Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The Disappearance & Death of Harley Dilly


Harley Dilly has been missing since December 20th, 2019. The 14 year-old boy vanished after leaving his family's Port Clinton, Ohio home to walk to school. The surveillance image on the right was captured between 6am and 7am on the morning of Harley's disappearance. This is the last known sighting of Harley. He never arrived at school and has not been seen or heard from again. 

The search for Harley has been widespread. Law enforcement agencies have reportedly searched approximately 150 acres surrounding the area where Harley was last seen. The searches included canine search & rescue teams and helicopters, but unfortunately no significant clues were found. However, investigators did state that they did not find any evidence that Harley was abducted. Investigators also initially stated that they were treating Harley's disappearance as a runaway, but they are still concerned for his safety. 

At this time, there has been very little information shared about why investigators think Harley might have run away. Harley's mother reportedly told police that Harley asked if he could stay home from school that morning because he was not feeling well, but she denied his request. Still, it is unclear if that would prompt Harley to not return home.

Since his disappearance, Harley's family members have made numerous public pleas for Harley's safe return. An official statement from the family appealed to Harley directly by stating, "Harley if you hear/read this, please come home we miss you, your family misses you. You are not in trouble. We love you." 

There is a $7000 reward being offered for information that could lead to Harley's safe return. If you have any information, please contact the Port Clinton Police Department at (419)-734-312.
--
UPDATE (1/14/20): Harley's body has been found.

Police stated that they searched a vacant house in Port Clinton, where they found his jacket and glasses on the second floor. From there, police searched the chimney, where they found Harley's body. It is believed that Harley got trapped into the chimney on accident, however police have not stated why they think he entered the chimney. The investigation is ongoing. 

Rest in peace, Harley.

2 comments:

  1. What a horrible, slow death it must have been for the boy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is heartbreaking. I feel like he might have been facing some bullying if he was that desperate to not go to school. So unfortunate

    ReplyDelete