Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
Timmothy Pitzen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Timmothy James Pitzen October 18, 2004 Aurora, Illinois, U.S. |
| Disappeared | May 11, 2011 Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Status | Missing for 7 years, 10 months, 23 days. Potentially found on April 3, 2019. |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | Greenman Elementary School |
| Parents |
|
On May 11, 2011, Timmothy James Pitzen was dropped off at school in Aurora, Illinois by his father James "Jim" Pitzen. He was picked up shortly after by his mother, Amy Fry-Pitzen, who took him on a three-day trip to various amusement and water parks, before she was found dead by suicide in a motel room in the nearby town of Rockford, Illinois, with a note stating that Timmothy was safe. He may have been found in Newport, Kentucky, on April 3, 2019.[1]
Early life
Timmothy was born in Aurora, Illinois to parents James "Jim" Pitzen and Amy Joan Marie Fry-Pitzen in 2004. On May 11, 2011, his father dropped him off at his kindergarten class at Greenman Elementary School. His mother checked him out of class between 8:10 and 8:15 AM CDT, citing a non-existent family emergency. She dropped her vehicle off at a repair shop at 10:00 AM. An employee of the shop drove Pitzen and her son to the Brookfield Zoo. They returned and retrieved their vehicle at 3:00 PM, and drove to the KeyLime Cove Resort in Gurnee, Illinois, where they spent the night. The next morning, the pair drove to Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, and were spotted on security footage in the checkout line at 10:00 AM.
Disappearance
At 1:30 PM, Amy Pitzen phoned several family members, including her mother and brother-in-law, telling them that she and Timmothy were safe and not in any danger. She failed to contact her husband, however, who had been attempting to locate the pair after being notified by his son's school that he was not present when he arrived to pick him up at the end of the school day on May 11. Timmothy was overheard saying that he was hungry in the background of one of these phone calls. That was the last anyone saw or heard from him. Amy Pitzen was seen on security cameras at a dollar store (where she purchased stationery) and at a grocery store, both in Rockford, Illinois at 7:25 PM that evening. She was alone at the time. Following this, she checked into the Rockford Inn, where sometime that night or the next morning, she took her own life by slashing her wrists and neck, as well as taking an overdose of antihistamines. On the morning of May 13, her lifeless body was found by a hotel maid along with a note. In the note, Amy apologized for the mess she had created, and explained that Timmothy would never be found, but was safe with people who would care for him.[2] A similar note was also mailed to her mother from the hotel.
Investigation
Police found that the knife she used to kill herself contained only her blood, and that blood found in her car belonging to Timmothy was from a nosebleed he incurred previous to these events. It was also noted that her cellular phone was missing. An examination of her vehicle revealed that it had been parked in a grassy area, possibly near a stream, but close to a highway once treated with glass road making beads for a length of time.[citation needed] It is thought[by whom?] that perhaps Timmothy was handed off to person(s) unknown there. His car seat was not taken. In 2013, Amy Pitzen's cellular phone was located beside Route 78, but the discovery did not bring any new evidence. James Pitzen has stated that he believes his son is still alive.[3] The case was broadcast on the American television series Live PD, in the "Missing" segment of the August 25, 2018 episode, with guest Angeline Hartmann of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who showed viewers an age progression photograph of Timmothy at age 13.[4]
Possible discovery
On April 3, 2019, a teenager claiming to be Timmothy Pitzen was found by police in response to calls from local residents in Newport, Kentucky, after he was seen wandering the streets after reportedly running across a bridge over the Ohio River. The boy looked shaken and distraught.[5] Authorities are currently investigating his identity.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Woman Reports Possible Sighting of Missing Boy". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
- ^ Mattera, Jason (25 April 2017). "Timmothy Pitzen, 6, missing after mother found dead by suicide". Crime Watch Daily. Telepictures Productions Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ Leonardi, James (15 May 2017). "Father of Timmothy Pitzen Desperate To Find His Son After 6 Years". My State Line. Lakana LLC. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "Have you seen this child?". Missing kids. Retrieved 25 August 2018.[dead link]
- ^ Feuerherd, Ben (April 3, 2019). "Teen tells police he is missing Illinois boy Timmothy Pitzen". New York Post. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "Aurora Police Travel to Cincinnati for Missing Child Case". NBC Chicago. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-03.