NY NY - Steven Damman, 2, East Meadow, 31 Oct 1955

[Richard]

Steven Craig Damman, age 2
Missing since 31 October 1955

Bumping this thread up. This year marks 70 years missing...

 

[spartanx]

I have one question left...I'm surprised they didn't take the two kids...I wonder why him...not that this is something I'd like to think about too much but my first thought is that it would be easier to escape with a baby than with a two year old who screams and moves around a lot...
whatever the case
rest in peace little one

 

[Deleted member 306806]

I have one question left...I'm surprised they didn't take the two kids...I wonder why him...not that this is something I'd like to think about too much but my first thought is that it would be easier to escape with a baby than with a two year old who screams and moves around a lot...
whatever the case
rest in peace little one

This is not a de facto kidnapping. The claim is the toddler and his baby sister were left outside the grocery store, and when their mom came out, they were both gone. This could mean little Steven pushed the carriage with his sister for a couple of blocks and wandered off. He could have wandering and kidnapped away from his sister. Or that he wandered and got lost in a wooded area, storm drain, etc, and was not located.

 

[spartanx]

This is not a de facto kidnapping. The claim is the toddler and his baby sister were left outside the grocery store, and when their mom came out, they were both gone. This could mean little Steven pushed the carriage with his sister for a couple of blocks and wandered off. He could have wandering and kidnapped away from his sister. Or that he wandered and got lost in a wooded area, storm drain, etc, and was not located.

Above they explain that it was a common practice in those years to leave baby strollers outside a bakery for example... due to space and sanitation issues... to me it seems crazy... if they didn't let me enter a store with my babies, both of them, I would leave and look for another place... I would always have them with me, I would never leave them with anyone I didn't know or alone waiting for something on the street...Here is a photo

 

[Richard]

Things are very different today - in many ways. Back in 1955, a family might have a car, but certainly not two. And in most cases, the man of the house would usually drive the car to work. The Mom would walk places, pushing a baby buggy or stroller. Stores were downtown, or on the corner - shopping centers had not been "invented" yet.

Kids could safely walk around unsupervised to a much larger extent than today, and playing outside was the norm.

 

[Bluebear15]

Things are very different today - in many ways. Back in 1955, a family might have a car, but certainly not two. And in most cases, the man of the house would usually drive the car to work. The Mom would walk places, pushing a baby buggy or stroller. Stores were downtown, or on the corner - shopping centers had not been "invented" yet.

Kids could safely walk around unsupervised to a much larger extent than today, and playing outside was the norm.

As evidenced by this case ( and the many other missing and murdered kids of this era), kids couldn't be safely outside unsupervised. Parents just didn't know any better.

 

[Richard]

As evidenced by this case ( and the many other missing and murdered kids of this era), kids couldn't be safely outside unsupervised. Parents just didn't know any better.

The dangers of child abduction have always been present, no matter what time frame or era. Parents and teachers certainly knew of them and warned children never to accept candy, gifts, or rides from strangers.

But as I stated, times were much different in the 1950's and earlier. I visited the town where I had lived from age 2 to 11, some 30 to 40 years later. All of the roads and about 90 percent of the houses were the same, but there were some very visible differences or changes.

Instead of one car per house, there were several for each and roads which had been clear were now jammed from one end to the other with parked vehicles. Baseball fields and playgrounds, which had been open and accessible from all directions were now surrounded by high link fences, and empty.

Most noticeable to me was the total lack of kids outside playing on a nice summer day. Not a single one. Back in the day, there would be hundreds of kids outside playing, running, riding bicycles, etc.

There are a lot of reasons for the change, I am sure. Like air conditioning, better TV, video games, etc. Heightened awareness of child safety likely is also a contributing factor to kids staying indoors.