Brian Richard Bleyl was 12 when he rode off on his paper route in Phoenix on February 28, 1981, and never returned. He was last seen about 3:00 p.m. near North 9th Avenue and West Myrtle Avenue. Contemporary descriptions list him at about 4 feet 11 inches and 100 pounds, with brown eyes and hair described variously as blonde, blond, or brown; he had a distinctive quarter-sized red birthmark on one forearm and required insulin for diabetes.

Brian’s bicycle was recovered the following day in an alley in the 1100 block of West Glendale Avenue, not far from an apartment later linked to the investigation. Witnesses reported seeing a boy believed to be Brian near that complex, but no blood, fingerprints, or other forensic evidence establishing what happened was recovered. In 1989 Stephen Michael Wilson was charged in connection with Brian’s abduction and presumed killing; the jury acquitted him. Brian’s remains have never been recovered. His dental records and DNA profile have been preserved, and his case remains active.

If anyone knew Brian, his route, or saw a boy matching his description in north-central Phoenix that afternoon, can you help provide information?