OR OR - Thomas Gibson, 2, Glendale, 18 March 1991

[mere]

I think this is a very sad case. This little boy's face has been familiar to me for a long time. His poster was shown on the Runaway Train video by Soul Asylum.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/gibson_thomas.html

 

[meggilyweggily]

This is one of the few murder-with-a-body cases where I'm not at all sure the convicted killer is guilty. There seems to be a serious paucity of evidence here, and just about anything could have happened to Thomas. From what I've read about the case I'm not even sure he is dead, let alone killed by his father.

 

[Mr. E]

meggilyweggily, I am curious about your thoughts on Thomas' case. I'd always thought the father probably had a hand in his disappearance and probable death. I had heard he had a quick and violent temper.

 

[gaia227]

I am surprised they were able to indict him much less get a conviction with basically no physical evidence. It sounds like it was all based on circumstansial and heresay.
However, I tend to think he most likely did do it and I think the police assumption that the bullet travelled through the cat and accidently killed Thomas seems very likely but there is no evidence to support that theory.
To be honest I cannot have much sympathy for the guy. I don't have much sympathy for people who shoot innocent animals who are simply trying to survive. It sounds like cat shooting was a normal activity for him and that is vile to me and evidence that he is not a good person. I think people who are mean and violent towards animals are probably very likely to be violent towards people.

 

[Eire]

I thought I read somewhere that his body was found, I guess I was confused. I could have sworn I read that his body was found near their old home. That's what I get for believing the rumor mill.

I too remember his picture from the Soul Asylum video. I'm wondering a few things here, if the father did indeed shoot Thomas by accident, there would have been blood near the dead cat. I'm guessing any blood found was not tested because they would have been able to tell if it was human or not, no? The father probably could have done it, I don't have any love for people who shoot animals either. I'm not willing to jump to a conclusion quite yet, but I'm on gaia's wavelength there.

The mother and daughter changing their story could go both ways. It could be they were afraid of the father and stuck to the story about the strangers until they were away from him. It could also be that the second story was concocted after the parents split up. Maybe mom didn't want dad having visitation or something. Stranger stories have been made up during divorces, I'm sure. I just don't know here. I don't think little Thomas is alive today, though.

 

[Talisman]

So sad, I had forgotten about this little guy. Didn't Unsolved Mysteries run this story? IIRC after watching that I felt like the father was guilty. Didn't they do a search with dogs ?

 

[meggilyweggily]

Unsolved Mysteries did run a show on this case. I remember watching it when I was a child.

 

[Mr. E]

Unsolved Mysteries did run a show on this case. I remember watching it when I was a child.

I remember too. Remember how some of the witness always sounded guilty somehow? I always thought the dad was one of those guilty-sounding witnesses.

 

[kahskye]

Is there not a law against shooting stray cats? Something doesn't add up to his story.

 

[meggilyweggily]

I live out in the country and there are plenty of stray cats running around, some dogs as well. Many people regard them as pests and shoot them on sight, the same way people fumigate for cockroaches and stuff. I've never heard of any law against it but if there was a law I don't think most people would stop shooting.

 

[Michle315]

This case blows my mind, I do remember seeing the Unsolved Mysteries take on it many times. I believe the father did it, either not knowing but then him being a cop (am I right on that?) You would think he would say something, so when he didn't he may of been abusing him. Very sad that this child is missing/dead because of his own father. I have read on many sites that people who abuse animals shooting, burning ect. Are usually ones that lead lives of killing people.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

:bump: Thomas has now been missing for 20 years.

 

[CCD]

I hope they can find out what happened to him. Such a cutie!

 

[sls314]

What kind of father shoots stray cats on the family property while his 2 year old son is playing outside? (Yeah, what kind of father shoots stray cats at all, but especially with a young child playing outside.)

A trained deputy should be aware of the dangers of stray bullets, and should be intelligent enough to know that 2 year olds don't sit still when playing outside. They're going to get up and run around, and potentially be in the path of those bullets.

 

[CCD]

What kind of father shoots stray cats on the family property while his 2 year old son is playing outside? (Yeah, what kind of father shoots stray cats at all, but especially with a young child playing outside.)

A trained deputy should be aware of the dangers of stray bullets, and should be intelligent enough to know that 2 year olds don't sit still when playing outside. They're going to get up and run around, and potentially be in the path of those bullets.

I 100% agree. People who work with guns should understand the ramifications of using guns. And who goes for a 'jog around his property' and carries a handgun with them?

 

[EmmaliLucia]

The age progression photo looks exactly like a kid I went to highschool with.

I think the weirdest thing is the age isn't that far off, either.

I'm sure it's not him though, not trying to start rumours.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Bumping for Tommy, missing 22 years.

 

[AliceInPain]

170DMOR - Thomas Dean Gibson
Missing Person Case

Never seen a case where the father is more guilty.
(Possibly Dylan Redwine's...)

Could a mod please be kind enough and update the link in the first post?

 

[Skweez]

Isn’t it funny that Larry Gibson got dressed in his uniform, after being told not to come into work, then gets into his squad car and takes off for 20-25 minutes during the investigation. He “says” he was checking the local rest area hoping he might find the imaginary “couple”, no one had seen, not even by him, that had supposedly kidnapped his son. BULL. Isn’t it quite convenient that the largest wooded area along the entire I-5, in Oregon, just happens to be roughly 2 miles North of where Tommy went missing, right smack in the middl of north bound and south bound I-5. Gee imagine that. I mean who’s going to think that a cop parked in the middle of the freeway back down in a bunch of trees is out of the ordinary. Cops pull that crap all the time to catch speeders. Too bad he wasn’t trying to catch people speeding, he was dumping by his sons body. Let’s break it down: 2 miles north at pretty much any speed he wants cause he’s a cop, but for the sake of the argument let’s say 85 mph. That’s about .7 miles a minute so about 3 minutes to get there 3 minutes to get back. That’s 6 minutes. That leaves between 14-19 minutes to either dig a shallow grave, which he probably didn’t, i mean the piece of crap just killed his son and is disposing of the body. He probably took a min to find the best spot with the most coverage to block the view from both side of the freeway and tossed him in. Then hauls back to his house where the investigation is happening. I mean who calls off a search for you me missing child because it’s too cold and doesn’t even help with the search to begin with. I know that’s where Tommy’s body was dumped. I was told this when I was a little kid about 11 years old about 1-2 weeks after he disappeared. I’ve called and emailed unsolved mysteries multiple times to no response. I’ve called and emailed the national center for missing and exploited children multiple times and no one has checked the area. I’ve even contacted Douglas county cold case multiple times. Sargent Chris E. Merrifield said on 2 seperate emails that he is going to take cadaver dogs and the search and rescue team to the area to look for any remains. It’s been almost 2 years and still no one has check it out. Tommy didn’t deserve what happened to him he was an innocent baby that I feel deserves a little time and effort to be found and properly put to rest. If it’s not illegal I think I’ll head up there and search myself soon. It’s not that far from me and definitely important enough for me to take a day off and at least try to find him.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Bumping up for Thomas. I hope someday soon he will actually be found. This little boy was failed, that's for sure.