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The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to the whereabouts of a Massachusetts boy who hasn’t been seen in over 40 years.
On September 30, 1978, Andrew J. Amato, 4, vanished in Webster while playing on a path in the woods. According to ABC 5, he was last seen near the Ash Street Trailer Park with his cousin, 6, and sister, 7.
The children had been walking along Route 52 (now known as I-395) when Andrew dropped a toy in the pond and refused to leave without it. The other children left to get family members, and when they returned, he had vanished.
In 2003, a Boston Globe report indicated that an elderly Rhode Island man confessed to relatives that he had killed Andrew and buried him under power lines in Burrillville, Rhode Island.
Despite a large-scale search in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, police were unable to find him.
Last week, divers with the FBI divers searched the Round Pond in Burrillville, while looking for “specific evidence.” It’s unclear if anything was found.
“Andrew Amato’s family has endured enough heartache, and they deserve to know what happened to him, which is why the FBI is offering a substantial reward to incentivize anyone with information to come forward,” Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said Tuesday.
Andrew is described as a white male with blue eyes, with a mole by his right ear and a “one-inch scar on the right side of his head,” according to Boston 25 News.
He was last seen in a white Mickey Mouse t-shirt, jeans, a snorkel jacket, and brown shoes with stripes. At the time of his disappearance, he stood 3 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed around 38 pounds.
“Your tip could be key to resolving this case and providing the Amatos with some much-needed closure,” Docks added.
“It’s never too late to step up and do the right thing. Yes, it’s been 47 years, but we’re not about to give up on bringing Andy home and anyone involved in his disappearance to justice.”
Anyone with information should call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or Webster police at 508-943-1212. Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.
[Feature Photo via FBI]