VA VA - Darren Hillis, 14, Norfolk, 12 March 1973

[galateasca]

Darren was said to have been missing wearing the distinctive red pants with white stripe and a red and black striped shirt. In the photo he is wearing a blue shirt.

 

[whyofbladez]

I remember the first time I saw the picture of Corll's unknown victim, I felt very disgusted and I had to stop staring at it because I was on the verge of crying. Reading about Corll in general is the one that turns my stomach in particular

I was a little skeptical at first when watching the video that Polly did a year ago, but I feel fairly convinced that it's Darren in the picture. Though the blue shirt that the family said Darren was wearing on the day he disappeared kind of creates an issue. Either the family member is mistaken, it was an over-shirt to the white shirt in the photo, or it just isn't Darren. ( I really hope it isn't since I can only assume what he went through was worse than Hell on Earth) By the way, are Darren's parents still alive?

It may be over 40 years now, but isn't there a way to get any receipt information relating to Corll? Most likely wishful thinking that any would still exist, but if he traveled from Texas to Virginia in a van during that period of time his actions are unaccounted for, he would have had to have stopped for gas or food, anything.

 

[STANDREID]

I believe this UID is the one he is being compared to. My main concern is that Darren is listed at over 6 feet tall but this UID is estimated at 5'2" to 5'7". Do we know if both these heights are correct? Or was Darren really just 5'4" instead of 6'4"?

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1010umtx.html

Surely 6'4" would be correct or it would have been changed by now but I agree the 5'4" would be more of a normal height for a 14 y/o. Also, his weight given as 150# would be practically emaciated at that height and he seems to have a full face in his picture.

 

[jupiterhitchcock]

Darren's parents are not alive. I believe he has two siblings that are alive, a brother and a sister.

 

[jupiterhitchcock]

Also, I found this on the web. It's probably nothing, but I thought that the info was interesting, especially since there really isn't any info on Darren's case at all. Someone named "Tony" mentioned Darren:

"the kid lived 2 doors from the neighborhood ogre/perv, that just at that exact time, Hollywood was down the street (some brief filming for "The Last Detail"), but mostly, that no one talked. Including just about all my close friends, who would have known something, but never talked."

I checked on the movie--parts of it were filmed in Norfolk although I couldn't find exact dates. Here is the link to the site where I found this quote:

http://www.davecullen.com/forum/index.php?topic=46523.4410

 

[carbuff]

Striped bell bottoms were very popular in the late 60s and early 70s, so it could be coincidence.

 

[midsleuth]

Darren Hillis is the SECOND Darren to go missing in 1973. Another Darren disappeared 13 days earlier in Modesto, which is almost parallel to Norfolk on the west side of the nation.
He had the same general look as Darren Hillis. You may read about him here. I think he's almost a better match for the young man in the Henley photo, though I know the clothing doesn't seem to match his description.
It's worth thinking about.

 

[Picachu]

Some information from Wikipedia regarding the photograph:

In February 2012, a picture was released to the news media of a likely unknown victim of Dean Corll.[SUP][187][/SUP] The color Polaroid image had been found in the personal possessions of Henley which had been stored by his family since his arrest in 1973. The image depicts a blond-haired teenage youth in handcuffs, strapped to an undepicted device upon Corll's floor – alongside a toolbox known to contain various instruments Corll is known to have used to torture his victims. The individual depicted has been ruled out by the Harris County Medical Examiner as being any of Corll's known victims – including his one remaining known unidentified victim. Henley himself has stated that the picture must have been taken after he had acquired a Polaroid camera in 1972 – although he is adamant that he has no idea who this boy is. Given that Henley became acquainted with Corll in 1972, it is likely this boy would have been killed in 1972 or 1973.[SUP][188] [/SUP]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Corll#Possible_additional_victims

Darren Hillis is the SECOND Darren to go missing in 1973. Another Darren disappeared 13 days earlier in Modesto, which is almost parallel to Norfolk on the west side of the nation.
He had the same general look as Darren Hillis. You may read about him here. I think he's almost a better match for the young man in the Henley photo, though I know the clothing doesn't seem to match his description.
It's worth thinking about.

