contact with Gary's father via the internet and he indicated the case was still unsolved.

Having just watched this segment, one of the first things that struck me was that the mother allowed the 7 year-old to go off on his own for several hours in Atlantic City. I am not blaming the mother as this was 1984 and children seemed to have more freedom back in those days but that was one of the first things that I noticed upon watching this one. Times have changed as I suspect that any parent allowing their 7 year-old that much freedom today would be pilloried in the media if anything happened to that child.

The fact that Gary Grant Jr,. used the word "appointment" is intriguing.

I know of no child that would use that word for playtime or to meet his friends.

It sounds like Gary was told that this "meeting" would be an important one and that the person he was meeting referred to it as an appointment.

I kind of think that if it was a revenge killing, Gary Grant Sr would know who the person was that did it.

There would have to be a person he arrested that would stick out in his mind.

Not knowing Grant Sr. history, is there any chance he could of been involved with corruption?

What type of police officer was Gary Grant Jr? Was he just a patrol officer, or had he been in narcotice, vice or some other special unit at some point.

This was one of the saddest cases I've seen on UM.

One of the thoughts I had was maybe gang retaliation. Maybe Gary Sr arrested a gang member and perhaps someone affiliated with that gang decided to get back at Gary through his son. My other guess would be maybe a pedophile. There definitely wasn't the technology back then that we have now to identify child predators. If there was one in the area and especially if they figured out that Gary's dad was a cop, that person could have gotten revenge on Gary, Jr.

I never believed Boo Mason killed Gary. I do think he knew more than what he was telling. I think he witnessed Gary's death and was threatened to keep his silence.

Maybe by the word "appointment" Gary meant he was going to fight someone. Maybe it was Boo?

But the messages on the car and on the wall for me say without a shadow of a doubt that it was an adult who killed Gary, he knew the date of the killing and he wrote on a car which isn't something a kid could do.

Can't believe it is unsolved still :(

It is also possible that the graffitis aren't directly linked to Gary Grant Jr's murder. We have no direct evidence that the graffitis was made by the same person or persons responsible for the murder. Sure it's chilling, but like in Rachel Runyan's case it could simply be someone who did these graffitis just for kinks or for a prank.

Also, the news murder of any child would circulate around quickly on the news, but the murder of a policeman's son would even more. So we cannot exclude that the graffiti on Gary Grant Sr's car wasn't made by pranksters or gangs either.

According to the second graffiti another person was supposed to be attacked and /or murdered around the anniversary of the murder. Yet nothing has surfaced. If the suspect has really scribbled that warning something would have had happened on that date. The fact that nothing has suggests that it was a prank or that the guy died/was arrested/moved away.

Bumping this because I watched the segment this afternoon.

I tend to agree that there is more to the "appointment" that little Gary mentioned. Maybe an adult promised him something if he would meet him at a certain place and time. Think of how Laura Burbank's killer conned her into meeting with him under the premise that she was going to help him train some monkeys. Maybe Gary Jr felt all grown-up having an "appointment" to keep, and this was an advantage for the killer. Though it does seem like scheduling to meet the victim ahead of time would have carried some risk. Imagine if Gary's mom had pushed for more information and found out some adult was trying to meet with her son that day. She and/or Gary Sr and his fellow cops could have gone to confront this person, and there would be a lot of explaining to do.

As for the graffiti, yeah, it could have been written by the killer(s), or maybe just by someone with a grudge against cops. I don't think we'll ever know for sure.

Incredibly sad story indeed.

Bumping this because I watched the segment this afternoon.

I tend to agree that there is more to the "appointment" that little Gary mentioned. Maybe an adult promised him something if he would meet him at a certain place and time. Think of how Laura Burbank's killer conned her into meeting with him under the premise that she was going to help him train some monkeys. Maybe Gary Jr felt all grown-up having an "appointment" to keep, and this was an advantage for the killer. Though it does seem like scheduling to meet the victim ahead of time would have carried some risk. Imagine if Gary's mom had pushed for more information and found out some adult was trying to meet with her son that day. She and/or Gary Sr and his fellow cops could have gone to confront this person, and there would be a lot of explaining to do.

As for the graffiti, yeah, it could have been written by the killer(s), or maybe just by someone with a grudge against cops. I don't think we'll ever know for sure.

Incredibly sad story indeed.

That's the thing. If this killer knew Gary before hand and became his friend. I have to think that he eventually figured that Gary;s father was a cop. Or 's Gary Jr. even told the guy. That's one hell of a risk to try to kill a cop's kid.

As for the graffiti, yeah, it could have been written by the killer(s), or maybe just by someone with a grudge against cops. I don't think we'll ever know for sure.

How many people would no the exact date of Gary's death, though. If it was written it was done by someone who planned to do it to the car. It wasn;t a spur of the moment thing.

It's not impossible that the writer of that message just knew of the events of Gary Grant Jr's murder and was not the actual killer. Like a member of street gang or had heard word through the street that gang members killed a police officers son.

Hi everyone I knew Gary Grant Sr. and Jr. My Mother grew up with Gary Sr. all her life. Gary Grant Jr. was a good kid. I was born and raised in Atlantic City all my life and know about this case pretty well. Some of us believe that the graffiti on the car was done by an adult family or friend of the person who did the killing, to throw the Police off, to make them think it was revenge from his Dad's Police arrest. Because they were following up on a few things and wanted to throw the Police off and they did. After that the never got back on track. I know Boo Mason and believe he and another man did this. Back in those days in Atlantic City you kept your mouth shut. It was for safety & Honor. Boo knew to keep his mouth shut. Today if they would take a lie detector test on Boo, they would see he knew something about it first hand. Gary Sr. no longer lives anywhere near Atlantic City and if anyone believes he didn't have a few people pissed at him, they are dreaming. All cops have a few people pissed at them. He worked the City Beat and Patrolled in his A.C.P.D. car. He was always working the streets. I guess we will never know the whole truth about this story. But we all form our own beliefs about it. I am only going on the things I know from growing up around this first hand.

R.I.P. Gary Grant Jr.

Two other theories has come to mind regarding this case.

1. What if this is another Norman Ladner/Scott Johnson/Boys on the Tracks scenario?

Where Gary had discovered some illegal activity and was killed for witnessing it?

Imagine that Gary jr, being the son of a cop, wanted to play cop. (perhaps along with his friend Boo). Perhaps he saw something a couple of weeks back and decided he would observe it and later tell his Dad about it. Perhaps older kids dealing drugs. Perhaps this was what his big "appointment" was? Gary may have been caught by these people and was killed to quiet him. These people may have not even known that he was a Cop's son.

2. What if Gary was simply beaten and killed by bullies? As the detectives said the injuries were not beyond Boo Mason's capabilities. I can;t imagine they would be difficult a pre-teen. It may simply be one tough older kid who perhaps got bothered by Gary and Boo. Perhaps Gary defended Boo, and was hurt because of it.

I'm not sure the airdate, but I am positive that the segment in question aired sometime during the 1993-94 season.

At the end of the segment, Robert Stack mentioned Gary Grant, Jr. would have been 17 at the time if he had lived. As you'll recall, Gary Grant, Jr. was murdered in January of 1984. He was only seven years old.

There is an update to the story on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/gary.l.grantdaley

Thank you very much for your concern,
Gary L. Grant Sr.

Thank you, Mr. Grant! I have sent a request to be added as your friend on facebook...I am looking forward to more news about your son's murder.

Facebook group is here:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54697028028

The facebook is great.

Mr. Grant mentioned there, that sometimes he will get comments from people asking "why are you so obsessed with this?"

I was reading a newspaper article about Joyce McLain and it had a comments section. In february of this year, her mother commented several times. People were really horrible there, saying awful things about how she should let an old unsolved murder go because it's a "waste" of taxpayer dollars, and a bunch of other negative, hurtful things like how they were sick of reading about the story in the paper. (Then why not skip it, you know?)

I just cannot understand how anyone could have absolutely NO sympathy for the parent, and also no concept of how their "just let it go" attitude is impossible for the parent of a murdered child to accept. I don't think I've ever read about a parent who has ever just let their child's murder or disappearnce "go" just because it's an old unsolved cold case. How can anyone post such a comment directly to a grieving parent is beyond me.

