The term “milk carton kids” refers to a group of missing children whose photos were featured on the sides of milk cartons in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. The photos were intended to raise awareness about missing children and help bring them home. While some of these children have been found over the years, others remain missing to this day.
One of the most well-known cases of a missing child featured on a milk carton is that of Etan Patz. Etan was a 6-year-old boy from New York City who disappeared on May 25, 1979, while walking to his school bus stop alone for the first time. His case received widespread media attention and was one of the first missing children cases to receive national coverage. Etan’s photo was later featured on milk cartons in the 1980s as part of the “Missing Children Milk Carton Program.” Despite numerous searches and investigations, Etan’s disappearance remains unsolved to this day.
Another well-known case is that of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted at gunpoint in 1989 in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Jacob’s photo was featured on milk cartons and billboards in the area, but he was not found for 27 years. In 2016, a man named Danny Heinrich confessed to kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and murdering Jacob. Heinrich led authorities to Jacob’s remains, bringing closure to the case after nearly three decades.
Other missing children whose photos were featured on milk cartons include Johnny Gosch, who disappeared in 1982 in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Kyron Horman, who disappeared in 2010 in Portland, Oregon. Johnny’s case remains unsolved, while Kyron’s case is still under investigation.
While the use of milk cartons to feature missing children’s photos has largely faded in the US, there are still many missing children cases that continue to captivate the public’s attention. One example is the case of Madeleine McCann, a British girl who disappeared from her family’s vacation apartment in Portugal in 2007 at the age of 3. Madeleine’s photo has been circulated widely on posters, billboards, and social media, and her case remains unsolved.
Despite the heartbreak and tragedy associated with these cases, there have been some cases of missing children who were found after their photos were featured on milk cartons. One example is that of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped in 1972 in Merced, California, at the age of 7. Steven’s photo was not featured on milk cartons, as the program did not exist at the time, but his case received widespread media attention. Seven years after his abduction, Steven was able to escape from his captor and return to his family. Tragically, Steven died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24.
Another example is that of Carlina White, who was kidnapped from a hospital in New York City in 1987 at just 19 days old. Carlina’s photo was not featured on milk cartons, but her case received national attention. In 2011, Carlina was able to track down her birth parents and reunite with them, 23 years after she was taken.
In conclusion, while some of the missing children featured on milk cartons have been found over the years, many cases remain unsolved
