Boy Missing 10 Years Focus of Bizarre Missing Child Case

January 05, 2009

Police in Butler County, Kansas, are trying to determine what happened to 11-year-old Adam Herrman, a young boy who disappeared roughly 10 years ago. Investigators were unaware Adam was missing until three weeks ago, when a tipster contacted the Exploited and Missing Children's Unit. Officials won't disclose the nature of the tip; however it did cause them to put together a full scale search for the missing boy.

"We don't know what happened to Adam Herrman past 1999, when he was last seen," Butler County Sheriff Craig Murphy said at today's press conference in El Dorado. "Is he alive, is he dead? That one I can't answer because we don't know."

According to the sheriff's office, Adam and his siblings were taken away from their biological parents in 1989. Adam was roughly two years old at the time. Each of the siblings were placed into foster care and later adopted by different families.

"I had been a little bit not exactly a good parent," Adam's biological mother, Gerri George, told Kansas.com, adding "I still cry, because I miss them."

Adam's adoptive parents have told investigators that he ran away roughly nine years ago and that they did not report him missing. The couple said that Adam had a history of running away and that they had assumed he would come back. When he did not, they allegedly decided not to file a missing child report because they feared getting into trouble with the authorities.

Investigators have been unable to substantiate claims that Adam was a frequent runaway. A relative of his adoptive family allegedly told authorities that they were under the impression that the state had given him back to his biological family.

Last week, authorities searched a Towanda trailer park where Adam had once lived with his adoptive parents. According to residents of the park, investigators used backhoes to search the vacant lot where the family's mobile home once sat. Officers were also seen guiding dogs around the area.

According to Sheriff Murphy, the search did answer one of the investigators' questions; however he failed to elaborate further other than to say that no human remains were found.

On Friday, authorities asked Adam's biological family for DNA samples, so that investigators could have them on hand in the event they would need to make a future comparison.

Both of Adam's adoptive parents have been named "people of interest" in the case; however the sheriff's office has declined to release their names.

Meanwhile, the search for Adam Herrman continues.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Butler County sheriff's office at 800-794-0190.

Photo Credit: police file photo

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Comments

[vlscpa]

Another news source identifies the adoptive parents as Douglas Raymond Herrman and Valerie Janelle Herrman. Their November 2002 Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing indicates that they had enormous medical expenses. They did, as I'd heard earlier, include Adam Herrman as a dependent, three years after he'd disappeared. The schedules showed that NO money was received as any allowance as adoptive parents.

They had internet and cable, vehicles, and their mobile home. Mr. Herrman is a brick layer, so he knows how to set stuff in stone.

[choshojo]

People really make me sick:

http://www.kansas.com/news/story/652772.html

How could people like this be allowed to adopt children?

[Tina]

Do they know where any of the other children are, who were also taken away from the biological parents? Maybe they know something...

[Tamara]

This is terrible and very suspicious. An 11 year old disappears and the parents don't report it???? Kids are still babies at age 11. At the VERY least these people should be charge with child neglect and child endangerment...if not something more serious. What a couple of idiots. The question is, if he truly was a hibitual runaway, why? What was going on in that house that he felt he needed to run away from?

[Tamara]

Also meant to say it is good to have you back David. I missed your daily posts over the holidays.

[Debbie]

I think this is very weird. There must have been something they have gained for not reporting him missing.

[pak31]

This is such a strange and sad story. This website along with choshojo's link provided me with the most info on it so far. What a sad life for a sweet innocent boy. The things that relatives have said doesn't sound good for the parents. They probably thought they had gotten away with this and now are in a panic that the police now know he's missing. I think it's pretty obvious that something these adoptive parents did led to his disappearance. I highly doubt he ran away. Hopefully for the relatives and his biological mother who cared about him will get the answers they should about what happened. Could they give the parents a lie detector test?

[WAR]

The recent articles in the Wichita Eagle insinuated that the Herrmans were getting financial support from the State of Kansas on a monthly basis. They reported that Herrmans claimed Adam with the State until he would have turned 18 yrs. (I wasn't aware that the State continued financial support of adopted kids either.)

The nature of the tip was Adam's biological sister who was also adopted by the Herrmans (along with another younger brother). She was told that Adam was taken back into State custody as an incorrigible. She called SRS trying to trace Adam so that she could re-establish contact with him. SRS then realized that 2+2 didn't equal 4 in this equation and called the Sedgwick County Missing & Exploited Childrens Unit who commenced an investigation.

[Sheller]

After reading more details, it looked like Justin really tried to help his brother. The adults that witnessed the abuse and him being locked in the bathroom had a duty to report. Valerie, how many other foster kids did you hurt? I hope they start investigating for other victims of your abuse. Couldn't turn down the money, eh? Shame on your cold heart. What goes around comes around....hope it happens in your case.

[jenny]

I have a feeling Adam is dead. Sad, nobody not even the state knew he was missing. 11 year old doesn't runaway for 10 years. Where would he go? Anyone who found this child would of called police.