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Missing Shawn White 
Shawn, approximately 2002; Age at the time of disappearance: -progression to Age at the time of disappearance: 16 (approximately 2018); Thurman White Date reported missing : 12/08/2002 Missing location (approx) : Wilmington, Delaware Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Male Ethnicity : Black DOB : 11/06/2002 (18) Age at the time of disappearance: 1 month old Height / Weight : 1'8, 10 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : Green and white pajamas and a gray Mickey Mouse snowsuit. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : African-American male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Shawn has thick eyebrows and long eyelashes. Some Age at the time of disappearance: ncies spell his name "Sean." Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Shawn was last seen on December 8, 2002 in Wilmington, Delaware. He had been on a weekend visitation with his father, Thurman R. White (referred to in some accounts as "Truman"). A photograph of Thurman is posted with this case summary. On December 9, Thurman went to the apartment of Shawn's mother, Tonya Graham (referred to in some accounts as "Tania"), in the 900 block of Vandever Avenue. He did not have the baby. He told her a woman would come by later and bring Shawn. After two hours, when no one had appeared, Thurman and Graham argued about it and he stabbed her three times in the neck. Graham's five other children were also at the residence at the time of the attack. Graham had to be hospitalized for her wounds. She survived and was released from the hospital after two days. Thurman fled the apartment before the police arrived, driving his 1989 Chevrolet GM4 pickup truck with the Delaware license plate number C48428. He turned himself into police to face charges the next day. He still did not have Shawn and refused to say where he was. Thurman has at least two other children, one who lived with Graham and one who lived with him at his home in the 200 block of 29th Street. Police originally charged Thurman with second-degree assault for his attack on Graham, but later upgraded the charges to first-degree attempted murder. He has a criminal history for offenses including trespass, making terroristic threats, and assault. Thurman pleaded guilty to assault, possession of a deadly weapon during a felony and endangering the welfare of a child. He was sentenced to twelve years in prison and seven years of probation after his release. Police suspect foul play was involved in Shawn's disappearance. They have searched Thurman's home, his boat, and a landfill for the baby's remains, but have turned up no evidence thus far. Thurman continues to refuse to tell what happened to Shawn; he claims Graham knows the child's whereabouts. Shawn's case remains unsolved. Other information and links : ncy Wilmington Police Department 302-571-4525 September 2021 updates and sources The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The Child Seek Network City of Wilmington, Delaware The News Journal A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. Justia State Case Files |