WEBSTER, Mass. — Nearly 50 years after a 4-year-old boy vanished while playing in the woods in a Massachusetts town, law enforcement officials and family members are again asking the public for help with tracking him down or finding his remains.
The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Webster Police Department on Tuesday announced a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the disappearance of Andrew J. Amato.
On Sept. 30, 1978, Amato was reported missing by his mother. The boy was last seen by his 7-year-old sister and his 6-year-old cousin earlier that day in a wooded area next to the Ash Street Trailer Park in the Worcester County town of Webster.
The children were walking along a trail near Route 52, now known as Interstate 395, when they came across a brook, and Andrew stumbled, dropping his toy, according to investigators. He refused to head back home without it, so his family went to get help.
Upon returning to the woods, Andrew was nowhere to be found, authorities said.
Andrew, also known as Andy, is described as white, with blue eyes, a one-inch scar on the right side of his head at the hairline, and a mole behind his right ear.
He was said to be wearing a maroon-colored snorkel jacket, jeans, a white Mickey Mouse t-shirt, and brown shoes with a jogger stripe when he vanished. He was also estimated to be about 3 feet, 6 inches tall and about 38 pounds.
After Andrew was reported missing, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies launched a massive search spanning Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Investigators have also conducted close to 100 interviews and followed up on dozens of leads nationwide, but their extensive efforts have proved unsuccessful.
Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said Tuesday that no amount of information is too small or irrelevant in the search for Andrew.
“Andrew Amato’s family has endured enough heartache, and they deserve to know what happened to him, which is why the FBI is offering a substantial reward to incentivize anyone with information to come forward. Your tip could be key to resolving this case and providing the Amatos with some much-needed closure,” Docks said in a statement. “It’s never too late to step up and do the right thing. Yes, it’s been 47 years, but we’re not about to give up on bringing Andy home and anyone involved in his disappearance to justice.”
Webster Police Chief Michael Shaw echoed Docks’ words, saying, “We are still committed to bringing closure to the Amato family.”
Andrew’s sister, Michelle Amato, hopes her father can find closure in his son’s disappearance before he passes.
“Imagine it was your child or your brother that went missing. Imagine what grief that would bring to you, and how you would be able to cope without knowing for 47 years. It affects how you live, how you raise your children,” Michelle said. “Any clue, anything that would lead to the recovery of my brother, would mean the world to me and would give my father some answers before he passes. My mother’s not alive any longer for those answers, but I still need them, and I think my father deserves them.”
Anyone with information should immediately contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Webster Police Department at 508-943-1212. Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.
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