Found Deceased TX - Norman Lamar Prater, 16, Dallas, 14 Jan 1973

[DS2021]

After 50 years, Dallas missing man’s case linked to fatal 1973 hit-and-run, police say

A Dallas man missing for more than 50 years has been identified as a 1973 hit-and-run victim, closing two cold cases.

www.wfaa.com

Finally identified as a John Doe found on July 9, 1973 in Rockport, Texas; killed in a hit and run where the driver was never identified. Seems like there was no connection to Corll afterall.

6ish hours away, 7 months after date of last contact

 

[John/Jane Doe]

6ish hours away, 7 months after date of last contact

Perhaps Norman simply ran away?

 

[ChatteringBirds]

After 50 years, Dallas missing man’s case linked to fatal 1973 hit-and-run, police say

A Dallas man missing for more than 50 years has been identified as a 1973 hit-and-run victim, closing two cold cases.

www.wfaa.com

Finally identified as a John Doe found on July 9, 1973 in Rockport, Texas; killed in a hit and run where the driver was never identified. Seems like there was no connection to Corll afterall.

Rest in peace, young man.
It's such a shame he wasn't identified sooner. Sincere condolences to his relatives.

 

[Moev]

I don’t know if I still fully rule his case as not being related to Dean Corll.

Corll was only one individual amongst many operating a child pornography/trafficking ring out of the Houston Heights neighborhood.

Some of the kids Corll killed were killed to simply silence them if they had been in recent legal trouble (Mark Scott) or were going to tell the police (Waldrop brothers).

If you read the Scientist and the Serial Killer they talk to a man whose name I had forgotten who had killed Bryant Burch in the late 90s. He was one of the two accomplices for Roy Ames. He had mentioned that Burch threatened to make him disappear if he had reported the abuse or left. These were genuine drug, CP, etc peddlers and based on a lot of Corll victims this definitely rings true.

Additionally Henley talked about previously being taken to Dallas. This I doubt was in any relation to John David Norman, I think John David Norman’s role is overlooked in the Corll case. At best they knew each other through business.

With Praters relation to this neighborhood as his dad lived there and last being seen with two teen boys in Dallas by his mother that were accompanied by a hispanic man I wonder if maybe he had fallen into this same ring of sorts which might’ve been part of why he had not gone any contact for over 7 months but also was found in a random town on the side of the road? No one was really or has been able to go into detail past understanding Corlls victims which seems he was almost the go to guy for Ames ring to silence people coming forward.

 

[Moev]

I don’t know if I still fully rule his case as not being related to Dean Corll.

Corll was only one individual amongst many operating a child pornography/trafficking ring out of the Houston Heights neighborhood.

Some of the kids Corll killed were killed to simply silence them if they had been in recent legal trouble (Mark Scott) or were going to tell the police (Waldrop brothers).

If you read the Scientist and the Serial Killer they talk to a man whose name I had forgotten who had killed Bryant Burch in the late 90s. He was one of the two accomplices for Roy Ames. He had mentioned that Burch threatened to make him disappear if he had reported the abuse or left. These were genuine drug, CP, etc peddlers and based on a lot of Corll victims this definitely rings true.

Additionally Henley talked about previously being taken to Dallas. This I doubt was in any relation to John David Norman, I think John David Norman’s role is overlooked in the Corll case. At best they knew each other through business.

With Praters relation to this neighborhood as his dad lived there and last being seen with two teen boys in Dallas by his mother that were accompanied by a hispanic man I wonder if maybe he had fallen into this same ring of sorts which might’ve been part of why he had not gone any contact for over 7 months but also was found in a random town on the side of the road? No one was really or has been able to go into detail past understanding Corlls victims which seems he was almost the go to guy for Ames ring to silence people coming forward.

I did do some extra digging and it seems that Texas 35 runs from Houston down to close to Corpus Christi. It’s very possible he could have been hitchhiking or brought down there by someone.

I do wonder if they will re examine the autopsy as it seems his case is still only a presumed hit and run. Which might lead to better answers if this was intentional or accidental.

 

[summergirl1]

It didn't seem like he intended to leave before he left. You have to wonder what he was doing in the months he was gone?

 

[martinko]

NamUs MP6542 - Has 20 exclusions as of 3/26/19. Interestingly, only three of those exclusions are from TX, which makes me wonder whether TX just isn't as efficient at updating NamUs as other states (VA, for example). But I digress...

NamUs UP10177 - Matches on age, height, weight, and hair. Found 7/9/73 about 375 miles from where Norman Prater went missing. Not currently listed as an exclusion for Norman.

Wow, spot on with this. Did you ever submit it? Very happy to see this boy identified

 

[MadMcGoo]

Rest peacefully, Norman.

 

[summergirl1]

Texas police solve state’s oldest missing persons cold case — and bring closure to victim’s surviving brother

“I showed him recognition software that they used, and he just looks at me and he goes, ‘You can close the case, that’s my brother, case is done.'”

nypost.com