Left and Center: Kimberly circa, 1979
Right: Age Progressed to age 50
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: September 15, 1979
Missing From: Warren, Macomb County, Michigan
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: October 21, 1966
Age: 12 years old
Height and Weight: 5’5″ and 105 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Female, Blonde hair, Blue eyes, Kimberly has a gap between her upper front teeth and her upper incisor is peg shaped, she may use her nickname “Kim”
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A blue sweater and Levi’s jeans
NCMEC Number: 601787
Details of Disappearance
Kimberly King was last seen on the night of September 15th 1979 in Warren, Michigan. She was spending the night at a friend’s home which was located across the street from her grandparents home at the time. At approximately 11:00 pm, she called her sister and stated that she had snuck out of her friends home and was reportedly calling from an outdoor pay phone that she said was a short distance away.
Kimberly’s sister told her to go back inside but she never returned to her friends home and was never seen or heard from again. Authorities investigating the case are not certain of what phone booth Kimberly called from. While she stated that the phone booth was located within walking distance of her grandparents home, a witness stated he saw her on the phone that was several miles away from the home.
Authorities initially classified Kimberly as a possible runaway. Her case has since been classified as a non family abduction with likely foul play. While authorities did receive a tip that Kimberly had traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan after her disappearance, it did not pan out.
Kimberly did not have a history of running away and although her sister previously ran away, authorities do not believe that Kimberly would’ve runaway.
Authorities have considered that Kimberly could’ve been a victim of the Oakland child killer who is known as “the Babysitter”. The killer was known to abduct Children, hold them captive for several days, and then murder them. Although the possibility has been considered, Kimberly’s case is very odd because on the other cases of the killings, the children were found murdered in plain sight but Kimberly and any trace of her was never found. The killer was known to feed and bath the children before their murders.
A man named, David Norberg, was considered a suspect in the murders and Kimberly’s disappearance for many years. He was employed in Warren at the time of Kimberly’s disappearance and lived two streets away from where Kimberly lives at the time. Norberg was killed in an automobile accident near Recluse Wyoming in 1981. After his death, authorities found jewelry and items that allegedly belonged to the child victims of the killings.
Norberg was never charged with the murders or Kimberly’s presumed abduction. Norberg’s body was exhumed 18 years after his death to get DNA samples to try and link him to the murders. One of the victims of the Oakland murders, Timothy King, was found to have a unidentified male hair. While DNA testing proved the hair wasn’t Norberg’s, there is substantial evidence that links him to the crimes.
David remains a prime suspect in the Oakland Child Murders and Kimberly’s abduction. While the Oakland killer remains unidentified, one of the parents of a victim filed a wrongful death suite against a suspect, Ted Lamborgine, in 2007. He was sued. It’s unknown if Kimberly was indeed a victim of the murders.
In 2018, authorities named Arthur Nelson Ream as a suspect in Kimberly’s case as well as the 1970 disappearance of Cynthia Coon, the 1974 disappearance of Nadine O’Dell, the 1981 disappearance of Kim Larrow, and the 1982 disappearance of Kellie Brownlee.
Ream has a record for sexual assault in 1970s and in 1986, he abducted and murdered Cindy Zarzycki, who was dating his son at the time. In 2008, Ream was charged with Cindy’s murder and lead authorities to the location of her remains which was located in Macomb County. He is currently serving a life sentence for that crime.
Authorities searched the same land for the other missing girls in May of 2018 but did not find any remains. In 2019, searches were done again and items of interest were found. Authorities have not disclosed what they are.
Kimberly’s disappearance remains unsolved and foul play is suspected. Her grandmother died in 1995 but her sisters hope to find her and bring her home.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Warren Police Department 810-574-4700
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children