The views and opinions expressed in Cold and Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All parties mentioned are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing also contains adult themes and languages and is intended for a mature audience. Listener discretion is advised. Welcome back everyone. Welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin-Sulkowski. And I am your co-host, Eli Sulkowski.
And here at Cold and Missing, we cover cold cases and unresolved missing person cases. We are also a podcast that is true crime. Yes, but we're rooted in community care. Oh yes. So let's get into it. Alrighty. Just before we get into the story, I just wanted to talk a little bit about the content warning for this case. This week we are going to be talking about a missing child and a missing person with disabilities.
So this week we are covering the missing person's case of Diamond Bynum and King Walker. And this takes place July 25, 2015 in Gary, Indiana. King at this time is two years old. He was born May 11, 2013, and he would be nine years old today. The family describes King as a playful, happy child, always getting into something, knows a handful of words at this time, but isn't speaking in complete sentences yet. Loves to run and be chased.
This is his new favorite game, according to the family, and at the time of his disappearance, he was three feet tall and 35 pounds. He was wearing a blue shirt and red shorts. He has brown eyes and black hair. And King is Diamond's nephew. Diamond in 2015 is 21 years old and she was born February 18, 1994. So she'll actually turn 29 this month of February, 2023.
It has Prader-Willi syndrome, or PWS, and this is a genetic disorder which causes intellectual delays, extreme flexibility, and excessive hunger, often insatiable hunger that can never be satisfied. Because of this, her family says she operated like a seven-year-old. She lived with her father and stepmother in Gary, Indiana. The family had just moved here a few months earlier in February of 2015. Family described Diamond as bubbly and very friendly. She loved playing games on her tablet.
At the time of her disappearance, she was four feet, eight inches, 230 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She also had gold streaks in her hair at the time of her disappearance and family says she walks with a noticeable limp. She was wearing blue or purple pants and a white t-shirt at the time she disappeared. So let's get into the timeline of events here. On Friday, July 24, 2015, Ariana Walker drops off King at her father's house for the weekend.
This was a regular occurrence so Ariana could take cosmetology classes on Saturday in Chicago. King's Pawpaw and his Aunt Diamond are his favorite people. The family at this time live on the 500 block of Matthew Street in Gary, Indiana. On Saturday, July 25, 2015, Eugene Bynum, that's Diamond's dad and King's Pawpaw, leaves for work and Susanne Bynum, Diamond's stepmother, are alone at home.
At around 10.20 in the morning, Diamond and King lay down for a morning nap and shortly after Susanne also lays down for a nap. At 11 o'clock a.m., Susanne wakes up and finds Diamond and King are gone. She quickly checks the home and the surrounding streets looking for a sign of them. When she doesn't see anything, she calls Eugene and tells him to come home, which he does, and then she calls police.
Family believe that Diamond and King are together and one of the following possibilities happened. The first one is that Diamond took King to a nearby store and got lost. Family quickly dropped this in the coming days since the home kitchen was stocked full with food and nothing was touched, so she wouldn't have needed to go to the store for anything. So the family believe that it's more plausible that one of these two scenarios happened.
Either King opened the front door and ran outside for Diamond to chase him. King was faster than Diamond, so he could have ran far enough away from the home that the pair became lost. Or that Diamond took King for a walk but got lost since she was unfamiliar with Gary. In Hammond, her prior hometown, neighbors knew her and would help her get back home when she was lost, but this was not the case in Gary. A McDonald's employee will later report seeing the pair.
Employees gave them food but were unaware at the time that the pair were missing so police were not called. Police are never able to confirm if they were at the McDonald's since security footage never captures them there. Diamond's cell phone and her tablet were also left behind at her home. On Sunday, July 26, 2015, police began receiving numerous tips that Diamond and King have been seen, but by that evening, none of these reports have panned out.
On Monday, July 27, 2015, this is Eugene's birthday. He says, quote, this was the worst birthday ever. My whole family is out looking. I'm distraught. End quote. Police and family begin canvassing the neighborhood with flyers and investigators continue to go door to door talking with neighbors.
