Daniel Paul "Danny" Armantrout (December 28, 1945 - March 27, 1961) was a teenager who drowned after the vehicle he rode in entered a river.
He was identified by Identifinders in October 2021 after Astrea Forensics extracted DNA from 100mg of bone powder. His identification has been the oldest NCMEC case that has been solved by forensic genealogy.
Case[]
Armantrout hitched a ride with a passing motorist and stated he was a runaway with no specific destination. He stated that his parents were going through a divorce and he would have had to live in an orphanage or join the Navy if he stayed at home, despite the fact he appeared not old enough to join the Navy.
The driver struck a guardrail and the vehicle entered the water below. The driver survived, yet the boy broke his neck in two places and drowned.
It is believed he hitched rides with three different motorists prior to his death. One motorist claimed that the decedent had stayed with relatives between Montevallo, Alabama and South Carolina trying to find work but had no luck. Another motorist claimed that he might have connections to the military service and might have been an inmate at an institution.
Characteristics[]
- His naturally dark brown hair has been bleached light brown.
- Blue eyes.
- He may have walked with a limp.
- He had an inscription of 'RY + LOVE' on his left arm.
Clothing and accessories[]
- White cotton dress shirt.
- Light blue dress pants.
- Brown leather belt with silver horse-head buckle.
- Black coat.
- Tan, 10 inch long moccasin-toed boots.
- Timex wristwatch.
- Miraculous Medal of the Immaculate Conception was found around his neck.
Belongings[]
- Brown leatherette bag with several long sleeve shirts and pants
- A brown plastic wallet without any identification
- A photograph of the decedent with a girl
- A pennybox full of matches.
- A small key.
- A pack of Pall Mall cigarettes with a South Carolina tax stamp.
- A ruby ring with a "United States Army" was found inside the vehicle and is believed to belong to the decedent.
Gallery[]
