Wouldn't it be wonderful if Daniel was found. I hope someone recognizes the picture.

Did the couple have any other children. Were they suspects at the time.

Hello, are you saying the parents let this little boy go near the water all alone?
Weren't either parent with Daniel?
What do they mean never came back to the camp site? Did they even look for him?

I hate to say this but... alligators?

Perhaps Daniel will recognize himself in these pictures. It would be nice to know what happened to him for his family's sake.

Here's an idea for a story. Find instances when age progression software was used and the subject was subsequently found. Do people actually look anything like the progression suggested they would?

It is nice that they are still looking for Daniel and that he has not been forgotten and they is still a search for him, but one wonders why this has been brought up at this late date. Why hasn't this child/man been on the list all along? For some reason it seems strange they would just be listing the missing child at this late date or is this a revival in looking for Daniel because they have had some news. It would be nice to know, as there are many children who need an extra push at being found..

A top UN official who is an American national was kidnapped Monday and his driver was killed after his vehicle was ambushed in Quetta, Pakistan. John Solecki, is the head of the UN refugee agency in Quetta.

With today's technology, I wound have thought that they (Federal Agent) would have all ready progressed the boys image to render what he (Daniel) would have looked like, maybe 12 years ago, at the age of 40... Why so long to get this done ?

this is on Danny's site , little boy lost-daniel Barter

Over 500 people helped in the search for Danny, 150 of which were Law Enforcement and Firemen. The Navy brought in 115 men to search the waters and land by ship and helicopter. Civilian Volunteers in bands of 25 teamed together and walked almost shoulder to shoulder over a 5 sq mile radius through woods and swamps in search of Danny. Three champion bloodhounds were donated by a doctor from Gadsden, AL. Unfortunately, the dogs were unable to find a trail leading from the site. A skin diver even volunteered to search the bottom of the bay for Danny. As a last resort, dozens of water holes were dynamited in an effort to bring up a body and large alligators in the area were hunted down and killed so stomach contents could be examined. All of this was done but to no avail. Danny was still missing.

will they ever find him?Is he even alive

We have a site for Danny it is dannybarter.com

Maybe a dingo ate him.

If you would like to know more about Danny's Story go to
http://www.dannybarter.com
We have worked on looking for danny for 50 Years and will never stop.
June 20, 2009 we are having a 50th year candle light vigil in Lillian, Alabama. Please fell free to join us.

Danny's Sister
Theresa Barter White

Its kinda werid. I mean, I hope and pray maybe the find him, and close this case for good. However, If the man is 52, and doesn't have a record of his life before his "kidnaping" or whatever the case.... how do you jump in a go from there? it would be a werid/hard transition. At any rate, I still pray someone recognizes the procressive picture!

It's called "child snatching." Every parent's worse nightmare. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I can't imagine anything more horrific.

Are the parents of this child still alive and have they taken polygraph tests? Was their campsite a busy common place or was it some secluded area where not many people travelled to? Is there any reports of child abuse during the first 4 years of his life before the trip?
Did the neighbours know about this trip they were going on and did they see the proverbial wagon loaded up with camping gear and happy faces heading out of the driveway?

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Theresa.

I agree 100% with what Mary said.

Why was this 4 year old child allowed to play near the banks of the bay, or anywhere for that matter, without being watched by one or both of his parents? What kind of parent would not keep his/her child in sight? Was anyone watching Danny? I find it highly suspect that the parents would let their 4 year old child play anywhere without the child being in sight. My child will be 16 years old in May and I still keep watch on him. I'd never ever let him out of my sight or arm's reach when he was younger, especially around water. If he wasnt with me, he was with my mother, or my sister – never ever unattended. As my child has gotten older, I've eased up a great deal on constant watching, but still keep tabs on him in some way or another.

When the parents said Danny didnt return to the campsite – - how would Danny know where to go? He was only 4 years old, how could he know? I wonder if Danny was even at the campground at all. Were the parents questioned about their involvement?

My heart goes out to parents whose children go missing but this case doesnt sound right.

