NV NV - Anthony Franko, 10, Lemmon Valley, 8 May 1983

[Lavender Moon]

Bumping for Anthony; such a beautiful child.

 

[Moonwalker9]

• • Anthony Bernard Franko
• Missing Since05/08/1983
• Missing FromLemmon Valley, Nevada
• ClassificationNon-Family Abduction
• Date of Birth08/15/1972 (46)
• Age10 years old
• Height and Weight4'11, 85 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry DescriptionA red San Francisco 49ers t-shirt, blue jeans, a blue down hooded jacket, and hiking boots.
• Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Anthony has a slight gap between his upper front teeth and small birthmarks above his left eyebrow and on the right side of his neck. He has two light-colored moles on his cheek and nose and a scar under his lower lip. His nickname is Tony.

Details of Disappearance
Anthony was last seen walking to his school on the morning of May 8, 1983 in Lemmon Valley, Nevada. He was a fifth grade student at Lemmon Valley Elementary School, and lived with his mother and stepfather a half-mile from the school.

Although Anthony's normal route to school was to walk north of Fremont Street, he apparently went in the opposite direction the morning he disappeared.

A witness saw him in a cul-de-sac on the south end of Fremont Street, talking to an unknown individual driving a rusted out vehicle, possibly a Ford Pinto or a Camaro. He never arrived at school and has never been heard from again.

The school didn't notify Anthony's family that he didn't show up for class; as a result, they didn't realize he was missing until later that day, when he didn't call his mother as he was supposed to do every day after he got home from school. She notified the police after she came home, it got dark and Anthony had still not arrived home.

Anthony was a member of the 4-H Club, and the day before his disappearance he won a blue ribbon for showing his pet pony and two rabbits at a 4-H show. He took his ribbon with him when he left for school the next day, planning to show it to classmates.

A month before his disappearance, he ran away from home and went into the mountains after his mother punished him for poor grades. But that time he took some food and dishes with him, left a goodbye note, and then returned home within hours. When he came back, he cried and told his mother he would never run away again.

When Anthony vanished in May 1983 the police initially assumed he'd run away a second time, and didn't start to investigate other theories until several days had passed. His mother never believed he had run away, because he was very happy on the day of his disappearance due to his 4-H ribbon.

Both his mother and stepfather took polygraph tests and were ruled out as suspects. His mother stated Anthony was somewhat naive for his age and would have talked to a stranger.

Investigators believe Anthony was abducted while walking to school and probably murdered. His mother continues to hope he's still alive. No strong suspects have ever been identified in his disappearance; it remains unsolved.

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[Mysteries1974]

Arrest in 40-year-old Reno-area cold case murder

I saw this in the news today and when I saw that Reno was the scene of the crime I instantly thought of Anthony and Jennifer Martin

 

[ChatteringBirds]

These poor kids and their families. It's dreadful that there are people who do this.

 

[BrownBear]

Anthony's photo is shown aged to 36 years.

Have you seen this child? Anthony Franko

 

[neesaki]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1656025557413314562

 

[Pennysmom1]

May 10, 2023

https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article275269246.html

Age-progressed image of missing Lemmon Valley child Tony Franko released

Four decades after his disappearance, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released the image and a letter from Tony's mother.

www.rgj.com

Authorities Hope Age Progression Image Will Help Solve Cold Case 40 Years Later

Forty years after 10-year-old Anthony Franko disappeared, authorities want to bring new attention to this cold case.

www.2news.com

 

[Pennysmom1]

Anthony Franco age progression

Clipping found in Reno Gazette-Journal published in Reno, Nevada on 5/14/2023. Anthony Franco age progression

www.newspapers.com

Anthony Bernard Franko

oag.ca.gov

updated 12/4/23

48DMNV - Anthony Bernard Franko

Anthony Bernard Franko - Nevada Missing Person Directory

Details and Pictures of Anthony Bernard Franko, Missing since May 1983

www.missingin.org

 

[mjm076]

Anthony’s mom Elizabeth Ackerman was interviewed by the Reno Gazette-Journal a few days after Jaycee Dugard was abducted. She told Terry not to give up.

After this many years, how can there be no suspects in Anthony’s disappearance?

Anthony, where are you?

 

[Pennysmom1]

 

[Pennysmom1]

7/19/24

Cold Cases of Northern Nevada: The Lemon Valley Disappearances — Our Town Reno

One of the cold cases older locals remember the most is of Jennifer Lee Martin, 37 years ago. In the summer of 1987, at 11 years old, she left her home on Surge Street barefoot, wearing a grayish-purple sweatshirt dress, at around 3 p.m. to go to a 7-11 a few minutes away on Lemmon Drive,

www.ourtownreno.com

 

[dulcinea]

The day before his disappearance he won a blue ribbon for 4-H, so he could have been around people he didn't know or didn't know well. The next day he is seen leaving for school in the opposite direction of the way he usually walks to school. I am wondering if he met someone the previous day who convinced him to walk that way or someone to whom he might've mentioned where he lived and that person stopped him on the way to school. He saw the person as a friendly fellow 4-H-er and unfortunately he trusted that person.