On Wednesday, July 29, 2015, police began a large search calling in Porter County search and rescue, the FBI's gang response investigative team, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security District 1 to assist in the search. Police start at the Bynum home and go block by block checking abandoned homes. This is no small task. Gary, Indiana has around 15,000 abandoned homes and buildings at this time. Investigators use canines to track their scents to a gas station before the dogs lose it.
On Thursday, July 30, 2015, authorities continue the block by block search. Altogether they will cover 24 city blocks. Investigators said that most of the abandoned buildings were unlocked. In some cases, the homes would be so full of trash they could adventure far inside. Police also receive a tip that Diamond and King are being cared for by someone. Gary police say, quote, we think someone is caring for them somewhere. Whoever that person is, please come forward. End quote.
No sign of any significance is found by searchers, according to police on this day. On Friday, July 31, police carry out the third and final day of searching with Homeland Security. Eugene said, quote, that makes me feel lucky, makes me feel blessed that more than just Gary is looking for my kid and my grandkid. End quote. Another possible sighting of Diamond was reported. The tip said that Diamond was at a bus stop in Hammond, her prior hometown, asking for food and someone gave her $50.
It's never been confirmed if this was in fact Diamond. Just over one week, Diamond and King have been missing on August 3rd. Police call off all official police searches saying, quote, the resources have dried up. End quote. And that's Lieutenant Thomas Pollack. On August 4th, 2015, family and community volunteers continue to search abandoned buildings in the area. Eugene is staying out until 1 a.m. most nights searching. Quote, it's very hard.
I've been questioning myself and everything that's going on, just looking for some answers from somewhere or someone to point me in the right direction. It's heartbreaking. I just want somebody to have a heart and take a little bit of time out of their day just to look a little. And if you see them call and this could be over. End quote. And that's Ariana Walker, King's mother, Diamond's sister. On August 5th, this is 11 days Diamond and King have been missing.
Police announced that they have asked other police agencies in the county to be on the lookout for Diamond and King. Investigators also announced that they are shifting their focus to investigate the registered sex offenders near the Bynum home. Police say there are 21 registered sex offenders within a mile of the Bynum home. The family also announces a thousand dollar reward for information leading to their safe return.
On Saturday, August 8th, 2015, the family plead for help in searching from both the public and police agencies. The family went Homeland Security back to help. Quote, the Gary Police Department do not have the manpower to be as effective in the search as we would like them to be. End quote. And that's Eugene Bynum. The family also press how critical it is that they come home as Diamond has been without her daily medication for two weeks.
On August 14th, 2015, police announced a person of interest in the case. A 34 year old man from Gary is sought in connection with the disappearance of Diamond and King. It will take police weeks to find him, but he'll eventually be ruled out during their search leaving the police back to square one. Police are saying at this time that they are still hopeful that there will be a positive ending.
On August 19th, 2015, the family resumes searching for the pair and are unaided at this time by police. On August 29th, the family hold a press conference to mark the one month of the pair missing. They are upset that an Amber alert was not issued when the pair went missing. Diamond did not meet the criteria because she was 21 years old and King did not meet their criteria because it was believed that he was not in any danger since he was with his aunt Diamond.
Family still want an alert issued despite the time that has passed. Family also say there have been reports of them seen on the south side of Chicago with a white couple eating at various fast food restaurants. Again, these reports go unconfirmed. On Wednesday, September 2nd, almost six weeks since Diamond and King have vanished, a silver alert is put out for Diamond. Silver alerts are used for missing senior citizens or people with disabilities.
There is never an Amber alert issued for King Walker. On September 4th, police get a tip out of Blue Island, Illinois. This is about 25 miles from Gary, Indiana, that Diamond and King were seen near a gas station. But when police arrive and review the surveillance footage, it shows that it is not them. The next day on September 5th, the body of a two-year-old boy is found in Garfield Park Lagoon in Chicago, Illinois, about an hour away from Gary.