I just wanted to say that it is great what technology is doing for these cases and keeping the memories alive of these victims. I can't imagine how it must be for the family of the victims...I know time stands still w/ events like this and that 25 years is nothing. I wish we could have a conclusion to this case. I, too, think Mason had something to do w/ this. I just wish the whole story could come out.

On a side note, on Gary's facebook, I thought that was a picture of Dennis Farina for a second.

I was reading a newspaper article about Joyce McLain and it had a comments section. In february of this year, her mother commented several times. People were really horrible there, saying awful things about how she should let an old unsolved murder go because it's a "waste" of taxpayer dollars, and a bunch of other negative, hurtful things like how they were sick of reading about the story in the paper. (Then why not skip it, you know?)

I just cannot understand how anyone could have absolutely NO sympathy for the parent, and also no concept of how their "just let it go" attitude is impossible for the parent of a murdered child to accept. I don't think I've ever read about a parent who has ever just let their child's murder or disappearnce "go" just because it's an old unsolved cold case. How can anyone post such a comment directly to a grieving parent is beyond me.

It never fails to disgust me when people do that. :mad: But I take comfort in knowing that such people are obviously in the minority. That kind of attitude shows just how ignorant they really are. In fact, it makes me want to pull a Bernard Shaw and ask them if they would take their own advice and "let it go" if a killer got away with murdering someone they love.

I just cannot understand how anyone could have absolutely NO sympathy for the parent, and also no concept of how their "just let it go" attitude is impossible for the parent of a murdered child to accept. I don't think I've ever read about a parent who has ever just let their child's murder or disappearnce "go" just because it's an old unsolved cold case. How can anyone post such a comment directly to a grieving parent is beyond me.

Those kind of people are so ignorant! Murder victims cannot speak for themselves, so it's up to the family and friends of the victim to speak for them. Isn't that the whole point of tv shows like Unsolved Mysteries? That's the reason I've been a UM follower for all these years, all those poor victims need a voice.

Those kind of people are so ignorant! Murder victims cannot speak for themselves, so it's up to the family and friends of the victim to speak for them. Isn't that the whole point of tv shows like Unsolved Mysteries? That's the reason I've been a UM follower for all these years, all those poor victims need a voice.

UMfan77, great minds think alike! :cool:

Yes, the point of a show like UM is to give the victims a voice. Besides, if they don't do it, who will?

Like TracyLynnS, I've never read about anyone who had a loved one mysteriously murdered and then "let it go." Who in their right mind would take such asinine advice? If you "let it go", the murderer wins! (And so do your detractors!)

I'd like to commend Mr. Grant for his dedication and second everyone's remarks. I know firsthand what it's like to be obsessed over MUCH less vital matters. Shame on those people who are negative and judgmental! :mad:

I don't use facebook and have no pass for it. What does his webpage say? Has there been an update?

Gary's father, Gary Sr., sent a facebook message yesterday, January 14, the 26th anniversary of Gary's murder.

For those without facebook, I will paste the info section from his memorial FB page:
Gary Grant Sr. is still waiting for someone to be arrested in the killing of his son, Gary Jr., 25 years ago.
handout




Gary Grant Sr. hoped to close the case of his son’s slaying 25 years ago.
The retired police officer is still waiting.

In 1984, a then-12-year-old boy admitted to bludgeoning Gary Grant Jr. to death near a warehouse in Atlantic City, and then covering the 7-year-old’s body with a rug.

But Carl Mason, known as “Boo” in their Ducktown neighborhood, was never tried for the crime. The state lost its only real evidence when a judge threw out the boy’s confession, saying police “trampled on (his)constitutional rights” with an overnight interview without a guardian present.

Now living in Puerto Rico, Grant has not heard anything about the case since before his retirement eight years ago. He recently started a Facebook page hoping someone will have new information that can bring a conviction in his son’s killing — and a sense of resolution.



The “Memory of Gary L. Grant Jr.” group has nearly 300 members. There are no tips, just words of encouragement and a few memories. But Grant is hopeful that one day someone will speak out.
He still believes Mason killed his son, but wonders whether the boy acted alone. He thinks the preteen’s older brother — arrested on robbery charges just days before the killing — may have tried to get young Gary involved in a scheme in which he allegedly used children to break into homes.

“I believe they were going to force Gary to do something that he didn’t want to do, and he threatened to tell me about it,” Grant said.

After all, little Gary would have known what to do if he found out about something illegal. His dad was a veteran Atlantic City police officer.

Grant was coaching basketball at Our Lady Star of the Sea when his daughter came to the gym Jan. 12, 1984, and asked if he had seen little Gary. Sometimes he would come to help his dad coach.

It was about 4 in the afternoon. Not yet time to worry.

Gary had left his home on the 2500 block of Arctic Avenue about noon, telling his mother, May, he had “an appointment” at 2:30 p.m.

“Someone had to tell him to say that,” Grant said recently. “Seven-year-olds don’t talk like that.” That evening, he got call.

May Grant — who was separated from her husband — said Gary still wasn’t home. Officer Grant called out sick and started looking for his son.

All day Friday, Jan. 13, he was joined by officers, family and friends in the search for Gary.

“I’m just walking around aimlessly hoping to bump into him,” Grant told The Press of Atlantic City at the time.

He said he walked across the empty lot on the 100 block of North California Avenue as he passed out pictures of the missing boy. He never ventured near the warehouse there. That was probably for the best.

At 3:30 p.m. Jan. 14, Robert Hughey found the second-grader’s body in the lot. Hughey — then the state Department of Environmental Protection commissioner — said at the time that he decided to check the warehouse he owned after reading about Gary’s disappearance.

Grant was driving up California Avenue when he saw all the cars in the middle of the street. That’s how he found out his son was dead.

Less than a day later, Mason said he beat Gary to death with a pipe, then covered the body with a rug. But Superior Court Judge John Himmelberger threw out the confession, saying Mason was unreliable and it could not be admitted into evidence. Without it, the case was dropped and Mason freed.

Meanwhile, Grant continued working as a police officer. He was assigned to the same neighborhood where his son’s body was found: “I had to ride by the park God only knows how many times a day.”

But Grant’s job didn’t make access to information easier.

“I think I was actually shut out more than the average citizen would have been,” he said. “I would call the Prosecutor’s Office and ask Major Crimes if anything was happening, and they would never get back to me.”

But Grant was an investigator by nature and occupation. He kept tabs on the case and did some of his own police work.

He didn’t like what he found.

“I wrote a letter to the Attorney General’s Office telling them there were some things that should have been done and they weren’t,” Grant said. “The gentleman who found the body was never even interviewed. Not until I went to his house and interviewed him.”

That’s when Grant said he was pulled off the case entirely.

“I understand there are some things you have to distance yourself from as a cop,” he said. “Even when I was following the investigation on my own, if I thought there was one inkling the person could become a suspect, I wouldn’t talk to them. I advised Major Crimes of every single contact I made or anyone who made contact with me. It wasn’t reciprocal.”

His only updates came from a friend in Major Crimes.

“He worked the case zealously,” Grant said. “He used to keep Gary’s picture on his desk.”

Then one day he called: “Gary, they took me off the case.”

That was the last time he remembers hearing anything.

When he came back to Atlantic City recently, he saw few things he recognized from his years living and working there. Then he found Facebook.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I saw how rapidly people were connecting with each other and I thought, ‘Wow, what a perfect venue.’ It’s free and it’s spread out all over the place.”

Just before what would have been Gary’s 33rd birthday earlier this month, Grant started the page. “If nothing else, maybe the people involved will say, ‘Uh-oh, this hasn’t gone away,’” Grant said. “Hopefully, they’ll get nervous and say something to somebody.”

No matter what, he won’t give up.

“People comment to me on occasion: ‘Why are you still so obsessed with this?’” Grant said. “He was my son. Believe me, it hurts just as much today as it did that day, the day I found out he died.”

i feel that the boy who was questioned didnt' committ the crime, BUT i think he knows something about Gary Grant Jr's death, my guess is maybe Gary saw something he shouldn't (you know wrong place, wrong time) or maybe revenge on his dad which to me is worse than the wrong place, wrong time idea, hopefully they find Gary's killer.

Such a sad case.

I can't believe they suspected Boo at first...that just struck me as circumstantial evidence.

