Above: Luke circa, 1984
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: May 23, 1984
Missing From: Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: April 24, 1974
Age: 10 years old
Height and Weight: 4’0″ and 70 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Blonde hair, Brown eyes, Luke has scars on his earlobe, his forehead, his testicle, the inside of his lip, Luke also has an appendectomy scar on his abdomen
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A blue down jacket with gray shoulders, a dark blue short sleeved pullover shirt with brown/white stripes, and white faux leather sneakers with royal blue side stripes
NCMEC Number: 601925
Details of Disappearance
Luke Aaron Tredway was last seen in Portland, Oregon on May 23rd 1984. He went to a friends house that day and left at approximately 5:15 pm to walk home. His home was located a short distance away but he never made it. When his mother, who was pregnant at the time, noticed that Luke never arrived home, she called the police at 7:00 pm to report his disappearance.
Authorities didn’t initiate a search until approximately 1:00 am. Extensive search efforts which included two bloodhounds were able to track Luke’s movement to a Portland intersection. Authorities believe that Luke was either picked up by a vehicle or got onto a bus. No trace of him was ever found.
Luke’s case was publicized back when he went missing and his face appeared on the sides of milk cartons. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has received many leads and sightings of Luke all over the country. He was never found despite all that was done to try and find him.
In 1996, Douglas Franklin Wright, a convicted serial killer, confessed to abducting, molesting, and killing Luke in 1984. He stated that he spotted the boy on the street while on a hunt for a victim and abducted him. He took Luke to his apartment where he was kept alive for 36 hours. Douglas molested him and then shot him in the head 6 times.
He stated that he buried Luke’s body under some brush in a remote area near Mount Hood. A search was commenced but Luke’s body was not found. Authorities believe that Douglas’s confession was true. Douglas killed 3 to 4 homeless men in 1991 on an Indian reservation and left their bodies by a road side. In 1970, he murdered a woman and her mother in Oregon.
Wright was executed by lethal injection a week after he confessed to murdering the boy. Luke has never been located but authorities believe he is deceased.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Portland Police Bureau 503-823-1081
Source Information