WA WA - Benjamin Ridley, 15, Burien, 2 Jul 1982

[Coffee56]

MISSING
Missing Person / NamUs #MP40492Benjamin Shane Ridley, Male, White / Caucasian
Date of Last ContactJuly 2, 1982
Missing FromBurien, Washington

Case Information


Case Numbers
NCMEC Number1312161
Demographics
Missing Age15 Years
Current Age51 Years
First Name Benjamin
Middle NameShane
Last NameRidley
Nickname/AliasBenjie

SexMale
Race / EthnicityWhite / Caucasian
Height5' 7" (67 Inches)
Weight130 lbs
Circumstances
Date of Last ContactJuly 2, 1982
NamUs Case CreatedOctober 27, 2017
Last Known Location Map
LocationBurien, Washington 98166
CountyKing County
Circumstances of DisappearanceBenjamin Shane Ridley was last seen on July 2, 1982.
Physical Description
Hair ColorBrown
Head Hair Description--
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye ColorHazel
Right Eye ColorHazel

Missing Person Case

Detectives seeking help regarding 1982 disappearance of Benjamin Ridley | The B-Town (Burien) Blog

Detectives hope age-progression photo will bring Benjamin Ridley home

 

[glamourkitty1922]

Here is the age progressed picture and another child picture of Benjamin. Nothing about what he was doing at the time he disappeared.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Refreshing Benjie’s thread...

 

[Charlie Webb]

I just joined Websleuths because of a Youtube video about this boy. I'm furious! This boy went home to see his parents, then he disappears and years later he is reported missing??! The parents aren't in custody because....?! Even if they aren't responsible for his disappearance they should still be locked up for not noticing/caring that their kid was missing

 

[sasha17]

News article from 2018: Detectives hope age-progression photo will bring Benjamin Ridley home

Charley Project page: Benjamin Shane Ridley – The Charley Project

"Benjamin disappeared from Burien, Washington on July 2, 1982. He had been living with his family, then he went to stay with a foster family in Burien. After only about a day, he ran away. He may have gone back to his biological parents. He has never been heard from again. Authorities believe he left of his own accord. For unclear reasons, Benjamin wasn't reported missing until 2017. He may still be in the local area, or he may be in Seattle, Washington."

 

[Savemecastiel]

Bump

 

[PommyMommy]

Still Missing

JAN 28, 2023

Who are they? WA children reported missing as of January 28

These are recent reports of missing children made to local law enforcement. If you think you have seen a missing child, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

tdn.com

Missing: Benjamin Ridley (WA)​

Benjamin Ridley, Age Now: 55, Missing: 07/02/1982. Missing From BURIEN, WA. ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT: King County Sheriff's Office (Washington) 1-206-296-3311.

 

[Caring1]

21 Unidentified Person Exclusions

 

[LongTimeChinaTime]

It’s not certain by any means but I’d say given the time frame and circumstances, odds are pretty good Benjamin lived for a good period of time after he was last seen, perhaps even years. He could have become a transient, could have wound up involved in a high risk underground lifestyle, or he could have headed east and worked on ranches or farms to pay the bills. Granted this was 1982, not 1942, but plenty of other people have run away and eked out an existence long after they were last officially seen.

 

[HopeRains]

Cold Case: Benjamin Ridley disappeared in 1982

36 years ago, in 1982, 15 year old Benjamin Ridley vanished without a trace. Benjamin was last seen around July of 1982 in the Burien a...

www.shorelineareanews.com

 

[sasha17]

It's just heartbreaking that Benjamin went missing in 1982 but it wasn't reported until 2017. What happened in between the two times? Where did his biological family think he was? Where did the foster family and the social worker assigned think he was? If he wasn't with either family, why wasn't he reported as missing? Especially since a social worker would have been involved! Did the social worker just cross him off the caseload or what?

 

[RoseR]

If anyone out there remembers anything pertaining to my brother <modsnip>
Benjamin Ridley was last seen in Burien, WA.
<modsnip>

If you have any information, contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST or the King County Sheriff's Office at 1-206-296-3311.

 

[RoseR]

It's just heartbreaking that Benjamin went missing in 1982 but it wasn't reported until 2017. What happened in between the two times? Where did his biological family think he was? Where did the foster family and the social worker assigned think he was? If he wasn't with either family, why wasn't he reported as missing? Especially since a social worker would have been involved! Did the social worker just cross him off the caseload or what?

My mother told me that he ran away from the foster home. None of my parents reported him missing. My sister said he was last seen at our father's house, I don't remember that! My sister tried searching for him for years using his SSN until she felt she wasn't getting anywhere and that's when she called the police and reported his disappearance.