It always amazes me when I hear things like "He never came back to the camp site" and we are talking about a 4-year-old boy who happens to be exploring by himself? Gee, maybe he got lost! I never let any of my children explore alone – not in this crazy world. Especially in a place where there are alligators and snakes.

sorry, but this kid is def. long gone, God rest him

He was eatin by alligators. No doubt. If he didn't like water, he was probably on the edge, right in striking distance. If you expect me to believe they hunted down every alligator in the area big enough to eat him, you've lost your mind.

After reading his website, I don't think there is any answer other than Danny was kidnapped. Probably by a couple or person who wanted a child of their own and raised him as such. The only way I see this being resolved though is if the man himself or someone he has known since he was taken recognizes his childhood photo. Like Anthony, I am skeptical on how accurate time progression photos are and I believe no one today would recognize the adult Danny from that photo.

Hopefully they will be reporting on a nice reunion soon.

I advise those who are passing judgement on Danny's parents allowing him to run off by himself....read the full story on the website his sister, Theresa, provided.

He was simply there one minute and gone the next. They didn't say "go off and have some fun." He wandered off from the campsite while they were getting stuff ready for a fishing excursion. I don't think any of us can say we've never been in a situation where we lost sight of our child for a moment or two.

That's weird the name of the bay is Perdido Bay what a huge Coincidence that the bay translates to LOST but i hope they find him. With all the bad news we need a little good news to cheer us up a lil...

You all must not be very old. In 1959, it was not uncommon for parents to let their kids wander off and play. We did not know about the scumbags lurking behind every bush ready to take our precious children away, there were not as many brain-dead people walking around with guns. You just did not have the worries that parents now a days have to face. My heart goes out to the parents and his whole family. I too hope and pray he is alive and well.

Um, folks, how many of you were around in 1958?

I wasn't that's for sure, but I can tell you this, based on what I hear my parents say, the 50's were a different time & a different world. Oh, of course there were the crazies back then, just not spoken of as much. Yet, there was still trust among folks, especially in little towns where your word was worth more than the paper your signature was written on.

To everyone now a day's, letting a four year old off alone sounds stupid, irresponsible, and dangerous. In 1958 though, that was normal. They were camping, in the woods, enjoying a family trip. 50 years ago that didn't seem odd at all.

Most likely this poor boy died 50 years ago. He could have drowned, been eaten by gators, gotten lost in the woods and became prey to whatever was out; there are thousands of theories.Yet, I wish this family the best. One never knows... He could have been snatched up and sold into adoption on the black market, but I wouldn't think a four year old would be on the top of the list. To much of a risk of remembering who he really was.

things were a lot different in 59 – the parents should not be blamed the monster who took him should. The family has suffered enough

Things may have been different in '59, but serial killers have probably existed since the dawn of time. It's just that we haven't been made aware of them until very recently. Also, it is normal police protocol to investigate and then rule out the family first. Did they ever do that, or did they just take the parents' word for it?

For Anthony in Apex:

John Listz was found using age progression technology. And he looked EXACTLY like the photo that was publicized. No happy ending there however since he was convicted and spent the rest of his life in prison for murdering his entire family.

Today's perpetual fear of stranger abductions is based solely on media inflammation. The number of stranger abductions has stayed fairly constant for as long as there have been reliable records, about 100 incidents a year, and that makes it an uncommon thing in a population the size of that of the U.S. The point is not that you don't have to worry about it. It's that the hypervigilence hasn't changed the numbers. The most likely scenario is the obvious one of a small child falling into a river. And you may recall the case last year where it was known the father threw the child from a bridge. And intensive search didn't turn him up. Had to wait for luck that fishermen eventually found the body.

I really don't care what year this happened. You do not let your four year old wander around by himself. There were just as many crazy people then as there is now. Just because people did not talk about it much did not mean they did not exist. Ridiculous.

