Taj Narbonne, Leominster MA 1981

[kpole]

Case File 57DMMA

Taj Narbonne
Missing since March 31, 1981 from Leominster, Worester County, Mass.

Classification: Non-family Abduction

Vital Statistics
Date of birth June 18, 1971
Age at time of disappearance: 9 yrs old
Height and weight at time of diappearance 4'0 65 lbs.
Characteristics: Caucasian. Blonde hair; blue eyes

Circumstances of Disappearance
Narbonne was last seen leaving his family's home after a verbal argument with his stepfather on March 31, 1981.

Leominster Police Department
978-537-0741

Does anyone know anything about this case?

[Richard]

Taj Narbonne
Missing since March 31, 1981 from Leominster, Worester County, Mass.

Vital statistics: Born on June 18, 1971. Blond hair, blue eyes. Was last seen wearing a yellow jacket with blue sleeves and a yellow sweatshirt with a picture of Donald Duck on it. According to his grandmother, he was not wearing shoes at the time and was afraid of the dark. Was nine when last seen.

NCIC number: M-875286316

Circumstances: Accounts differ to where Taj Narbonne was last seen. Some say he left his house after a verbal argument with his stepfather, while others say he was found missing from bed. According to both accounts, he left a note saying he no longer wished to live with his family. His stepfather reportedly hated him. Police at first thought he had run away, but he has never been located. Classified as a Non-Family Abduction.

Theories: This case is difficult because no two accounts tell the same story. The one thing all accounts agree on is the note he left. With an older child, this would be a much simpler case because there are all the signs of a runaway child. However, Taj was only nine at the time. If he stayed away from home for any length of time, someone would surely notice him. And why would a child afraid of the dark run off? A darker theory says that he was murdered by his stepfather, who reportedly despised the boy. However, his mother appears to have a great deal of love for him, and she would have surely reported if her husband was gone for any length of time and began acting suspiciously. That leaves one large possibility open - abduction. The lack of leads is frustrating, because someone had to see the boy in the hours he was missing. That person may be the key to solving the case.

Leominster police department 1-616-537-0741.

Information used to compile this case file came from the following locations:

The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
The Boston Globe
The Charley Project
The Doe Network

links:
http://forthelost.bravepages.com/tnarbonne.html
Posterhttp://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=603378&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US
Link:
http://doenetwork.us/cases/57dmma.html

[lisag]

Are they sure that he actually wrote the note ??

[kpole]

Richard,

Thank you for your reply! I read the same information but I cannot seem to find anything new. I am not even sure what if anything is being done on this case.

Also if i recall correctly it was proved that the note was written by the boy. But I cannot be 100% sure

[WasBlind]

NCMEC page (http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=603378&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US)

Printable flyer (http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=603378&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US)

With love and HOPE, Lanie

[Nocgirl]

Bump...any updates on this? Are mom and step dad still married?

This is sad. Surely mom have to have known how the step dad felt about the boy. Why she would marry a guy who does not like her kid is beyond me. Seems like he had something to do with his disappearance. Why would he run away with no shoes on?

[Mischa]

On the Charleyproject is some more information on Taj.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/n/narbonne_taj.html

[Mischa]

Police hunt for long-missing Leominster boy
By Aaron Wasserman and J.J. Huggins

LEOMINSTER -- City and state police spent nearly all day in the woods behind Eugene Street and Hickory Road Wednesday, searching for a boy missing for the past 25 years, but their investigation produced no immediate results.

Eunice Narbonne, grandmother of Taj Narbonne, who disappeared in March 1981 from his Naples Street home, confirmed Wednesday that police are searching for her grandson.

City police and a state police K-9 unit frequently entered and exited the woods. Officials from the city and Lunenburg fire departments operated from the woods' other end, located behind Gordon Street.

All officials declined to comment, however, about what exactly they were looking for and what had prompted the extensive search.

The investigation initially began on Friday and continued through the weekend, according to a neighbor.

