IN IN - Diamond Bynum, 21, & King Walker, 2, Gary, 25 July 2015

[ChatteringBirds]

Was there a real effort by law enforcement to locate any possible video footage of Diamond and King back in 2015 after they were reported missing? By which I mean did LE go door-to-door in the neighborhood to ask if there was security footage they could view?

Earlier in the thread it was posted that search dogs lead them to a gas station and the owner refused to turn that footage over to LE in time (the community should be outraged about that!) but how could that have been the only possible footage?

Finding any footage of them after they left the house would have helped quell rumors, provide a better timeline, and maybe even provide clues.

Is there a Crimestoppers reward in this case? If not, why not? Why did LE not add them to NamUs?

Would love to know what LE and the FBI have / think in this case.

Two very vulnerable people just disappeared? Well it needs to be solved in case it's due to a dangerous predator who will harm again.
And their family deserves answers.

 

[Alleykins]

@ChatteringBirds
Here's what I found about search efforts:

Their disappearance prompted a massive search with flyers and search dogs going through abandoned homes and dense areas...
Search efforts have not stopped. Bynum's mother said she hopes to put a billboard up with their photos and working on getting an age progression image of what they might look like now.

3 years later, search continues for missing Gary woman Diamond Bynum, nephew King Walker

Since they were reported missing, more than a dozen searches for them have been conducted across Gary, Indiana State Police said.

New leads sought in disappearance of woman, nephew from Gary

Police knocked on doors for blocks around the home and posted fliers on trees and utility poles asking anyone with information to call.

Police search expands for missing woman, toddler

 

[Alleykins]

My own two cents:
I can't imagine these two wandering around without one of them (or both of them) eventually becoming distressed and drawing attention to themselves. They'd get tired, hungry and thirsty and start fussing and crying. I also have a difficult time wrapping my head around them being in such a state in public without someone offering or trying to them, if this was indeed the case.
And then there is this:

Bynum suffers from a medical condition that prevents her from knowing when she has had enough to eat, police said. While living in Hammond, she would be found taking food from the store shelves and eating it in the bathroom, police said.

Because of her condition, Diamond would seek out food and would probably become agitated when hungry. So I'm thinking this behavior would have been noticed/notable if anyone had come across them.
Police search expands for missing woman, toddler

 

[Alleykins]

My own two cents:
I can't imagine these two wandering around without one of them (or both of them) eventually becoming distressed and drawing attention to themselves. They'd get tired, hungry and thirsty and start fussing and crying. I also have a difficult time wrapping my head around them being in such a state in public without someone offering or trying to help them, if this was indeed the case.
And then there is this:

Because of her condition, Diamond would seek out food and would probably become agitated when hungry. So I'm thinking this behavior would have been noticed/notable if anyone had come across them.
Police search expands for missing woman, toddler

Editing the orig. post to add the word help

 

[Kaydence]

Re: the bus- Now, in 202o, the bus would have cost $1.00-.80, because of Diamond's disability status and the fact that she was likely a Medicaid card holder...although I understand she may not have actually been in possession/control of the card. I don't know what it would have cost in 2015, but certainly, it wouldn't have been more. I have experienced bus drivers(in larger cities) allowing riders on for free if the bus wasn't super busy, the person was struggling, or a mother with her hands too full. So there is the possibility of a bus ride, even a remote one.
Fares – GPTC

I would like to know- has Diamond used a bus before, either alone or with someone. Did she have possession of any of her personal items. Some people with disabilities I know wear a lanyard around their neck when out and it holds the metro card, id, medical alert, etc. Did she ever have one of these and was it accounted for when she left?

It is a long shot, yes, but at this point ANY thing needs to be considered.

 

[Alleykins]

Re: the bus- Now, in 202o, the bus would have cost $1.00-.80, because of Diamond's disability status and the fact that she was likely a Medicaid card holder...although I understand she may not have actually been in possession/control of the card. I don't know what it would have cost in 2015, but certainly, it wouldn't have been more. I have experienced bus drivers(in larger cities) allowing riders on for free if the bus wasn't super busy, the person was struggling, or a mother with her hands too full. So there is the possibility of a bus ride, even a remote one.
Fares – GPTC

I would like to know- has Diamond used a bus before, either alone or with someone. Did she have possession of any of her personal items. Some people with disabilities I know wear a lanyard around their neck when out and it holds the metro card, id, medical alert, etc. Did she ever have one of these and was it accounted for when she left?

It is a long shot, yes, but at this point ANY thing needs to be considered.

I know nothing about the transit system in Indiana. How close to her house is the nearest bus stop?

 

[Kaydence]

I know nothing about the transit system in Indiana. How close to her house is the nearest bus stop?

I'm not sure yet. I know there are routes that go all around Mathews street. Looking into where the actual stops are.

I'm going to make a note here for myself of things to look into:
-Was the Brunswick Park searched. It's less than a mile from the house, very big and many parts are overgrown.
-What stores did Diamond regularly go to? Was there a routine she followed? Did she have any kind of help, like a paraprofessional, therapist, etc?

