Duane Robert Talmon Jr. was 16 and living in Buffalo when he was last seen on October 30, 1974. He called his mother that day to say he would meet a friend at Akron Park and would not need a ride from school; he arranged to be picked up later on Miles Road but never showed up and has not been heard from since.

In 1986 Michael Thurman confessed to killing Duane, saying an argument over a drug deal led to a shooting and that he buried Duane near North French Road in Amherst. Searches of the area failed to locate remains. In 2003 Thurman was convicted of first-degree manslaughter after witnesses came forward and was sentenced under a plea deal. Duane’s body has never been recovered and his family continues to seek closure.

If anyone knew Duane, his movements around Akron Park or Miles Road that day, or has information about the Amherst area searches, please share what is known.