Marc James Allen was 13 when he was last seen in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 29, 1986. He told his mother he planned to walk to a friend’s house and possibly see a movie, and asked her to save some pizza for his return. Marc never arrived at the friend’s home and was reported missing the next day after family and friends had no trace of him.

Police did not open a formal investigation for 48 hours, initially treating him as a possible runaway. Over time authorities shifted away from that theory as leads failed to materialize. Marc was last seen wearing a light blue t-shirt, blue jean shorts, white socks, and gray sneakers. His disappearance is listed as an endangered missing case; it took place in the same city and era as the paperboy disappearances of Johnny Gosch and Eugene Martin, but no official connection has been established.

The case remains open. Anyone with information about Marc’s disappearance is asked to contact the Des Moines Police Department or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.