Robert Darling Jr., 21, of Gloversville, New York, was last seen by his roommate on the morning of August 3, 1984. His father reported him missing that same day. Two months later, on October 10, 1984, hunters found his decomposed remains in a heavily wooded area off Benson Road in the town of Benson, Hamilton County. An autopsy determined he had been shot and that his death was a homicide.

Investigators learned Darling had been involved in the local drug trade and often carried large sums of cash, prompting authorities to consider robbery as a possible motive. Several people have been considered suspects over the years, but no arrest has been made and the case has gone cold at times. The New York State Police Troop G Major Crimes Unit and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Fonda continue to revisit the file and have appealed for information.

If anyone has information about Darling’s movements in early August 1984, his contacts, or the events that led to him being in the Benson Road area, please come forward.