 

[Alleykins]

I'm not sure yet. I know there are routes that go all around Mathews street. Looking into where the actual stops are.

I'm going to make a note here for myself of things to look into:
-Was the Brunswick Park searched. It's less than a mile from the house, very big and many parts are overgrown.
-What stores did Diamond regularly go to? Was there a routine she followed? Did she have any kind of help, like a paraprofessional, therapist, etc?

Some questions I have: Do the buses have cameras? If so, was the footage checked to see if she and King boarded one of them? Did investigators interview bus drivers?
When checking google earth, I noticed a park, too. I wonder if it were the same one you mentioned. I was also stunned at all the abandoned buildings and wonder if they were searched as well.
I think they mentioned a fast food restaurant she liked, but not sure how close the nearest one is. They had just moved to the area, so I'm thinking she wasn't as familiar with her new neighborhood as the last, and it was also stated in an article that she had gotten out before but never went more than a few blocks. Can't recall if that was at her old house or new one.
Not sure about the level of outside help she received from home. When she was in school, she would have had a helper, though. But whatever type of help she may have had, it doesn't sound like there was anyone there that day to keep an eye on her and King, except the stepmother. I'd like to know how Diamond got out of the house, surely they had locks or something to prevent it from happening, if it were known to happen on occasion.

 

[Kaydence]

Gary police seek man for questioning in missing persons case I can't find any other information on this yet.

 

[Alleykins]

Gary police seek man for questioning in missing persons case I can't find any other information on this yet.

Thanks for posting this article.
It answers some of my questions. From the article:

Many intense searches of Gary's abandoned buildings and dense lots have not found Bynum and Walker.

 

[cnmccarthy]

Thanks for posting this article.
It answers some of my questions. From the article:

Wonder what came of this, this was in 2015.

 

[cnmccarthy]

Terrence Williams - Obituary

Same guy?

 

[cnmccarthy]

We have received tips regarding sightings of them throughout the country, and we have sent leads to outside agencies if it is needed to follow up on the tips for Gary,” Hamady said via email. “We have had the Indiana State Police and NWI Major Crimes Task Force assist in this case as well.

“As of now, it is still active, and if anything new comes in, we do follow up on all leads.”

Man continues wait for daughter, grandson to come home 5 years after they went missing in Gary

 

[cnmccarthy]

At the time of his disappearance, King was 3’0 tall, 34 pounds, and had dreadlocks in his hair. He has black hair and brown eyes. The photo below is an age progression image created by forensic artists as NCMEC to show what King might look like today at 7 years old.

https://chicagocrusader.com/missing-for-5-years-king-walker-and-diamond-bynum/

 

[Kaydence]

Terrence Williams - Obituary

Same guy?

I don't think it's the same man. The deceased goes by Tweet, and the POI goes by Dollar.

 

[Mskey215]

Wonder what came of this, this was in 2015.

They are still missing

 

[alucardsdream]

This case is so frustrating...someone out there has to know what happened to these two. There is absolutely no way they could have survived more than a couple days on their own. I doubt there will ever be a happy ending here, but it would be nice for the family to at least get some answers.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Seven years of Dateline's Missing in America: 156 still missing

 

[imstilla.grandma]

On July 25, 2015, Diamond Bynum, 21, and her nephew, King Walker, 2, went missing from the house where Diamond lived with her stepmother and father, Eugene, in Gary, Indiana. The two reportedly had been taking a nap that afternoon, as had Diamond's stepmother. When the stepmother woke up, she says the two were gone. The family had recently moved to Gary with Diamond, who is described as mentally challenged. At their old home, Diamond was able to go on walks around their neighborhood because she knew the area. The family fears Diamond may have taken King on a walk and gotten lost. Family members have spent more than five years pleading with the public for any information they may have, but few clues have been uncovered. A spokesperson for the Gary Police Department tells Dateline there are no new developments in the case. The case is still open and all tips received have been followed up on. Friends and family still post on the Help Find Diamond Bynum & King Walker Facebook page asking for help with their search. A $1,000 reward is being offered for the safe return of Diamond and King. If you have any information regarding Diamond and King’s cases, please contact the Gary Police Department at (219) 881-1260.

Seven years of Dateline's Missing in America: 156 still missing

 

[mlhenn]

Renewed plea in case of missing Gary woman and nephew, nearly 6 years later

Another desperate plea for help as La Shann Walker vows to never stop searching for her missing daughter and grandson.

Diamond Bynum and her nephew King Walker went missing nearly six years ago.

Saturday afternoon outside the Gary Police Department, Walker holds on to the belief that the pair are still alive somewhere.

"This is hardest thing not knowing where your child is, where your grandchild is whether they are alive or not," said Walker.

Community leaders said the case has gone cold because detectives no longer return Walker's calls.

The family said they have asked for Gary's mayor to get involved and help move the case along.

They said if that doesn't work, they will turn to state and federal officials.

The Gary Police Department did not return calls or emails from ABC 7 for comment.