In 1959, most of rural America, and even most cities were considered safe, children were allowed to play and explore, and no one was concerned unless they were late for supper.
Most people had no idea there were pedophiles in the world, let only pedophiles who could casually murder an innocent child. Child murder was not thought of, it was almost unknown.
In the context of that society of 1959, everyone within 100 miles would have done everything to find that "lost" boy. Every law enforcement agency would have turned over every stone in their search, even if it had led them back to the parents. In that time, there were no Miranda warnings, and had the parents or any other suspect been linked to the case, it would have gone to trial.
I find it interesting that the best tracking dogs in the state could not find a trail. That indicates he was taken by car away from the area.
It is unlikely that little Danny survived his abduction, yet I hope that the family will finally get some accurate information from someone to give them closure......50 years is a lot of grieving.

He was not wandering around by himself! There were several family members around. He just disappeared.They were not near the water. As Theresa said the family has searched for Danny all these years.

While it is very true I was not around in 59 (I was born in 66) and there may not have been as many crazy people, at least not publically known, but, what about Danny's over all safety? What about falling down, hitting his head, or falling in the water and drowning, or being carted off by an alligator (an alligator which wasn't hunted down and killed or blown up), or just getting lost. Those concerns certainly were a part of life in 59, right? I'm sorry but, no matter what era, 4 year old kids should not be left unattended.

Even if 59 was different, it seems to me that the only real difference is lack of knowledge of who did what to whom, and technology. There were still predators and pedophiles and other criminals all over the place. Things were just under-reported. The information super highway did not exist in 59, but the crimes were just as prevalent. Communication then isn't what it is today. Perhaps if technology was better, people would have been more aware. Just look at what DNA testing has done for proving guilt and innocence. Perhaps if DNA testing was available a long time ago, a lot of innocent people would not have been convicted and others would have been convicted, but that's a whole different story, and I dont wish to stray from Danny's case.

Predators/criminals are nothing new. They didn't come into existence after 1959. They have always been around. They were just able to hide better in the shadows.

I'm not blaming the parents at all, and again my heart goes out to them and to all parents who have suffered losses. I truly hope no harm came to Danny, and now that he's an adult, I hope he recognizes the pictures on the website. I'll certainly keep an eye out for anything. I see that the number of visitors to the website has jumped dramatically since I first went there a few hours ago.

The monster who took him should be blamed (assuming he was abducted), but I still can't help thinking that, no matter what the era, parents should always keep watchful eyes on their kids, especially ones so young.

Just out of curiosity, what ever happened to Danny's parents?

All my best to Danny and his family.

A bit more detail on what happened that.

What happened the day Danny vanished? Mrs. Barter's detailed recollection. "Paul had gone to a store and bought some drinks for the children, taking Danny with him. When they returned, the children opened their drinks and Danny got one for himself. Danny and my husband were playing together on one of the roll-away cots for a short while then Paul got up and began preparing for the fishing trip. We had rigged three poles for the fishing trip when suddenly we noticed that Danny was not in the tent. I didn't become alarmed at first, even though he was not at the immediate campsite." (Mrs. Barter thought he had went to play with some children who lived about 150 feet away). "I had first believed that despite Danny's fear of water he had wandered into the water and drowned. But not now. I believe he probably walked up the road and someone picked him up."

I was a preteen in 1959. We always went in at least 2's and sometimes 3's . We were ordered to never get into a car with anyone we didn't know or people that we knew were weird. The compass was black and white with no shades of gray. We had a little boy drown in the river across the street. He followed his brother (my age) with a friend and they never knew he was trying to catch up to them. .I can still see the ambulance way up their driveway. To tell you how innocent we were, a girl a year older than me found him on the search. I wonder how that affected her?She was tough as nails both before and after.
I think that this boy/man is long gone and dead either by a human hand or an animal. RIP

Who leaves 4 year olds playing by the banks alone? And then to say he never returned to the campsite? Shouldn't he have never been left unsupervised and responsible for returning to the campsite on his own in the first place? This is sad.....I hate to say it, but the likelihood of that child still being alive is very slim. Parents need to watch their kids.

Has there been a break in the case? Why has the FBI reopened it?