Hope one day, they'll find the killer.

i feel that the boy who was questioned didnt' committ the crime, BUT i think he knows something about Gary Grant Jr's death, my guess is maybe Gary saw something he shouldn't (you know wrong place, wrong time) or maybe revenge on his dad which to me is worse than the wrong place, wrong time idea, hopefully they find Gary's killer.

Agree with you on Boo. He does know what happened. The problem is that he may not have been capable of interpreting it.

I exchanged messages with Gary Grant Jr.. From that message he seems to be of the belief that Gary Jr.s death was done by someone who had a beef with the elder Gary Grant.

One theory I've ventured is whether Gary Grant Jr. was playing cop and may have stumbled upon something.

Gary Jr.s use of the word "appointment" seems odd to me.

I think the killer is probably someone that the elder Gary Grant personally arrested or played a role in sending to jail or prison. That could be a lot of people. It could be anyone from the time he started working as a police officer in that town all the way through 1983.

The killer probably either found out where the Grant residence was or they lived within a mile or two of the Grant residence and that's how they knew of Gary Jr. and where he might be during the day.

Was Gary Grant sexually assaulted? If so, we could be dealing with a sexual predator and it may have nothing to do with someone his father arrested.

Was Gary Grant sexually assaulted? If so, we could be dealing with a sexual predator and it may have nothing to do with someone his father arrested.

I believe there is no evidence of sexual assault on Gary Grant Jr.

I also read somewhere that the injuries inflicted on Gary Grant Jr. were capable of being done by a child of Gary's age. One of the reasons why Boo was considered a suspect.

Gary Grant Sr. maintains a Facebook group about his son's murder and it has many details about this crime.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54697028028

Gary Grant Sr. maintains a Facebook group about his son's murder and it has many details about this crime.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54697028028

Boo is guilty of the crime for sure. The appointment was probably a fight or something.

Agree with you on Boo. He does know what happened. The problem is that he may not have been capable of interpreting it.

I exchanged messages with Gary Grant Jr.. From that message he seems to be of the belief that Gary Jr.s death was done by someone who had a beef with the elder Gary Grant.

One theory I've ventured is whether Gary Grant Jr. was playing cop and may have stumbled upon something.

Gary Jr.s use of the word "appointment" seems odd to me.

Little kids say things like that all the time to make themselves seem more grown up. I don't see anything unusual about that. Whether it has signifigance in this particular instance though is anybody's guess.

Boo is guilty of the crime for sure. The appointment was probably a fight or something.

Meh, I'm not saying he couldn't have done it, but I don't know how we can be sure at this point. Even if he did it I'm fairly convinced he didn't intend to kill him, probably roughhousing and got angry with eachother and he hit him to hard or something.

And what about the grafiti on the police car?

Boo is guilty of the crime for sure. The appointment was probably a fight or something.

Meh, I'm not saying he couldn't have done it, but I don't know how we can be sure at this point. Even if he did it I'm fairly convinced he didn't intend to kill him, probably roughhousing and got angry with eachother and he hit him to hard or something.

And what about the grafiti on the police car?

Boo is guilty of the crime for sure
i think Boo is not guilty of the crime, BUT i think he did know something, my guess is he got threatened by the killer.

Meh, I'm not saying he couldn't have done it, but I don't know how we can be sure at this point. Even if he did it I'm fairly convinced he didn't intend to kill him, probably roughhousing and got angry with eachother and he hit him to hard or something.

And what about the grafiti on the police car?

Yeah that is mystifying, some freak maybe who had a run in with his dad.

this is one of the saddest cases that ever was on unsolved mysteries and senseless. i could see a pre teenager do something like this, he didn't know what he was doing and inadvertantly did this. remember anyone at any age anyone can be a good liar and boo may have lied real good. boo may have lied good enough to fool the lie detector.

maybe he owed boo 5 dollars? maybe there was some type of bet? it is hard to imagine a 12 year strike a 7 year old, but i dont put it past anyone. it may have been some type of power trip where boo thought he would intimidate him. a lot of times someone older wants to show someone they are in control of them. could also have been some type of back talk someone said something about him boo and he heard gary said it about him? anything could have set off a pre teenager

this is one of the saddest cases that ever was on unsolved mysteries and senseless. i could see a pre teenager do something like this, he didn't know what he was doing and inadvertantly did this. remember anyone at any age anyone can be a good liar and boo may have lied real good. boo may have lied good enough to fool the lie detector.
i just cant see Boo doing this crime, i am not a big folllower of the lie detector because innocent people sometimes fail it. i follow evidence and other things. something tells me Boo didnt do the crime, BUT i think he saw the crime itself and likely was told that if he said anything, he would die.

lets be clear that teenagers and pre teenagers sometimes fight with each other or one thinks he can out tough the other one. if gary had borrowed a couple dollars or something for ice cream or so from boo that could make someone mad. boo is a prime suspect. sometimes teeenagers threaten younger kids for there lunch money.

i'm not sure what to say about this case.... they mention gary said he had an appointment with someone at 2;30 pm in the afternoon. who was the appointment with? it must have been in that abandoned lot 2 blocks away? it was consistently reported that he was with boo on friday after several officers asked other neighborhood kids. boo did lie about that. so we did catch boo in a lie.the weapon that caused the crime was the pipe? boo was 5 years older then gary, but the same size and weight as gary. i'm not sure what could have happened? gary may have went to that lot and got into a argument with someone his same age in the parking lot? maybe it was boo or maybe it was someone else in the neighborhood?a pre teen or teen? maybe there was someone who his father gary grant sr. knew that was a sick person who did this deed? anybody over the age of 18 to do this to a young person is one sick person. then theres the clue 1 year after the crime someone wrote on a cop car a message, gary grant jr is dead i am still alive son of a pig. this is a weird message, the term son of a pig has been used for sometime though and could be used by anyone over 18 yrs old for sure but also somene under 18 yrs old could say this pig is a common term for cops by teenagers. whoever wrote that on the car had to have some brass as they had to go to the car and stand up in the street in daylight and write it,it could have been a tenager or someone over 18 yrs old. whoever wrote that seems like one sick person. boo may have had a bad seed brother who was into selling drugs a lot and if he was exposed he may want to keep evrything quiet.

with little physical evidence to go by this is a a exampl of a unsolved mystery

Someone mentioned before that Boo had an older brother and that his older brother was involved in some shady stuff around the time that Gary was murdered. I think it's very likely that Boo's older brother killed Gary for threatening to say something about his "activities" and that Boo was there when his older brother killed Gary.

Also, I agree that someone had to have some cojones to spray paint or write a message on that police car, even at night, since it was parked in what looked like a city street. This also makes me think that the person who graffitied the car must have known Gary Grant, Sr. and must have known that Grant, Sr. would be inside of a nearby establishment long enough for them to write the message.

that is a possibilty boo's brother he would have been older and a cover up is something that would explain keeping a person quite. if he was older by some years that is possible, remember gary grant jr. did live with his mother only as a single parent family and the dad did not live with them so they may have thought, i'll injury the young kid and there will be no one around to say anything. it may have been drug related. the first clue to the case is the appointment as that has to do with a meeting with someone in his inner circle of friends at school and the neighborhood. i can see a person 16 or 17 threatening boo to death. telling him if he ever says anything they or he will come after him as well. boo would have to keep a secret for years but if it was his brother that would make sense. i can see someone scare boo so much that he clamed up for years. i could see boo's brother maybe selling drugs, gary found out about it and was gonna spill the beans maybe boo's brother said i will keep him quiet. anybody who would write a message on a cop car in daylight or at night has some brass and they could get caught by the cop in the resturant at any time. it is unclear if the message is done by anyone under or over 18 years of age? because i could see a teenager writing that around the age of 16 or 17. pig is a term used by many. if the message was wrote at night it still is unclear if the person is under or over 18 years of age. boo may have had a bad seed brother that was into selling drugs anybody that found out about his doings would be dealt with so he wasnt exposed.

after re looking at the clip again it is for sure that gary was to have a appointment meeting with someone and he seem relaxed for sure so he new who the individual was. it had to be someone in the neighborhood his same age or from school. this definitely sounds like boo. boo also may have been unstable and kids scrapping with each other could have lead to a wrong happening. boo said gary threw a rock at him and hit him in the leg, that may have triggered boo to go after him, there was a thin pipe found in the parking lot, that could have been picked up by a 12 year old for sure the weight was light. we do know boo was silghtly disabled. it also is possible that boo's brother would be hanging around his little brother once in awhile, he may have been involved in selling drugs. gary may have seen boo's brother selling drugs, that would be 1 reason for him to attack gary to keep him quiet. then comes the clue 2 years on the anniversary of the death the message on the cop car of gary grant sr., after looking at it again it does sound like a teenager for sure from the age of 16 years old and up at least could be someone in their 20's and 30's. boo would have been 14 years old 2 years later. boo's brother could have been was older i'm not sure why anyone would go to all that trouble to write the message on the cop car unless they wanted to prove some point to gary grant sr. it does sound like a wiseguy smart ass trying to rub something in to somebody. it says the message was wrote at around 3:15 in the morning on the car in a street. it does sound like someone older wrote that message. on thing, this is a sick sick person. boo i believe has some answers to this whole thing...

