PA PA - Louis Mackerley, 7, Allentown, 7 June 1984

[Sweetluv]

Bumping!

 

[Sweetluv]

A 7 year old who often did not come home till 930 at night!? Who was still allowed to roam the neighborhood by himself after telling people he was abused by a couple. And now he is missing... since 1984! So sad and tragic. I hope Louis will one day have justice.

 

[Sweetluv]

Between the teenage boys chasing him and the couple that he reported abused him, this little 7 year old should not have been allowed to roam around until dark!
This case needs to be solved..I feel so bad for this little boy.

 

[Find Brenda]

Thinking of Louis today

 

[Sweetluv]

Louis has 9 ruleouts on NamUs

 

[Sweetluv]

Jun 7, 1984
What happened to Louis!?

 

[mlhenn]

Louis Anthony Mackerley – The Charley Project

Last updated August 1, 2025; age-progression updated.

• 

Age-progression to age 48 (circa 2025)

 

[PeriwinkleE]

Charley Project updated their profile for Louis yesterday to add an age progression picture. One of the saddest missing child cases I’ve ever heard of.

This was originally published in 2004 with an update in 2021. Really highlights how painful life has been for Louis’ family to have lost him.

As for his lifestyle of walking around town on his own at such a young age, the 80s were a different time! I was born the same year as Louis and remember walking all over the little city I lived in. Had a couple friends who were elderly and enjoyed my company when i’d stop by. I can’t even remember now how i met them! My parents never really knew about that stuff. They were happy I would be gone all day.

 

[summergirl1]

I wonder if the family has given or has thought of giving DNA to DNA testing sites on the unlikely (in my opinion) chance that he is alive and may have tested with such sites, or that perhaps even a child of his has. I doubt he is alive, though, or was for very long after he vanished.244DMPA - Louis Anthony Mackerley

 

[summergirl1]

Charley Project updated their profile for Louis yesterday to add an age progression picture. One of the saddest missing child cases I’ve ever heard of.

This was originally published in 2004 with an update in 2021. Really highlights how painful life has been for Louis’ family to have lost him.

As for his lifestyle of walking around town on his own at such a young age, the 80s were a different time! I was born the same year as Louis and remember walking all over the little city I lived in. Had a couple friends who were elderly and enjoyed my company when i’d stop by. I can’t even remember now how i met them! My parents never really knew about that stuff. They were happy I would be gone all day.

His parents are both deceased now. His mother's obit lists him as surviving..hanging onto hope, I guess.

 

[PeriwinkleE]

His parents are both deceased now. His mother's obit lists him as surviving..hanging onto hope, I guess.

She believed he forgot who he was without his ritalin.

 

[PeriwinkleE]

Another article from 100 days after Louis disappeared. Answers many questions asked in this thread about the kids he hid from, the neighbor he loved to visit, and about his parents and siblings.

His mother’s obit brought tears to my eyes. Died in hospice at 66 years old, still believing Louis was alive.

And one more article from 1990.
Even the FBI seem to feed into the belief he was alive.

 

[OddOneOut]

Another article from 100 days after Louis disappeared. Answers many questions asked in this thread about the kids he hid from, the neighbor he loved to visit, and about his parents and siblings.

His mother’s obit brought tears to my eyes. Died in hospice at 66 years old, still believing Louis was alive.

And one more article from 1990.
Even the FBI seem to feed into the belief he was alive.

Articles are blocked with subscription request. I don't see any way to view otherwise.

 

[Jmoose]

She believed he forgot who he was without his ritalin.

Well, but wouldn’t whoever found him be likely to notify some authority, about finding a kid who didn’t know who he was? Perhaps wishful thinking on his mother’s part, but certainly unlikely.

 

[PeriwinkleE]

Articles are blocked with subscription request. I don't see any way to view otherwise.

Well, but wouldn’t whoever found him be likely to notify some authority, about finding a kid who didn’t know who he was? Perhaps wishful thinking on his mother’s part, but certainly unlikely.

He was likely medicated when he disappeared. So he was kidnapped on ritalin, and as it wore off, he forgot who he was and began living a new life. If he was my kid, i would have hope til there was proof one way or the other.

 

[PeriwinkleE]

Articles are blocked with subscription request. I don't see any way to view otherwise.

I’m sorry. I’m trying to link to an archived version of each one.

 

[chicchitammuottocifa]

He was likely medicated when he disappeared. So he was kidnapped on ritalin, and as it wore off, he forgot who he was and began living a new life. If he was my kid, i would have hope til there was proof one way or the other.

Is this how ritalin works? Seems too extreme to me. You think people on ritalin don't know who they are unless medicated? They must have base knowledge of who they are though.

 

[mlhenn]

Is this how ritalin works? Seems too extreme to me. You think people on ritalin don't know who they are unless medicated? They must have base knowledge of who they are though.

I have the same thoughts.

I wasn’t aware Ritalin worked like that. Are there other similar incidents of this happening? If so, that’s scary IMO

 

[Sweetluv]

If this is the case with Ritalin, im disturbed that not only was this 7 year old boy allowed to roam the neighborhood of Allentown at night alone (Charley Project states that Louis liked to stay out till dark and was usually home by 930!) but told family and school that a man and woman were preying on him....and still, no supervision. Having possible memory lapses!? Heartbreaking

 

[Jmoose]

I have the same thoughts.

I wasn’t aware Ritalin worked like that. Are there other similar incidents of this happening? If so, that’s scary IMO

It doesn’t actually work that way.