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Danny Armantrout

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Daniel Paul "Danny" Armantrout (December 28, 1945 - March 27, 1961) was a teenager who drowned after the vehicle he was in entered the river.

He was identified by Identifinders International, aided by Astrea Forensics, in October 2021. His identification has been the oldest NCMEC case solved by forensic genealogy.

Case[]

Armantrout hitched a ride with a passing motorist and stated he had run away with no specific destination. He said his parents were going through a divorce, and he would have had to live in an orphanage or join the Navy if he stayed at home, despite the fact he appeared not old enough to join the Navy.

The driver accidentally struck a guardrail, and the vehicle entered the water below. The driver survived, yet Armantrout broke his neck in two places and drowned.

He likely hitched rides with three different motorists before his death. One motorist claimed that the decedent had stayed with relatives between Montevallo, Alabama, and South Carolina, and he was trying to find work but had no luck. Another motorist claimed that he might have connections to the military service and might have been an inmate at an institution.

Characteristics[]

  • Naturally dark brown hair, bleached light brown.
  • Blue eyes.
  • Smoker.
  • Possibly walked with a slight limp.
  • Inscription scars of 'RY + LOVE' on the left arm.
  • Scar on the right ankle, 4 inches long.
  • Small crescent-shaped scar on the upper right forehead.

Clothing and accessories[]

  • White dress shirt.
  • Light blue dress pants.
  • Brown leather belt with a silver horse-head buckle.
  • Black coat.
  • Tan-colored moccasin-toed boots.
  • Timex wristwatch.
  • Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception necklace.

Belongings[]

  • Brown leatherette bag with several long sleeve shirts and pants
  • Brown plastic wallet.
  • Photograph of the decedent with a girl.
  • Penny box full of matches.
  • Small key.
  • Pall Mall cigarettes with a South Carolina tax stamp.
  • Ruby ring with "United States Army" inscribed.

Gallery[]

Sources[]

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