Since the murder weapon was left at the crime scene, were they able to pull any prints from it? If not, maybe the person was smart enough to wear gloves... which can pretty much rule out Boo. He wouldn't have had the forethought to do that. Thoughts?

Anyone else find it hilarious the way the detectives questioned the kids?? It was like an episonde of Mini Law and Order. Sad case, but the way it was presented always makes me laugh.

after relooking at the clip again i feel that boo is part of the whole thing and knows who the killer is. boo did take 2 or 3 lie detector tests and when asked if he was there and knew anything the test came back inconclusive. as was said before boo had a brother into unsavory things and may have been a drug seller. if gary had seen some drug selling or something else it may have lead to this happening. i believe boo knows exactly who the killer is. yes there was a small pipe found near the scene. apparently there has been no physical evidence found on the pipe it does make sense someone older then boo did the deed. remeber they didnt look at the dna to much back then but it may have been relookedat but no evidence has been found so far. another thing is the message that was left on the cop car at 3 am on jan 4 '86. that message is defintiely that of a teenager 15 and up.

Any new news on this? I just re-watched this episode online and can not believe that Boo was questioned by himself for that long. Geez he was a minor, and mentally handicapped?
Besides that, I think he knew more than he let on for sure. Is he still a suspect? I wonder if he still lives in the area.

What was or is Boo Mason's older brother's name? To me, he is the primary suspect.

Other than that, the only other thing I can think of is that someone out to get back at Gary Grant, Sr. kept an eye on his son for awhile and just decided to murder him that day.

But I think Gary meeting with Boo (and maybe not knowing Boo's older brother would be there, too) and his older brother and something happening that led to Boo's brother attacking Gary and killing him seems like the most plausible scenario to me.

Also, I doubt that the graffiti was written by the actual murderer (Boo's older brother or someone else?). As we've seen in other cases (ex: Jay Cook/Tanya Van Cuylenborg), sometimes the person who writes letters or other things related to a murder isn't necessarily the perpretrator, just a messed-up person that has learned about the case and gets some kind of gratification out of doing such a sick thing.

Ok. Didn't they say little Gary told someone he had an appointment? That sounded like a Pete and Repeat type of situation. I know kids that were selling drugs back in the day used to talk like that, try to sound grown and like they had business. What do u think? Boo's brother was into the street life right?

I don't think UM ever mentioned that Boos older brother was arrested on robbery charges days before the killing.

I don't think UM ever mentioned that Boos older brother was arrested on robbery charges days before the killing.

You're right, I don't think they did, either. That's something else that could be added to the "withheld facts" thread. I wonder if this guy (Boo's older brother) is even still alive.

Didn't the UM segment state that despite Boo being older than Gary, he was still smaller than him? If that was true I find it unlikely that Boo would have been strong enough to kill Gary on his own. I still think, based off of the cryptic messages, someone killed Gary in some sick revenge plot for someone who thought they were "wronged" by Gary Sr.

Didn't the UM segment state that despite Boo being older than Gary, he was still smaller than him? If that was true I find it unlikely that Boo would have been strong enough to kill Gary on his own. I still think, based off of the cryptic messages, someone killed Gary in some sick revenge plot for someone who thought they were "wronged" by Gary Sr.

You don't think Boo's older brother could have done it?

You don't think Boo's older brother could have done it?

Was he released after his arrest? If still jailed, he obviously couldn't have done it.

You don't think Boo's older brother could have done it?

If Gary Grant Sr. ever arrested him for a previous offense, then yeah he would be a person of interest. Another thing I just thought of, how exactly would a seven year old stumble upon something involving drugs, and actually comprehend what was going on? Would it really be worth it to murder a seven year old just because he witnessed some drug deal, when in all probability he didn't even know what just transpired?

Very disturbing and sad case.

I do not think the kid Boo murdered Gary. IMO, he seemed benign. I cannot help but think whoever killed Gary Grant had a big vendetta against his father. People can harbor a strong need for revenge.

I am not trying to slam Gary Grant Sr but many of the police officers I have dealt with come off as being high handed and arrogant. It would not surprise me if a vindictive individual tried to get back at him.

Anyone else think there's a decent chance that the grafitti was just some sick joke by some punk that had a personal vendetta against Gary Sr.? The reason I ask this is because if it were indeed someone Gary Sr. arrested before, wouldn't it be fairly easy to pinpoint certain suspects? Anyone with a violent past, arrested for violent crimes, etc. could have be interviewed and eliminated or investigated further. The fact that they were never able to come up with a viable suspect seems like there wasn't anyone (from a previous arrest) that had any real beef with Gary Sr. And why go after his child, rather than Gary Sr. himself?

Anyone else think there's a decent chance that the grafitti was just some sick joke by some punk that had a personal vendetta against Gary Sr.? The reason I ask this is because if it were indeed someone Gary Sr. arrested before, wouldn't it be fairly easy to pinpoint certain suspects? Anyone with a violent past, arrested for violent crimes, etc. could have be interviewed and eliminated or investigated further. The fact that they were never able to come up with a viable suspect seems like there wasn't anyone (from a previous arrest) that had any real beef with Gary Sr. And why go after his child, rather than Gary Sr. himself?

Ditto. I always wondered why UM drew such a seemingly strong connection between Gary Grant Jr's murder and the graffiti discovered years later. Based on what was shown, anybody could have written it really.

The only thing I can figure is either there was more to the messages than what was shown on TV and perhaps some of the undisclosed content made it apparent that the author was the killer or had intimate knowledge of the crime.

Or, UM played it up to make the story more "scary" or "intriguing" or whatever.

Not to be profane but I always thought the photos of the messages shown during the segment, specifically the one that read "Payback is a M.F." were strange. I mean, assuming those were photos of the actual messages, why not write out the whole word?

Anyone else think there's a decent chance that the grafitti was just some sick joke by some punk that had a personal vendetta against Gary Sr.? The reason I ask this is because if it were indeed someone Gary Sr. arrested before, wouldn't it be fairly easy to pinpoint certain suspects? Anyone with a violent past, arrested for violent crimes, etc. could have be interviewed and eliminated or investigated further. The fact that they were never able to come up with a viable suspect seems like there wasn't anyone (from a previous arrest) that had any real beef with Gary Sr. And why go after his child, rather than Gary Sr. himself?The amount of suspects could be very extensive. Someone easily could have gone under the radar.

The killer may have targeted Gary Grant Jr as a sadistic way to get back at Gary Grant Sr. For many people, the worst way to hurt them is to target their loved ones. In order to get back at Gary Grant Sr, the killer would get back at him by killing his son.

The amount of suspects could be very extensive. Someone easily could have gone under the radar.

The killer may have targeted Gary Grant Jr as a sadistic way to get back at Gary Grant Sr. For many people, the worst way to hurt them is to target their loved ones. In order to get back at Gary Grant Sr, the killer would get back at him by killing his son.

I'm sure that Gary Sr.'s arrest record was very lengthy, but it still should have been fairly easy to pinpoint a prior arrest that would have stuck out. I.E. did he ever arrest someone from organized crime, partake in a big drug bust, break up a gang, arrest a sex offender, etc.? Something should have stood out had there indeed been an arrest that would have warranted a retaliation.

