Left: Donel circa, 1984
Right: Age Progressed to age 32
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: December 20, 1984
Missing From: Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: October 8, 1984
Age: 2 months old
Height and Weight: 1’8″ and 10 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: African American Male, Brown hair, Brown eyes
Clothing/Jewelry Description: Light blue pajamas with a Care Bears cartoon character pattern imprint
NCMEC Number: 603368
Details of Disappearance
Donel was abducted from his home in Inglewood, California on December 20th 1984. On that day, a man who claimed to be a photographer came to his home and told his mother, Deanna L. Trammel, that he had photos of Donel in his black brief case. Deanna previously had a photographic portrait made of her son so she assumed this man had come to being her the photos.
Deanna let the man inside her home. Donel was sleeping at the time. While inside, the man asked for a glass of water and she left the room to get him one. When she returned, both the man and Donel were gone. He has never been seen again. No clues as to where the man or the child went have ever been found.
Donel’s abductor is described as male and stood at approximately 6 feet 0 inches, had brown hair and a mustache, and had a thin build. The man was also wearing a long-sleeved white dress shirt, a dark colored tie and trousers. The man remains unidentified.
Several area portrait businesses in the area had sent a salesperson to do door to door jobs and offered to make and sell holiday portraits. None of these places or persons have been linked to Donel’s disappearance. His mother passed a polygraph exam in his case. His abduction remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Inglewood Police Department 213-412-5240
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children