Left and Center: Anthony circa, 1971
Right: Age Progressed to age 61
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: November 14, 1971
Missing From: Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: January 18, 1962
Age: 9 years old
Height and Weight: 5’2″ and 95 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: African American male, Black hair, Black eyes
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A blue flowered shirt and a pair of blue jeans
NCMEC Number: 1333918
Details of Disappearance
Anthony was last seen in Atlanta, Georgia on November 14th 1971. He was last seen at his residence in Harris Homes, a public housing complex that has since closed down. He lived with his three older siblings and his mother in a house off Sells Avenue which runs along Dean Husk Park and Ashley Collegetown Apartments. His parents had divorced in 1965 and his father lived out of state at the time.
He was last seen by his older brother, Vincent, as the two shared a bedroom and slept in a bunkbed. Vincent said he last saw Anthony get into his bed before he fell asleep. He said he slept through the night and didn’t hear any strange noises at any point. When he woke up, Anthony was not in the room or anywhere in the house.
Anthony was reportedly seen that morning playing outside of his home before he was seen speaking to his mother’s boyfriend, Edward Groves, in his vehicle. He was a cab driver at the time of the boy’s disappearance. Accounts differ as to whether he entered the vehicle or not. A neighbor reportedly gave the statement and once claimed they saw Anthony get into the car with Groves before he drove away. The neighbor later recanted this statement. They did, however, see Groves hand the child 50 cents.
Anthony’s older sister said that a half hour after he was last seen, he called her and stated he was at a drive-in restaurant eating a hamburger and was heading to Hickory, North Carolina where his father, Lawrence Miller and other relatives live. Due to this, police initially classified Anthony as a runaway. On November 17th, he possibly tried to call his mother but the call was interrupted before he could fully identify himself.
Police in North Carolina were notified of the disappearance and the possibility that Anthony was heading there. His father and other relatives were looked into and said they hadn’t seen the boy at all since his disappearance. A week later, Anthony allegedly called his sister again and said he was on “Mead Road” but hung up before revealing anything else.
His mother, Ola Lee Murrill, said the only Mead Road she knew of was in Decatur but when police asked anyone in that area if they had seen Anthony, they all said no. Extensive searches of the area around his home and other areas turned up no evidence of his whereabouts.
Anthony’s mother said she does not believe he ran away from home. She said he was a well behaved boy who would never go anywhere or do anything without getting her permission first. She also said he wouldn’t get into someone else’s car willingly. His father said he didn’t understand why anyone would take his son as the family couldn’t afford any potential ransom demands. He said he also did not believe Anthony would willingly stay away from his loved ones.
Investigators and his family instead suspect that he was abducted by someone and might’ve been murdered afterwards. Two months after Anthony disappeared, nine year old Deborah Lynn Randall was abducted while walking home from a laundromat in Marietta, Georgia. She was later found sexually assaulted and murdered in a wooded area in Cobb County, Georgia. The cases were not linked, however, and there’s no evidence to suggest a connection. Randall’s killer has since been identified as a man who committed suicide in 1974.
Police questioned Edward Groves after his disappearance since he was seen speaking with the child before he disappeared. He originally agreed to perform a lie detector test but later refused on the “advice of some friends.” He lived in Jackson, Georgia at the time of Anthony’s disappearance.
Police went to Jackson and asked people in the area if they had seen Anthony but none had recalled seeing a boy matching his description anywhere or in the company of Groves. They call him a prime suspect in the case but he continued to deny any involvement. Anthony’s brother said Groves was violent and he said he believed it was possible he had a hand in his younger brother’s disappearance. He theorizes that Edward might’ve sent Anthony to live with his relatives in order to hurt his mother.
This theory has not been confirmed but police said they have hope the boy could still be alive. After his disappearance, his mother never gave up home up his returning home. She chained his bicycle to the front porch of their home and left the light on every night for years so he could find his way home. He was very close to his family and was well known in his community. He would even go on grocery runs for his elderly neighbors on his bicycle.
Anthony was tutored by a Sandy Springs High School Student, Bobby McCann, in 1971 and a photo of them during a tutoring session was published in the local newspapers. McCann said he remembered the child fondly and recalled a time where he and his then-girlfriend took Anthony out to dinner at a diner. McCann later moved to South Florida where he attended college when his mother called and told him Anthony was missing.
McCann said his mother told him that Anthony had run away from home, something he didn’t believe. He said the boy he knew would never have left his family behind and said he was very kind, capturing the hearts of everyone around him. He says he is heartened that the case is being investigated so that the family and community can finally gain closure.
Anthony’s mother passed away in 2008 and his father did as well in 2011. His siblings are still alive and hope that answers will come soon. His disappearance remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Atlanta Police Department 404-658-6666
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Hickory Daily Record 11/20/1971
The Atlanta Journal 12/29/1971
The Atlanta Journal 02/03/1972
The Atlanta Journal 02/03/1972
The Atlanta Journal 02/16/1972