I'm sure that Gary Sr.'s arrest record was very lengthy, but it still should have been fairly easy to pinpoint a prior arrest that would have stuck out. I.E. did he ever arrest someone from organized crime, partake in a big drug bust, break up a gang, arrest a sex offender, etc.? Something should have stood out had there indeed been an arrest that would have warranted a retaliation.It's worth considering that the killer may not have been someone Gary Grant Sr arrested. Instead, the killer may have been a criminal's loved one, close friend, etc. Some people are often hell bent on getting back at people.

All I'll say is this, Gary Grant Sr probably made a lot of enemies as a police officer. Be it directly or indirectly.

first let me say, if the killer was someone who wanted to kill to get to Gary Grant Sr. and they were someone that he arrested it actually could be difficult, especially if that said person didnt say anything about the arrest and just held it in him and then struck.

now i personally dont know if it was someone out to get Gary Sr. i think Gary Jr. saw something he shouldnt have seen and then was killed for that.

The police bungled this case big time.

I always figure some older neighbor hood kid killed him because he saw something they did and thought he would tell.

I think it's plausible that Boo's older brother killed Gary and that he was the one who arranged to have Gary meet him for the "appointment". I think Gary was murdered during his "appointment". Boo's older brother or some other preteen-to-teenager at that time I think is the culprit. I don't think a young or older adult (at that time) killed him.

Boo could have been threatened not to say anything? Though he says he was not with Gary that day.

If the murder weapon is still in police custody after all these years and has been left somewhere secure, DNA testing could be done on it to try and find a match.

I think it was a pipe?

I haven't seen the segment in a long time, but was there any evidence that Boo was not involved? IIRC, wasn't he allegedly somewhere else at the time of Gary's murder?

He said he was not there. And the cops interigated him and made him sign a confession to the opossite. Telling him if he did sign they would let him go home. Thats what BOO said.

This case is very confusing to me. IMO, there are two ways to look at it:

-If the graffiti found on the police car and the message scrawled on the sidewalk were written by the killer, I would tend to think Boo was innocent.
-If the graffiti was some sort of sick joke, the focus should be shifted back to Boo.

There were a total of two messages found with mentions of Gary's murder. Both were 2 years after his murder, and were found within weeks of each other. Both messages seemed to indicate someone who had a prior beef with Gary Sr., and killed his son in some sort of revenge type killing. But the messages (if they were shown in their entirety) didn't reveal any information outside of the date of Gary's murder. Nothing overly incriminating. And I tend to think that had this been a guy who felt wronged by Gary Sr., he'd want to keep making it known that he was still out there, and that Gary Jr. was still dead. He'd want to keep up this little game of "I did it, got away with it, and there's nothing you can do about it" going as long as possible. So to me, IMO, since the graffiti messages stopped after 2 times (and only happened twice 2 years after Gary's murder) makes me think that the messages are a red herring, and probably the result of some sick hoax. For all we know, someone Gary Sr. arrested after the murder wrote them as a way to get back at Gary Sr.

Which brings the case back to Boo. Even the UM segment seeps to imply some hesitation on the police suspecting Boo as a viable suspect. He was thought of as a "scaredy cat" in the neighborhood. But the police kept coming across information that Boo was seen in the company of Gary on the day he was murdered. So that was an outright lie by Boo, since he claimed to have never been with him or seen him that day. Plus the segment mentions other inconsistencies in his story, and things that he told police were things that only the killer (or someone who actually witnessed the murder) would know. It seems like once Boo's confession was thrown out and the charges were dropped, there was no interest moving forward. Plus, there were no other obvious suspects over the years. It seems like the police had either the right suspect at the time, or their most important witness. Because I believe one of two things: Boo killed Gary, or he saw the whole thing.

The only other possible suspects (and this is coming from internet theories, not evidence) are Boo's older brother and the man who found Gary's body. Boo's older brother was allegedly arrested for robbery days before Gary's murder, and that he was trying to recruit kids from the neighborhood to break into homes for him. It has been posited that this is the "appointment" that Gary referred to earlier in the day. When Gary refused, the older brother killed him to silence him. And presumably, Boo would have been there to witness this as well. But there are two problems with this theory. First, knowing that Gary's dad was a police officer, why even ask him to help rob houses, knowing full well that there was a high probability that he would tell his dad? And second, why ask a 7 year old to help you burglarize homes and then kill him when he says no? And if Boo witnessed the murder, why not come forward and say his brother did it?

The man who discovered the body was thought to be suspicious to some, because he owned a warehouse that was right next to the lot where Gary's body was found, and the fact that he was the one who discovered Gary's body. He told the authorities that he read about Gary's disappearance in the paper and drove to his warehouse to check and see if he was there. Now that does seem like an odd thing to say/do, but there was no evidence presented that the man had any reason to kill Gary nor any evidence that he did. Seems odd that an adult would kill a child in broad daylight in the middle of the afternoon as well. Which again, brings this case right back to Boo Mason. He either knows who did it, or murdered Gary himself. IIRC, either on UM or one of the articles about the case, had said that Gary could have been killed by a child. Which is pretty telling. I've always thought it was interesting that once the charges were dropped against Boo, the case seemed to hit a brick wall. Seems like he was the key to solving the case, IMO.

I came across a new article about his murder. Hopefully they can find his killer soon.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/atlantic-city-child-murder-cold-case-heat-article-1.2479886

Wow, judging from the comment by the retired detective in that article, it sounds like the police have always had a serious case of tunnel vision and won't acknowledge the possibility that someone else other than Boo might be the killer. Hard to believe the recordings of these potentially incriminating phone calls have just been sitting around for nearly 30 years. Hopefully, Gary Sr. steers the investigation in the right direction and eventually finds his son's killer.

Here's a more detailed article about these recent developments:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/audiotape-offers-clue-in-gary-grant-jr-s-atlantic-city/article_284556fe-adc6-11e5-b17b-7b445d3715ea.html?mode=jqm

I'm confused. The killer tried to get the reward by turning himself in? How would that work?

Was there any evidence of molestation here? I always thought the motive was revenge, but considering that it sounds like the main suspect was a child sex offender, could there be another motive here?

Can't believe they ever thought Boo Mason could be involved in this. No way he was capable.

I just listened to it. I want so badly for his parents to have peace. It seemed like an easy case at first.

I found this new link online

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/audiotape-offers-clue-in-gary-grant-jr-s-atlantic-city/article_284556fe-adc6-11e5-b17b-7b445d3715ea.html?mode=jqm

Upon looking through several older threads on Gary Grant Jr., I didn't happen to see this new info posted so I thought I'd share. (My apologies if it was already posted & I overlooked it)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3380685/Could-forgotten-911-audio-tape-provide-clue-cold-case-murder-8-yea-old-boy-Father-claims-h.html

Upon looking through several older threads on Gary Grant Jr., I didn't happen to see this new info posted so I thought I'd share. (My apologies if it was already posted & I overlooked it)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3380685/Could-forgotten-911-audio-tape-provide-clue-cold-case-murder-8-yea-old-boy-Father-claims-h.html

Thanks for posting! I feel like I've seen that story somewhere before-- I always assumed the call was a hoax...

Thanks for posting! I feel like I've seen that story somewhere before-- I always assumed the call was a hoax...
I assumed so as well, until I heard the actual 911 call & I felt there was a sincerity in the person's voice.

Whether related to Gary Jr.'s murder or not, someone sure went out of their way to rub salt in the wound of Gary Sr. Maybe it was the murder or maybe it was just hoaxers, but man that poor guy must have gone through hell.

I assumed so as well, until I heard the actual 911 call & I felt there was a sincerity in the person's voice.

That's also a fair point. I listened to the audio as well and I can understand what you're talking about.

However, I still think that it's a really sick and cruel prank. It saddens me that they may have a person of interest, but don't have enough to make an arrest.

What happened do they ever solve this case

For a while, I've imagined a scenario where Gary Grant, Jr. went to meet Boo Mason's older brother for whatever their "appointment" entailed that afternoon, the older brother was doing something illegal or threatening, Gary, Jr. threatened to tell his Dad about what was going on and that his father was a police officer, and that Boo's older brother beat Gary, Jr. to death out of fear that Gary, Jr. was going to follow through on his threat. I think Boo Mason himself witnessed the murder and that he was there with his older brother, but the older brother threatened Boo to never tell anyone what happened.

Is the older brother dead I really hope he is arrested .

