Left: Brian circa, 1981
Right: Age Progressed to age 43
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: February 28, 1981
Missing From: Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: December 2, 1968
Age: 12 years old
Height and Weight: 4’11” and 100 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Sandy; blonde and brown, Brown eyes, Brian is diabetic and requires insulin to control his condition, he is required to inject 30 units of insulin into his body a day and if he goes a few days without it, he will slip into a diabetic coma and eventually die
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A light blue t-shirt with the phrase “GUHSD Physical Education Department” on it, dark blue warm up pants with a white stripe on the sides, and blue sneakers
NCMEC Number: 600332
Details of Disappearance
Brian Bleyl was last seen while he was collecting money while he was working his newspaper route on February 28th 1981. He was last seen at approximately 3:00 pm. He was rushing his bicycle and was last seen in the area of north 9th Avenue and West Myrtle Avenue. He was delivering the Phoenix Gazette at the time. He was never seen again.
A day after he went missing, his bike was found in an alley in the 1100 block of West Glendale. Authorities believe that Brian was the victim of an abduction and was possibly murdered.
In 1989, Stephen Michael Wilson was arrested and charged with Brian’s abduction, molestation, and murder. He apparently confessed about to crime to three different people. He would state that he attacked Brian after he made homophobic remarks to Wilson, who was openly gay. Brian also apparently threw rocks at his home.
Authorities believe it’s possible that Wilson was in fact the killer. Brian’s bicycle was found a few yards away from Wilson’s apartment and a bit matching Brian’s description was seen near his apartment that day. Due to lack of evidence, Wilson was eventually acquitted of all charges brought against him in the Bleyl case. He died of AIDS-related causes in 1994. Wilson maintained his innocence in Brian’s case until he died.
At the time of his disappearance, Brian was a sixth grader at Orange Wood Elementary School and lived on the 900 block of West Myrtle Avenue. He has five siblings. Brian has never been located. His case remains unsolved. Authorities suspect that Brian was taken by a stranger and killed.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Phoenix Police Department 602-261-8042
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children