Oh I think I actually remember that one......! A very good find and there might indeed be a connection, although I do not believe it is the boy in the photograph because of the facial symmetry, but it might indeed have been the same abductor. And he disappeared in the same way too, while on his way to school, meaning that he, just like Darren Hillis, must have been picked up by someone offering a ride. And the short period if time between the two disappearances is yet another highly suspicious similarity.

 

[Richard]

Bumping this case up. I wonder if Fred Coffey, Jr. might have been involved in Darren's disappearance. Coffey is a convicted child molester and murderer currently serving a Life Sentence in North Carolina.

In 1973, Coffey was stationed in Norfolk and on active duty in the Navy. His victims were both male and female and they ranged in age from 5 years old to at least 15 years old. There are a number of threads about him in Websleuths.

 

[Mysteries1974]

I sent Meaghan good info to update his Charley project page

 

[Mysteries1974]

Darren is missing person of the week on the Charley project

 

[carbuff]

Darren's updated Namus page: Missing Person Case

I note that his height is now listed as "6' 4" (76 Inches)" so I guess there's no doubt that he was very tall for his age, and rather thin, which wouldn't be surprising if he had grown that much during adolescence.

According to Doenetwork, Swimsuit Boy is the only Corll victim not identified. (http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1010umtx.html)

 

[Mysteries1974]

Darren's updated Namus page: Missing Person Case

I note that his height is now listed as "6' 4" (76 Inches)" so I guess there's no doubt that he was very tall for his age, and rather thin, which wouldn't be surprising if he had grown that much during adolescence.

According to Doenetwork, Swimsuit Boy is the only Corll victim not identified. (1010UMTX)

Should he be compared to the uid?

 

[bflocket]

According to Doenetwork, Swimsuit Boy is the only Corll victim not identified.

But they're talking about his recovered victims, right?

I don't remember where I saw it (I hope I didn't overlook it somewhere here when going back through this thread)...
But weren't there a few places that Corll either frequented or was known to have buried victims that were either destroyed or irreparably changed by one or more of the hurricanes that have hit the area in the years since 1973? I know I read about that possibility/theory somewhere in the past, whether it is actually the case or not.

No one can be certain of anything that could have been destroyed if that were the case.

And NamUS notes that Darren's weight is "an approximation," so it wouldn't necessarily mean that he would have looked particularly emaciated.

 

[carbuff]

Should he be compared to the uid?

I don't see how the UID could be Swimsuit Boy. Nothing matches. But stranger things have happened.

 

[Fede]

But they're talking about his recovered victims, right?

I don't remember where I saw it (I hope I didn't overlook it somewhere here when going back through this thread)...
But weren't there a few places that Corll either frequented or was known to have buried victims that were either destroyed or irreparably changed by one or more of the hurricanes that have hit the area in the years since 1973? I know I read about that possibility/theory somewhere in the past, whether it is actually the case or not.

Yes, the place in High Island where Corll buried victims is under water since Hurricane Ike. Here is more info: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-lost-boys/

 

[Mysteries1974]

Yes, the place in High Island where Corll buried victims is under water since Hurricane Ike. Here is more info: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-lost-boys/

What if Darren’s remains were there?

 

[Fede]

What if Darren’s remains were there?

I think they are lost forever. A pity.

 

[Mysteries1974]

I think they are lost forever. A pity.

I have my doubts about corll abducting and killing him. If Darren was taller than him it would be harder to kidnap him and not to mention the fact that Darren's site of disappearance is states away from where Dean abducted and killed his victims. Darren was probably kidnapped by someone who was active in killing in that state like Fred Coffey, Jr.

 

[jupiterhitchcock]

In February of 2018, the local news in Virginia ran a segment on Darren's case:

Bringing attention to 45-year-old cold case