I don't know the current status of Boo's older brother. I'm just basing my theory off of pages and articles I remember reading quite awhile ago and from previous postings about this case.

I really hope he is arrested .

I recommend checking out RobinW's podcast (http://trailwentcold.com/2018/01/17/the-trail-went-cold-episode-55-gary-grant-jr/) on this case. Today I just realized that Gary didn't live too far off of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, and that I had driven by where his house was located several times. His body was found less than a block away (in a wide open vacant lot) from where he lived. Which, IMO, makes Boo look more guilty than anything.

My opinions in this case have varied so greatly that I don't even know what I believe anymore.

When I first saw this segment, I thought that Boo had killed Gary Jr. accidentally. The boys had an "appointment" to play together, they were fooling around a little too much, Gary got hit on the head, and Boo freaked out and ran. But then I got to thinking: who brings a lead pipe to a playdate? Which means they had to have found it somewhere as they were playing. But who finds a lead pipe just randomly lying around someplace?

I think Gary was murdered, and I don't think that Boo saw anything. If he had, he probably would've spoken out before now.

I'm not at all convinced the murder had anything to do with his dad being a cop

If the re-enactment on the UM segment is accurate, the police interview the 2 little girls that were friends of Gary's, and they say that he left them at around 4:30 p.m. that night to go home. If this is true, the whole "appointment" would be a red herring, since he was alive for 2 full hours after the fact. And I think this information would cast even more suspicion Boo's way, since the same 2 girls said Boo was with Gary when they were all playing together (despite the fact that Boo said he waited for Gary but he never showed up).

If the re-enactment on the UM segment is accurate, the police interview the 2 little girls that were friends of Gary's, and they say that he left them at around 4:30 p.m. that night to go home. If this is true, the whole "appointment" would be a red herring, since he was alive for 2 full hours after the fact. And I think this information would cast even more suspicion Boo's way, since the same 2 girls said Boo was with Gary when they were all playing together (despite the fact that Boo said he waited for Gary but he never showed up).

Thanks for the plug. This is the one part of the story which drives me crazy, as I couldn't find one source which verified that Gary left their house at 4:30. I know Gary promised his mother he'd be home by 4:00, so I'm still not entirely sure if that dialogue in the re-enactment about Gary leaving at 4:30 is accurate. But you're right, if Gary was alive at that time, then the whole "appointment" probably means nothing. After reading that Gary's mother had told him he wasn't allowed to hang out with Boo, I'm inclined to think the 2:30 appointment was probably with Boo and that's the reason Gary was being so secretive about it.

Since the episode came out, a few listeners who have experience working with intellectually disabled kids like Boo have told me it's sometimes really easy for them to lose all concept of time and get mixed up about things. While most people would never get confused about their whereabouts on the day one of their friends was murdered, it might be possible for this to happen to a kid with an IQ of 65. If Boo genuinely got his days mixed up, I guess this might be one innocent explanation for why he told police he never saw Gary on January 12 even though so many witnesses say otherwise. But I still lean towards Boo not committing the murder himself, but being present when it happened.

From my understanding, the police questioned Boo shortly after Gary's body was found. This case was different from other cases involving murdered children: it was still "fresh" and not technically a cold case yet, with a rush by prosecutors and law enforcement to get it solved. Since Boo was questioned just days after Gary's body was found, I find it hard to believe that the cops would plant information into this kids head to try and force a confession out of him. Questioning him well into the early morning hours without his grandmother present? Not cool. But I seriously doubt that they did a Johnny Lee Wilson like interrogation with him. Unlike Johnny Lee Wilson, no one had implicated Boo at that point. He was just seen with Gary that day. Naturally, the police would question him. I just have a hard time believing the police coerced and concocted a confession out of Boo just to hurry up and solve the case. The fact that no new leads have ever came out since Boo's confession was ruled inadmissible has always been telling to me. He was the one who mentioned grabbing Gary by the throat (unknown to the general public and even the cops until the autopsy was performed after Boo's questioning, IIRC), he got the weapon right, and he was correct in what covered Gary's body.

If Boo witnessed Gary's murder but wasn't a part of it, why still remain silent after all of these years?

Another excellent podcast, Robin. I know I keep saying that, but you keep pumping out some really great episodes on some classic UM cases... so as long as you keep producing quality, I'm going to keep complimenting it! :)

Just watched this one again the other night.

In this most recent viewing, I kept thinking of Occam's Razor and trying to explain what happened with the fewest variables.

In the end, I think Boo probably killed Gary. The police screwed up the investigation by interrogating him late into the night without a guardian present, so the confession became inadmissible, and there went the case.

I think the graffiti found years later was probably just some screwball perpetrating a hoax.

While I'm sympathetic to Mr. Grant (his interview was one of the more emotional), I just don't think there is anything else that can be done with this.

Just watched this one again the other night.

In this most recent viewing, I kept thinking of Occam's Razor and trying to explain what happened with the fewest variables.

In the end, I think Boo probably killed Gary. The police screwed up the investigation by interrogating him late into the night without a guardian present, so the confession became inadmissible, and there went the case.

I think the graffiti found years later was probably just some screwball perpetrating a hoax.

While I'm sympathetic to Mr. Grant (his interview was one of the more emotional), I just don't think there is anything else that can be done with this.

Agreed.

Here's (https://www.google.com/maps/place/2432+fairmont+avenue+atlantic+city,+nj/@39.3589651,-74.443533,3a,37.5y,3.3h,90.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOF2cx6-ZEoBjafnh_g1-vg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c0ee5d778ab4ad:0x15081d1ac8c38431) where the re-enactment of where Boo lived was filmed. Not sure if that's where he lived at the time or not, but this building was used in the re-enactment of his house. A lot of the re-enactment scenes appear to have been filmed on this street too.

Definitely Boo Is guilty, he basically confessed to being with Gary at the scene and also hitting Gary with the pipe. Sadly police screwed the interview.

Here's (https://www.google.com/maps/place/2432+fairmont+avenue+atlantic+city,+nj/@39.3589651,-74.443533,3a,37.5y,3.3h,90.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOF2cx6-ZEoBjafnh_g1-vg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c0ee5d778ab4ad:0x15081d1ac8c38431) where the re-enactment of where Boo lived was filmed. Not sure if that's where he lived at the time or not, but this building was used in the re-enactment of his house. A lot of the re-enactment scenes appear to have been filmed on this street too.

Nice, thanks for posting that...I have been into this case lately and have been finding all of the locations, but forgot to look for this one. I actually found the house Gary lived in at the time and that is the first image in the UM segment. Also, found the exact spot where all the cars are stopped when they find Gary's body...it is still a vacant lot. If this was the lot where Gary was found, it actually butts up to the Texas Ave. playground where Boo said they were together swinging the day before. Kind of interesting.

This is the case I was thinking about when looking at the thread cases that should of been solved. Boo did it or knows what happened. Unless he was walking somewhere by himself and someone nabbed him.

I've been digging into this a bit more and I feel like it focused a lot on the "appointment" that Gary had. This appointment was at 2:30. However, when Gary was leaving the house of the 2 girls, they said that was around 4-430 as he head to leave to head home to eat. Another acquaintance driving by noticed Gary walking home towards his house at 430ish. So, I am wondering what happened between his walk home at 430 and how he got to that vacant lot and was murdered. I am starting to think the appointment may have just been an innocent thing, but who knows.

Sad case....I don’t think Boo did it, BUT I think he knows what happened. He may not know who did it though. I fully believe he was killed by drug dealers or drug users and they got busted by the boys and they killed Gary because he threatened to tell his dad (maybe Gary knew them). It’s just hard to think Boo did it and hasn’t been caught which is why I think he’s just a witness who was threatened

Isn't it possible to still charge Boo with Gary's murder if he were to confess again?

Isn't it possible to still charge Boo with Gary's murder if he were to confess again?
Was he acquitted?? If he wasn’t acquitted then they could charge him, though I don’t think he killed Gary. I think he was a threatened witness

Isn't it possible to still charge Boo with Gary's murder if he were to confess again?
As a legal matter, there is nothing barring them from charging Boo again if he were to make another confession. However, as a practical matter, I find it highly unlikely. Cases where the main or only piece of evidence the police have is a confession, absent any other evidence of guilt, is not a good case.