Family are sure it is not King, but investigators submit a DNA analysis to the FBI. It will take a few months, but this is ultimately ruled not to be King Walker. Family continue to search for Diamond and King and call on local churches to commit to one day throughout the month to support the family and their search efforts. On September 25th, the family hold a press conference to mark two months of Diamond and King missing.
The family still believes that someone is caring for the pair, unaware that they are missing. Arianna Walker says, quote, I don't even think she knows how to ask for help or how to say we're lost or even to ask to use the phone and that's what makes it difficult. End quote. The family also announced that they will not press charges if someone is holding them and returns them safe.
The family goes on to say that canines tracked the sent to a gas station in Gary, Indiana, but the gas station has not been forthcoming with the video. The family actually held a protest in front of the gas station to put pressure on them to release the video. Later in a police statement, investigators will say that they have the video from the gas station and there is nothing of significance on it. On October 25th, this is three months now.
The family begs for help from the police and the community to help them search, quote, our hearts break, but we have to keep fighting and keep looking because somebody has them. End quote. And that's Daisy Bynum, Diamond's grandma and King's great grandma. On December 25th of 2015, Christmas marks the five month anniversary of Diamond and King being missing. Eugene, Diamond's father and King's grandpa says, quote, every day life is hard. The holidays don't really mean nothing to us anymore.
End quote. So moving into the year 2016 on April 25th, it's been nine months and family confirmed that there have been no confirmed sightings of King and Diamond despite all the tips and reports of them. The family have stopped searching abandoned houses and are focusing on getting Diamond and King's photo out, quote, they could be anywhere right now. We need help in this surrounding area in the Midwest and even further than that. We just need help. End quote. And that's Eugene Bynum.
On July 31st, the family gathered to mark the one year of them being gone, but there have been no updates in the case. The family remains hopeful, quote, I get a strong sense they're still with us. I believe the Lord doesn't leave us ignorant about our children, but they aren't on their own. There was no way Diamond could care for a baby. Our hearts are broken, but our spirits are not. They haven't found any bodies. We need answers and we need help. End quote. And that's Daisy Bynum.
In October of 2016, this is around one year and three months, the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force announced that they'll investigate the case. The task force will bring in detectives from different agencies across the state of Indiana to review the case. Quote, investigators strongly believe that someone knows what happened to Diamond and King and more importantly, where they are at right now. We are counting on information from the public to help us find them.
End quote. And that's Rob Bird, the task force spokesperson. November 1st, 2016, this is just a couple of weeks later, the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force at this point have re-interviewed people, submitted several items for further testing, re-canvassed areas with K9s and executed one search warrant.
When pressed for further details about what items were submitted or where the search warrant was executed, they did not give any details, but they report that nothing comes from these efforts. No new leads, no new clues. On May 26th, 2018, so Diamond and King have been missing for almost three years at this point. Police say they have not received a tip in over a year.
July 25th of 2020, after five years of them being missing, the family remains hopeful that they'll be found, but there have been no new leads. And then most recently, in July 25th of 2022, this is seven years that Diamond and King have been missing. Police release a new age-progress photo of King, where he's been age-progressed to nine years of age. The family meet with investigators and police say that a recent tip had taken them to the East Coast and Florida.
No updates on the case since then, but if you know anything about what happened to Diamond Bynum or King Walker, please call the Gary Police Department at 219-881-1260. Again, that's 219-881-1260. And the sources for today's podcast come from ABC 7 News, Medium.com, The Charlie Project, The Chicago Tribune, and The Times. So that's the case of Diamond Bynum and King Walker. They are still missing today. Yeah, hard to listen to in knowing. I know their faces now.
You know, you have to put a face to the name to know that that type of like, pure innocence is just like lost out there and how easily that can be manipulated and like torn down in a person. So it's just very worried immediately. Yeah. I mean, even though Diamond is 21 years old, she's very much a child in the way that she interacts with the world. And she's very small, too. Yeah, she's very small and King is very small. I'm not laughing because I think that that's that's funny.
I'm also I'm a short man. But I was smiling because I'm thinking of the pictures of her and. Like she's like noticeable as a person because of like, obviously because of her smile. Yeah, she has a very noticeable smile. And of course, we'll be posting pictures on our Instagram of the two along with the age progress photos of King as to what he might look like today.