"Today's the biggest day by far. There are more cars here today than any other day," said Bryan Casacca, 35, of 103 Eugene St., whose property is near the woods.

Eunice Narbonne said she had not spoken to investigators Wednesday and did not go to the scene.

"Why beat myself?" she asked.

She said, however, she is cautiously optimistic this latest search will turn up new clues.

"I'll tell you, after all these years, I don't know what to think," she said.

Her grandson disappeared when he was 9 years old on the morning of March 31, 1981. Taj Narbonne had recently returned to live with his mother and stepfather at the time, after a three-month stint in a foster home.

Det. Patrick Aubuchon began working on the case in 2002. In an interview with the Sentinel & Enterprise in April 2005, he would not comment on any suspects but said he does not believe Taj Narbonne ran away.

Aubuchon was at the scene all afternoon Tuesday with other city detectives and state police. The buzz of a chainsaw occasionally emanated from the woods.

Chief Peter F. Roddy arrived at the scene at about 3:15 p.m. and toured the woods with Aubuchon and others. But Roddy declined to comment upon leaving, saying he was headed to the office of Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte. A spokesperson for Conte, Elizabeth Stammo, did not return messages left Wednesday.

The city's fire chief, Ronald Pierce, also sent some of his workers to the scene to assist investigators, but said he could not give out any information regarding the search.

"We have a regional dive team. I have a couple of men standing by with an ambulance, just to help the police," he said Wednesday.

Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella, a former city police officer, said he knew about the investigation, but couldn't release any details.



Source: http://www.childseeknetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11056&sid=c2897a3da20d362d81f7fbf899d221de



The article was originally posted on: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_4300121

but is no longer available there.





A more recent article: http://cbs4boston.com/topstories/local_story_250120617.html





Taj’s grandparents Eunice and Louis Narbonne are apparently still looking for their grandson.

[Nocgirl]

The mother knew that her child and step dad were not getting along, she should have sent the boy to live with other family. What a shame. Chances are the step-father was likely involved but there appears to be little evidence to support this.

Thank you for the update.

[Mischa]

Yes, there are chances that the stepfather was involved. But I think if he left the house only for 5 minutes the night his stepson vanished (or if there was anything else odd or suspious) Taj's mother would have reported it to the police. After all she was really killed herself by her then husband just a year later.

[HollywoodBound]

Did anyone read if the mother heard the argument between Taj and the stepfather? Is it possible she wasn't even home that night, I haven't read anywhere that she was actually home or not. She was there in the morning when she couldn't find Taj but that could be when she arrived home from working, meaning the stepfather would have been there with the boy alone. What made me think this is the boy called his grandmother to come get him, it just made me feel he was alone and had no one else to help him.
Does anyone know why Taj was in a foster home for 3 months? He was listed as being softspoken and well mannered, makes me think it could be due to someone elses behavior.

[missacorah]

Just because he wrote the note, doesnt mean to say he wrote it willingly, sadly! Any more news on this little one?

[lisag]

Yes, there are chances that the stepfather was involved. But I think if he left the house only for 5 minutes the night his stepson vanished (or if there was anything else odd or suspious) Taj's mother would have reported it to the police. After all she was really killed herself by her then husband just a year later.

Where did you get this info? The article I read said that the stepfather served time for shooting a police officer and that his mother divorced him and relocated. Nowhere can I find that she was murdered???

[Mischa]

Sorry I made a mistake. (English is not my first language). I meant he nearly killed her. (He stabbed her)

Greetings

M.

[lisag]

Sorry I made a mistake. (English is not my first language). I meant he nearly killed her. (He stabbed her)

Greetings

M.


Oh..... ok ! No problem!

[teonspaleprincess]

I think that any mother that would be with a man that she knew hated her child and then leave her son with him is just sorry and I don't feel for her, I know that sounds harsh, but it is how I feel. I am so sick of mothers chosing men over there children then "boo-hooing" when something bad happens. God bless this little boy. I hope that justice is served in this case.

[missacorah]

Was his body ever located where they were looking?