Was he acquitted?? If he wasn’t acquitted then they could charge him, though I don’t think he killed Gary. I think he was a threatened witness
No, he was not acquitted. The trial judge ruled Boo's "confession" was inadmissible because it wasn't voluntary. After their key and really only piece of evidence was kicked out, the charge against Boo was dropped. Therefore, there's no double jeopardy issue but it's tremendously unlikely they would pursue a case against Boo again even if he did confess.

As a legal matter, there is nothing barring them from charging Boo again if he were to make another confession. However, as a practical matter, I find it highly unlikely. Cases where the main or only piece of evidence the police have is a confession absent any other evidence of guilt is not a good case.

His confession, which included what Gary was killed with and what his body was covered with, coupled with witnesses placing him with Gary during the alleged time frame of his death, would be a fairly strong case, IMO.

His confession, which included what Gary was killed with and what his body was covered with, coupled with witnesses placing him with Gary during the alleged time frame of his death, would be a fairly strong case, IMO.

Not really that strong. Cases where the strongest or only piece of evidence of guilt is a confession, are weak cases. You take into consideration Boo's developmental disability, the fact that he recanted his confession, and the fact that there is no evidence to support his confession other than his confession, is weak. Even when he gave his "confession" he maintained that he "didn't do it." Plus, they had to interrogate him for hours before he gave his "confession." Even if he were to come clean now and confess again, I don't see them getting anywhere with it. I don't know how you ever convince a jury of his guilt to the exclusion of all reasonable doubt.

Not really that strong. Cases where the strongest or only piece of evidence of guilt is a confession are weak confesses. You take into consideration Boo's developmental disability, the fact that he recanted his confession, and the fact that there is no evidence to support his confession other than his confession, is weak. Even when he gave his "confession" he maintained that he "didn't do it." Plus, they had to interrogate him for hours before he gave his "confession." Even if he were to come clean now and confession again, I don't see them getting anywhere with it. I don't know how you ever convince of a jury of his guilt to the exclusion of all reasonable doubt.

Idk, feels like one of those deals where if they could get the case to a jury, they'd have a reasonable shot of a conviction. Juries don't like murdered children with no explanation.

I don't think competent defense attorneys would ever allow the case to get to a jury if they only evidence were Boo's confession, however.

Idk, feels like one of those deals where if they could get the case to a jury, they'd have a reasonable shot of a conviction. Juries don't like murdered children with no explanation.

I don't think competent defense attorneys would ever allow the case to get to a jury if they only evidence were Boo's confession, however.

In this instance, competent defense attorneys prevented just that from happening. Yes, juries can let emotions get the best of them, but for the most part, I think they take their oaths seriously and hold the prosecutor to their burden of proof beyond all reasonable doubt. Boo, is a child too and I don't think a jury would take too kindly to what could easily be presented as a lazy police department taking advantage of a kid with a learning disability to get a "confession" after hours of interrogation while maintaining he didn't do it and recanting his confession. On top of that, there really is no other evidence to prove that Boo did the killing.

Nobody can predict what a jury will do, but I'd find it hard to believe they would likely get a conviction under that scenario.

In this instance, competent defense attorneys prevented just that from happening. Yes, juries can let emotions get the best of them, but for the most part, I think they take their oaths seriously and hold the prosecutor to their burden of proof beyond all reasonable doubt. Boo, is a child too and I don't think a jury would take too kindly to what could easily be presented as a lazy police department taking advantage of a kid with a learning disability to get a "confession" after hours of interrogation while maintaining he didn't do it and recanting his confession. On top of that, there really is no other evidence to prove that Boo did the killing.

Nobody can predict what a jury will do, but I'd find it hard to believe they would likely get a conviction under that scenario.

All of this gets thrown out the window if he were to confess again. Which was my original point. If he were to confess to murdering Gary again, the whole "coerced a confession" angle gets tossed.

All of this gets thrown out the window if he were to confess again. Which was my original point. If he were to confess to murdering Gary again, the whole "coerced a confession" angle gets tossed.

No, I understand that your original part was what if he confesses again. That's still just as bad, if not worse, because then there is natural skepticism about a confession many years or decades later and there is still the problem of no independent evidence to corroborate the confession.

No, I understand that your original part was what if he confesses again. That's still just as bad if not worse because then there is natural skepticism about a confession many years or decades later and there is still the evidence of no independent evidence to corroborate the confession.

The evidence that would support it would be that he correctly got the murder weapon right and also knew what Gary's body was covered with. At a minimum, he was present at the crime scene when he was murdered. Confessing to actually doing it, with corroborating evidence such as the pipe and tarp used in the crime, is more than enough because they cannot use the "he was a unaccompanied minor when he confessed" angle to write off his confession.

No, he was not acquitted. The trial judge ruled Boo's "confession" was inadmissible because it wasn't voluntary. After their key and really only piece of evidence was kicked out, the charge against Boo was dropped. Therefore, there's no double jeopardy issue but it's tremendously unlikely they would pursue a case against Boo again even if he did confess.
Gotcha....personally I don’t think Boo did the crime. He just doesn’t seem like a guy who could do this and get away with it. I think he was there though

Gotcha....personally I don’t think Boo did the crime. He just doesn’t seem like a guy who could do this and get away with it. I think he was there though

I'm inclined to agree with you on that.

lets be clear that teenagers and pre teenagers sometimes fight with each other or one thinks he can out tough the other one. if Gary had borrowed a couple dollars or something for ice cream or so from boo that could make someone mad. boo is a prime suspect. sometimes teenagers threaten younger kids for there lunch money.

I think we are all forgetting that Boo was very handicapped. I don't think he did it. 1. because I don't think with his level of disability he would have lied since he would not get that it was wrong. 2. If he witnessed it he would have blurted it out at some point just because he would not have the ability to hold it.

Lamont At Large visited Atlantic City to talk about the unsolved murder of Gary Grant Jr. He visits some of the locations and his grave.

Lamont seems like a big UM fan. He's done videos on the Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre, Jessica Keen, Megan Curl and Martha Moxley cases. Check out his YouTube channel for some true crime stories and cemetery visits.

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The lot were Gary was found is right next to the Texas park. If you read the artic les from that area the kids departed the park to go home around 4:30. So Gary would have had to walk passed the lot on his way home. I assume there was not gate on the lot at that time. To get were Gary was found a dirt part were cars drive to and turn to the right and there is wear house. Looking at google there seems to nothing but were houses and backs of building on the street . From these facts I can see why it would hard for any one too see or hear anything. More then likely he was lured back there for some reason. I am curious what was kept in that were house and if it is something some one would want too steel? Do they still have the pipe, the clothes Gary was wearing and the carpet he was covered in? They could try to find DNA on them these days?

I'm still very much on the fence about this one. Not sure what to believe. Boo was not only handicapped mentally but he was supposedly smaller than Gary. Hard to believe he could have done it.

Then again, the pipe used to kill him is an ideal weapon for someone not that strong. Pipes like that are thick and hard and can pack a nasty blow, yet they aren't that heavy, so its possible Boo might have done it. But it still requires a certain amount of strength, even with something hard as a pipe you still have to hit somebody pretty hard to kill them and it usually takes more than one hit, though not always.

Then again, it seems that Boo lied when he said he was not with Gary that day, that doesn't bode well for him. Even though others saw him. And I can't really buy that he witnessed the murder and was warned by someone to keep quiet. Anyone scumbag enough to beat a kid to death isn't going to stop at killing a second one. Killers don't typically leave witnesses. Unless the killer had some kind of connection to Boo of course and didn't want to kill him and Boo is covering for someone close to him. i heard his older brother may have been a suspect. Otherwise that doesn't make sense.

Perhaps there was a fight between the two. Gary may have initially got the best of Boo without hurting him, maybe pushed him to the ground or something, that is often what happens in fights between kids that young. And then when he turned away Boo out of anger grabbed the pipe and hit him in the back of the head with it. Maybe underestimating his own strength just a tad and killed him.

Just a guess though, I can't convince myself 100% Boo did it.

I also wonder where the pipe came from? And were there fingerprints on it?

I'm still very much on the fence about this one. Not sure what to believe. Boo was not only handicapped mentally but he was supposedly smaller than Gary. Hard to believe he could have done it.

