Timothy Jacob Davison

Left and Center: Timothy circa, 1985

Right: Age Progressed to age 31


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: October 15, 1985

Missing From: Decatur, Macon County, Illinois

Classification: Non-Family Abduction

Date Of Birth: January 22, 1981

Age: 4 years old

Height and Weight: 3’4″ and 40 pounds

Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Brown hair, Brown eyes, Timothy was missing his two upper front teeth at the time of his 1985 disappearance, he has a speech impediment, he may use the nickname “T.J”

Clothing/Jewelry Description: A light blue windbreaker, a pair of blue jeans, white sneakers, and a black baseball cap

NCMEC Number: 600934


Details of Disappearance

Timothy was last seen in Decatur, Illinois at 12:00 pm on October 15th of 1985. He was last known to be sleeping in his aunts red 1981 Dodge Omni. His aunt took Timothy and his siblings to the Brettwood Village Shopping Center in the 3000 block of north Water Street and his aunt left Timothy in the car which was unlocked.

She and the other children went into Kroger Grocery store to shop. When she returned to the car 30 minutes later, he was gone. He was never seen or heard from again.

Timothy’s parents were going through a divorce in 1985 so his aunt, Delany Davison, was granted custody of him and his siblings. They were in her car for about a year by then. They lived in the 2100 block of north Charles Street in Decatur, Illinois.

Some reports state that Timothy may have been seen getting into a black two door 1978 or 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass with Indiana License plates. That was last sighting of him.

Timothy’s family and his two parents were investigated for possible involvement in his case. They were ruled out in the early stages of the investigation. His parents lived in Winter Haven, Florida when he vanished. Authorities suspect that Timothy was abducted by a non family member.

In November of 1987, a child was found in the streets of Juarez, Mexico, which is relatively close to the Texas/Mexican Border in El Paso Texas. The boy matched Timothy’s physical description and was thought to be the missing boy. The child also had the same speech impediment as Timothy. A comparison of footprints proved that they were not the same person.

In 1987, Timothy’s aunt, Cindy Smith, vanished from Winter Haven, FL. Her disappearance remains unsolved and it’s not believed that Timothy’s case and hers are connected.

Timothy was a slow learner at the time of his 1985 disappearance and didn’t even know his last name of home address. His case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.


Investigating Agency

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Decatur Police Department 217-424-2738


Source Information

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The Charley Project

The Doe Network

NamUs