Real Name: Reuben Bennett Blackwell Jr.
Nicknames: Bennett
Location: Clinton, Maryland
Date: May 6, 1996
Bio[]
Date of Birth: December 29, 1992
Height: 3'0"
Weight: 36 lbs.
Characteristics: Black male with black hair and brown eyes. According to his mother, Reuben's ears have a cute way of sticking out.
Case[]
Details: Reuben Blackwell Jr. is the son of Reuben Blackwell Sr. and Deborah Tinsley-Blackwell of Clinton, Maryland. Reuben Sr. worked as a special education teacher. After Reuben Jr. was born, Deborah began noticing some alarming behavior from Reuben Sr. She says he had dramatic mood swings; he was nice one minute, then angry and violent the next. He was also verbally abusive toward her.
In early May 1996, Reuben Sr. became even more violent and abusive. He threw things around the house and at Deborah. He even knocked over Reuben Jr.'s fish tank. Reuben Jr. witnessed some of these events. She became concerned for their safety.
On the morning of May 6, 1996, Reuben Sr. again became angry and threw things at Deborah. After he left the house, three-year-old Reuben Jr. said to Deborah, "Mommy, you need to call the police on Daddy". After calming him down, she took him to daycare. She then called the police and asked for help dealing with Reuben Sr.
The police suggested Deborah get an ex-parte order, which would require Reuben Sr. to leave their house for ten days. After this time was up, he and Deborah would attend a court hearing with a judge and try to work out their dispute (through counseling or other help). She obtained the order but asked the sheriff not to serve it until the next day because it was Reuben Sr.'s turn to pick up Reuben Jr. from daycare.
That afternoon, after Reuben Sr. picked up Reuben Jr., they went to Deborah's mother's house. The sheriff then arrived and served Reuben Sr. with the order. A confrontation occurred, and Reuben Sr. fled with Reuben Jr. in his blue 1993 Volvo 940 sedan. When Deborah returned home from work, she learned that they were gone.
The police issued a felony warrant for Reuben Sr.'s arrest on charges of kidnapping. On September 22, 2000, a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued for him.
The police and Deborah are concerned for Reuben Jr.'s safety. Reuben Sr. previously threatened to kill both Reuben Jr. and himself. A few days after they disappeared, Reuben Sr. sent a letter to his mother describing funeral arrangements for himself and Reuben Jr.
Deborah has spent years searching for Reuben Jr. She has made and sent flyers to churches and other organizations in and around Washington, D.C. She received help from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which sent Reuben Jr.'s picture across the country. However, despite an extensive search, neither he nor Reuben Sr. have been found. Their names have not turned up in any record searches.
Deborah hopes that Reuben Jr. is still alive and will one day become curious about his past and family. She believes that he and Reuben Sr. may be living in another country. The police have received information that they may now be in Ohio. Caution is advised when approaching them.
Suspects: Reuben Blackwell Sr.
Extra Notes:
- This case was first released on November 1, 2022 as a part of the third volume of the Netflix reboot. It was released in the third part of a three-week Halloween event. It is featured at the end of "Abducted by a Parent" as a part of a parental abduction roll call alongside CJ and Billy Vosseler, Luis Alderete-Martinez, Huaiyu and Binyu Chin, Kayla Unbehaun, Tammy and Diego Flores, and Christopher and Lisa Zaharias.
- It was previously profiled on Nancy Grace, Missing, and In Pursuit with John Walsh.
- This case was one of the missing children featured in a slideshow at the end of 7th Heaven episode, Lost. Morgan Nick was also featured.
- Some sources refer to Reuben's last name as "Blackwell II" and state: Reuben Sr. took Reuben Jr. to avoid arrest; Deborah had custody of Reuben Jr.; and Reuben Sr. sent the funeral letter to Deborah.
Results: Unsolved
Links:
- Reuben Blackwell Jr. on the Charley Project
- Reuben Blackwell Jr. on The Doe Network
- Reuben Blackwell Jr. on NamUs
- Reuben Blackwell Jr. on the NCMEC website
- Reuben Blackwell Jr. on For the Lost
- 7th Heaven missing children slideshow - November 26, 2001
- Authorities Search for Boy Abducted by Father - June 30, 2006
- Clinton boy has been missing since 1996 - September 7, 2010
- Prince George's County boy abducted by father in 1996 still missing - June 11, 2013
- MISSING: Reuben Blackwell in Clinton, Md. - April 16, 2014
- FBI Fugitive on the Run for Kidnapping Believed to be in Ohio Region - May 8, 2014
- FBI Warns Armed Fugitive May Be In Ohio Region - May 9, 2014
- Md. Man Accused of Kidnapping Son May Be in Ohio - May 9, 2014
- The Missing, Unidentified, and Unsolved in Maryland Case #12 Reuben Bennett Blackwell II - May 11, 2018
- Mommy's Still Hoping for Christmas Miracle - December 26, 2019
- Reuben Blackwell Jr. on Websleuths