Left and Center: Mark circa, 1991
Right: Age Progressed to age 34
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: November 25, 1991
Missing From: Del Haven, Cape May County, New Jersey
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: May 23, 1980
Age: 11 years old
Height and Weight: 4’6″ and 85 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Red/Auburn hair, Blue eyes, Marks left foot was fractured at the time of his disappearance and it was healing, Mark had behavioral problems in 1991 and is classified as emotionally disturbed, he was taking the anti-depressant Prozac for his behavior problems, it’s possible that Mark had an obsessive compulsive disorder, he often times got angry and threw tantrums, Mark’s behavior was improving by the time he went missing with the help of his medication and he also went to talk therapy, he has distinctive small brown marks on his abdomen and has freckles across his body, Mark was a habitual finger nail biter and he was nicknamed as “Curious George”, he is known to be right handed
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A gray jacket with a red, blue, and gray plaid lining and 4 outer pockets with velcro, a blue U.S.N sweatshirt, gray Docker pants, and a pair of red/white L.A Gear sneakers
NCMEC Number: 762514
Details of Disappearance
Mark was last seen in Del Haven, New Jersey in November 25th 1991. He was last seen at approximately 4:00 pm near his home on Sunray Road. Mark received permission from his mother to go and watch firefighters put out a small fire that occurred on a brush nearby. She went out to run a quick 5 minute errand but it took longer since she was held up in traffic for over 40 minutes. When she returned to the house, she found that her son was nowhere to be found. She initially assumed that Mark was in the neighborhood playing with children.
Marks mother reported him as missing at 5:00 pm that evening when he never returned home. Searches immediately commenced following his disappearance. Investigators were able to recover Marks left shoe. The shoe was found on Sunray Beach which is approximately 75 yards away from his home. His footprints were also found above the tide line. These were the only traces of Mark that were ever found. He was never heard from again.
After his disappearance, various persons came forward and claimed to have seen Mark on the day of his disappearance. In one of these sightings, Mark was allegedly seen at the entrance to a local park with an unidentified female child. The sighting occurred before he disappeared but investigators believe that this girl may hold vital information regarding Mark’s disappearance.
The girl is described as having blonde hair and was about 4’0″ tall. She weighed between 70 and 75 pounds at the time and was approximately 9 to 10 years old in 1991. She was wearing a dark blue ski parka with a length of three quarters and it had a hunter orange stripe on the back of it.
Mark was also possibly seen with two unidentified male subjects that day. One of the men was described as standing between 5’8″ and 5’9″ and weighing 150 pounds. He was approximately 30 to 35 years old in 1991. He had dark reddish brown hair in a ponytail and had a very scruffy and unkempt appearance. The other man has no listed description.
Several persons of interest have been identified in Himebaugh’s case. One of them is Thomas Butcavage Jr,. He was convicted of molesting and sexually assaulting several young boys in the Chester County area in 1997. In 1993, a male prostitute, Daniel Coll, called investigators and told them that Butcavage showed him a disturbing video of him sexually molesting a young boy. Coll told Thomas that the boy looked just like Mark and Thomas stated it was in fact the missing boy. The boy in the video was handcuffed and gagged. He was clearly seen as fearful. Thomas allegedly also bragged of victimizing 5 to 6 other children and “disposing” of them. He claimed he did this to Mark after he sexually assaulted him. He also said he deliberately left Marks shoe on the beach to botch the investigation.
Thomas has never been charged with Marks case but he remains in prison for charges of molestation and drugs. Investigators have asked anyone that might have known Thomas in the late 1980s or early 1990s to contact them. They could potentially have information about Mark or any other victims that Butcavage might have had.
At the time of his disappearance, Mark lived with his mother and older brother at the time he went missing. He was a 6th grade student at Cape May County Alternative Middle School. Investigators suspect that Himebaugh was abducted by a non family member. His case remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Middle Township Police Department 609-465-8700
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children