‘Heart still aches.’ Search continues 40 years after boy vanished walking to school
Anthony Franko headed out on a walk to his Nevada elementary school, not too far from his house, 40 years ago.
But the 10-year-old never made it to his Lemmon Valley school, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said in a May 9 Facebook post.
Now, a new age-processed photo shared by the sheriff’s office shows what Anthony may look like at age 50.
“Tony Franko’s memory and the mystery of his disappearance that morning are still very much alive,” the sheriff’s office said.
In a letter addressed to Anthony, his mother, Liza Ackerman-Stewart, said she still believes he is alive, the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said in a May 9 Facebook post.
“I miss you dearly and my heart still aches after all of these years of not knowing where you are,” Ackerman-Stewart said.
Ackerman-Stewart told the nonprofit she “vividly remembers that dreadful Monday” that Anthony disappeared.
She last saw Anthony leaving their home for school, the nonprofit said.
Witnesses said they saw Anthony “leaning over and talking with an unknown subject in a rusted out, possibly a Ford Pinto or even a Camaro car,” the sheriff’s office said.
When Anthony didn’t come home that day, Ackerman-Stewart reported him missing, the nonprofit said.
“She later found out that he never made it to his classes that day,” according to the nonprofit, which says authorities think Anthony disappeared on his walk to school.
Ackerman-Stewart told the nonprofit she hopes the newly released age-processed photo can help authorities get “one step closer to finding the answers she has been longing for.”
Though it’s been decades since Anthony’s disappearance, Ackerman-Stewart has not lost faith, according to the nonprofit.
“As long as I breathe, you will always be remembered and loved,” Ackerman-Stewart said.
Anyone with any information about Anthony is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 775-328-3320.
Lemmon Valley is about 10 miles north of Reno.
This story was originally published May 10, 2023 at 1:58 PM with the headline "‘Heart still aches.’ Search continues 40 years after boy vanished walking to school."