Then again, the pipe used to kill him is an ideal weapon for someone not that strong. Pipes like that are thick and hard and can pack a nasty blow, yet they aren't that heavy, so its possible Boo might have done it. But it still requires a certain amount of strength, even with something hard as a pipe you still have to hit somebody pretty hard to kill them and it usually takes more than one hit, though not always.

Then again, it seems that Boo lied when he said he was not with Gary that day, that doesn't bode well for him. Even though others saw him. And I can't really buy that he witnessed the murder and was warned by someone to keep quiet. Anyone scumbag enough to beat a kid to death isn't going to stop at killing a second one. Killers don't typically leave witnesses. Unless the killer had some kind of connection to Boo of course and didn't want to kill him and Boo is covering for someone close to him. i heard his older brother may have been a suspect. Otherwise that doesn't make sense.

Perhaps there was a fight between the two. Gary may have initially got the best of Boo without hurting him, maybe pushed him to the ground or something, that is often what happens in fights between kids that young. And then when he turned away Boo out of anger grabbed the pipe and hit him in the back of the head with it. Maybe underestimating his own strength just a tad and killed him.

Just a guess though, I can't convince myself 100% Boo did it.

I also wonder where the pipe came from? And were there fingerprints on it?

i agree and the pipe. garys clothes and rug he was covered should all be checked dna or any evidence to find out who did it. you would also think the pipe would have finger prints.

Idk, feels like one of those deals where if they could get the case to a jury, they'd have a reasonable shot of a conviction. Juries don't like murdered children with no explanation.

I don't think competent defense attorneys would ever allow the case to get to a jury if they only evidence were Boo's confession, however.

Could a defense attorney argue double jeopardy in such a scenario?

What always bothers me about Boo as the guy who killed Gary is the “reported” IQ and mentally handicaps of his. If he did it, I feel he’d be in prison right now for making a mistake and getting caught. I think it’s possible Boo witnessed (without being seen) who did this and didn’t want to tell because of he feared them

I was reading Gary was also strangled . This is one things Boo said that the cops thought the killer would only know. The pipe came from near by construction sight. There is so many question about this case I would have asked if I was investigating.

What always bothers me about Boo as the guy who killed Gary is the “reported” IQ and mentally handicaps of his. If he did it, I feel he’d be in prison right now for making a mistake and getting caught. I think it’s possible Boo witnessed (without being seen) who did this and didn’t want to tell because of he feared them

If Boo DID do it, he would not only have been charged as a child, since he was one at the time, he'd also have a reduced capacity defense, because of his mental disability.

If he was the culprit, it's likely he had a limited understanding of the possible ramifications of what he was doing when he hit Gary with the pipe.

Just watched this one, not surprised it is still unsolved.

I don't think this was roughhouse turned to tears among the kids, the graffiti and other rumors make it sound much more like a revenge killing by someone Gary's dad crossed.

The confession from Boo was an absolute disgrace, a handicapped 12 year old detained without his guardian or counsel until he confessed to murder. One has to wonder if that was done intentionally in an attempt to sabotage the investigation or if it was just exceptionally poor police work. Some of the articles indicate that the police department went to lengths to keep his dad in the dark about the case, even removing investigators that talked to him, which seems odd.

The mother letting the seven year old wander town unsupervised all day aspect was...interesting. Even for the 80's that seems a bit young not to expect any kind of check in or whereabouts, especially for someone married to a homicide detective.

Just thought of something. Apparently Boo's older brother was a suspect at one point. What if he came upon Gary and Boo having a fight, Gary was getting the better of the smaller Boo. Being protective of his younger brother maybe Boo's brother overreacted to a kid fight and jumped in to help him and it just got out of hand and he unfortunately killed him?

It would explain why Boo may have lied about being at the crime scene and being with Gary that day. And he did kind of hint that there was a fight between them. It would make perfect sense for him to lie for his brother, especially if he was helping him and things just got out of hand?

Maybe a little far fetched of a theory, but it would make sense given a lot of things. Boo was small and handicapped and probably got bullied a lot, so if he had an older brother its entirely possible he was very protective of him and had experiences with him getting bullied before and maybe this was the last straw causing him to overreact to a kid's fight that was basically harmless.

I would like to know more about the brother and if he was known to be protective of Boo and if he had a temper. If so, I think this was a possibility.

Hi everyone,
I'm a longtime fan of "Unsolved Mysteries." I was wondering if anyone knows any information/details on when(the date) Gary Grant Jr. was murdered. I know it was in New Jersey somewhere. Does someone have any information? thanks Erin.. ps this story was aired on "Unsolved Mysteries" sometime in the late 80's or early 90's, but the date of the airing I'm not sure of. If anyone knows the date of when the case aired, please tell me in this reply and please respond back.
It was January 12, 1984 :)

Garys dad died with out fuind out who killesd his son.

https://breakingac.com/news/2026/jan/12/retired-atlantic-city-officer-days-before-anniversary-of-sons-1984-killing/


you think they find this crime out. sad.

I'm still very much on the fence about this one. Not sure what to believe. Boo was not only handicapped mentally but he was supposedly smaller than Gary. Hard to believe he could have done it.

Then again, the pipe used to kill him is an ideal weapon for someone not that strong. Pipes like that are thick and hard and can pack a nasty blow, yet they aren't that heavy, so its possible Boo might have done it. But it still requires a certain amount of strength, even with something hard as a pipe you still have to hit somebody pretty hard to kill them and it usually takes more than one hit, though not always.

Then again, it seems that Boo lied when he said he was not with Gary that day, that doesn't bode well for him. Even though others saw him. And I can't really buy that he witnessed the murder and was warned by someone to keep quiet. Anyone scumbag enough to beat a kid to death isn't going to stop at killing a second one. Killers don't typically leave witnesses. Unless the killer had some kind of connection to Boo of course and didn't want to kill him and Boo is covering for someone close to him. i heard his older brother may have been a suspect. Otherwise that doesn't make sense.

Perhaps there was a fight between the two. Gary may have initially got the best of Boo without hurting him, maybe pushed him to the ground or something, that is often what happens in fights between kids that young. And then when he turned away Boo out of anger grabbed the pipe and hit him in the back of the head with it. Maybe underestimating his own strength just a tad and killed him.

Just a guess though, I can't convince myself 100% Boo did it.

I also wonder where the pipe came from? And were there fingerprints on it?

Did Boo lie or was he confused?

Did Boo lie or was he confused?

Hard to say. Its not out of the realm of possibility, as we saw in the Michael Self case cops doing interrogations can turn out to be scumbags, especially with slower people like Self and Boo Mason. And try to trick or coerce them into a confession. It doesn't seem that anything that extreme happened in Boo's case obviously as Don Morris was a special kind of lowlife. But you can't always put things like that past cops who want to get some kind of resolution on the books rather than getting to the actual truth.

Case is still a tough call though.

Just thought of something. Apparently Boo's older brother was a suspect at one point. What if he came upon Gary and Boo having a fight, Gary was getting the better of the smaller Boo. Being protective of his younger brother maybe Boo's brother overreacted to a kid fight and jumped in to help him and it just got out of hand and he unfortunately killed him?

It would explain why Boo may have lied about being at the crime scene and being with Gary that day. And he did kind of hint that there was a fight between them. It would make perfect sense for him to lie for his brother, especially if he was helping him and things just got out of hand?

Maybe a little far fetched of a theory, but it would make sense given a lot of things. Boo was small and handicapped and probably got bullied a lot, so if he had an older brother its entirely possible he was very protective of him and had experiences with him getting bullied before and maybe this was the last straw causing him to overreact to a kid's fight that was basically harmless.

I would like to know more about the brother and if he was known to be protective of Boo and if he had a temper. If so, I think this was a possibility.
Ok now this makes a TON of sense!!! I always thought Boo may know more about the killing and if his brother did it, it explains EVERY thing including why he lied

If Boo was present when Gary was killed...why has he remained silent all of these years if he in fact was just a witness to the murder? I've read where his older brother is dead. So why keep quiet if he was in fact the one who killed Gary while Boo witnessed it?

If Boo was present when Gary was killed...why has he remained silent all of these years if he in fact was just a witness to the murder? I've read where his older brother is dead. So why keep quiet if he was in fact the one who killed Gary while Boo witnessed it?
My only guess is maybe now he’s a bit afraid of the police after the interrogation. My guess always was Boo likely knows who did it, but was scared into silence