But, you know, even though it's been seven years now, the family is still really hopeful and really believe that somebody has them and has been caring for them all these years. In this circumstance, that's like absolute best case scenario.
You know, what's really unfortunate, though, is to hear that, like, the resources have dried up because I think with the last couple of years have shown us if you've been paying attention with, you know, police brutality and some more transparency from police departments and where they're what their budget is, you have the money, you do. You're just not funneling it to where it needs to go. It's not shared properly. So that was pretty immediately. I felt like what a failure.
We don't have enough money to look like how dare you say that to someone when it's your job to do so. Right. Yeah. And it's really sad because the family again and again, at the end of almost every statement they make to the media is like, we need help. Please help us please come out volunteer like the community come out. We need help. And that's like always what they say is like, there's just so many places to look. They just need the eyes there and they didn't have them. They didn't have them.
They got like three days of a really big, intense search. But that was it. You know, like that was really the end of it was those three days. Pretty immediately.
I felt, you know, and this was because I, you know, saw the picture, it was really hard to not draw the conclusion that systemic racism played a role here, you know, and I, it's a privilege for me to like sit here and talk about it and not experience it, you know, but again, like I said, I think if you've been like paying attention, especially the last couple of years, like you can pretty clearly see what cases get the attention and
all cases suddenly have tons of money to to like continue the trajectory of a search. And yeah, just again, like blow after blow, like this family was essentially given nothing. Yeah. And it's 2000. It's now like cameras everywhere, phones everywhere. Like I don't understand what happened with the gas station either. I understand that sometimes things need to be held close to the chest on law enforcement's end for whatever reasons.
I understand that there are like complexities there, you know, and in place for a reason, but you couldn't even show the family. Yeah. Why? And this is again in reference to the sent dogs leading to a gas station and the family never really gets to see this footage from the surveillance video and they hold a protest there surveillance. Correct me if I'm wrong. The surveillance video has imagery of them on it. That's not clear. So yeah, that's that's shady.
So the family believe that the sent dogs go there and then they lose the sense. So they want to review the tape and then police say that they have the tape, but there's nothing of significance on it. So we don't know exactly what is or is not on that tape or if it shows diamond at all or King at all. Yeah, like I think it's like about trust, you know, very, very clearly there there is a disrespect. I think building that trust maybe is like being honest with the people that you're working with.
It's it's unfortunate. Where were the people that were supposed to be helping these folks? Why didn't we know how how you know, like literally you and I, how did we not know about this? You know, I actually did know about this case for a while. Oh, you did. I I grew up in Northwest Indiana and I actually know diamonds like high school teacher and this all came out.
I remember seeing on Facebook about it and seeing like a personal testimony about how like sweet and loving and kind diamond is and like, please get this baby home. I'm really glad that you brought it back. Oh, yeah, this is a case that I've wanted to cover on the podcast. But sometimes with cases that I've been following for years, I hope that they something happens to them and they they're not cold or they're not missing anymore.
So like I, I kind of hold out a little bit and hope that they'll be solved and that they don't need to be covered here. But yeah, it felt really important to get Diamond and King's story out there. Again, if you know anything, please call the Gary Police Department at 219-881-1260. And like I mentioned earlier, we will be posting photos of diamonds. You'll get to see her beautiful shining face and King along with his age progress photo to nine years old.
So that way you can get an idea of what he looks like today. Now as of 2023, while you're in your podcast app, while we're shutting down here, go ahead and rate us five stars, leave us a written review, thumbs up. You know what I'm asking you to do. The more people that rate and review our show, the more people will eventually see this. The algorithm works in mysterious ways, but we know this is one way that it works.
So please tell your friends about it or leave a review that helps other people find these cases, which ultimately just gets more eyes looking for not only Diamond and King, but for everybody that we've covered and will continue to cover on the podcast. That's it. That's all I have. Have a good week and stay safe, y'all. Stay safe, y'all.