To those wondering why no parent was watching the child–IT WAS 1959 for goodness sake! That was a time you could open the door and let your kids travel all over the neighborhood, or all over the park. People used to hitchhike and never got killed. Nobody was snatching children. It's unfortunate, but I believe this child was attacked and taken by an animal. Florida panther? Alligator?

Umm, hello people out there that have condemned these parents for their inability to watch their kid. THIS was 50, yes 50 yrs ago... Times and attitudes were different then than they are now.... Child perps were not as prevalent as they are now... I was even allowed to wander myself as a child, for miles and for hours, this was in the 70s/80s... Child abductions just didn't happen all that much until the last 20 yrs... More than likely, it was indeed an alligator that got to the kid, and the gator just got lucky enough not to get caught and gutted..... But one must ask oneself, why are you so quick to judge?
That usually suggest a certain level of personal guilt.....

An Alligator probably got him as they are all over on the coast. Competent parents would have known but after 50 years, not worth investigating.

If you people would check the web-site, you would see that Danny wandered away from the camp-site, he was not left alone to play by the water. You are all pretty quick to accuse the parents. In 1959 you didn't need to worry about your children playing out of sight like you do today. We walked to the schoolbus stop by the highway everyday with no adult supervision, and no one gave a thought to someone snatching us. A 4 year old could have easily been "brain-washed" into believing he belonged to another family. Let's hope someone recognises him, and his parents won't have to be suspected and can be at peace.

There is a way to solve all these missing persons.Children are stolen every day and raised by others as thier own.Or sold into slavery.Each and every child born in every country should have a DNA record and finger printed.At some point and time DNA can be done with a data base from any Doctors office as the children are treated for different ailments, or even as adults.If we had enough people interested we could vote some thing like this into law,we have the data bases in place at this time.It is horrible to lose a child,when a simple blood test could send him home in a matter of sec. This would render predators helpless and send them to prison where they belong.Just think in less then 3 sec. people could never see these children again.

Jen, you don't know what you are talking about. There weren't as many crazy people back then, or cars, or tv sets. It was a different world, and you, as you say, really don't care and are just being insulting.
But why does anyone think the kid's still alive? Unless they know he was snatched, I'd say a shark or gator got him, or he just jumped in and drowned.

I think the hope from this story is that some fresh ideas can come to the investigation. Blaming parents for circumstances 50 years ago is really not going to solve anything...I'm sure they have been through the "What if's.." in their own minds millions of times. They lost their child! I can only imagine their pain and I hope that some the self-righteous remarks here don't add to their burden.

Alligators is what I was thinking as well. It does sound like they did a very extensive search however.....I hope they find him!

I was a child of the 70's born in 1971 and spent many, many hours away from home on my own with neighborhood friends. It was not uncommon in the summer that we would leave on our bikes in the morning riding them accross town to spend the day at the local pool not returning until dinner time. If something would of happened to me my parents would of said that I never came home for dinner. I am saddened that my children are not allowed this same freedom to grow and mature on their own without someone constantly hovering over them making all their decisions for them. What a great privledge it was for me to be allowed this freedom.

Actually what bothers me is that he was left to wander around water. I am sorry but my parents would never have left us to play beside such a potential danger and I am not much younger than he would be. Whether he drowned or was stolen...how tragic....

to Mary, Eileen, Harry and the others who compare today to 50 years ago. Times have changed dramatically. You can't judge the standards of today to those of yester-year. When I was that age, and Daniel was born the same year I was, it was standard for children to go out and play with their friends and siblings without the hawking eyes of their parents. We knew and obeyed their rules, unlike the children who have been over-protected by today's parents. Times were simpler and abductions unheard of. This family has been in mourning for 50 years... give them the sympathy and compassion they deserve.

I live about an hour from Mobile, so this story hits close to home. I can't imagine not ever knowing what happens to your child! How awful!
I hope that now that this story is getting out there, someone will remember something OR recognize Danny from the picture. Hope that there will be a happy ending to this story or atleast some closure.

It doesn't say He was "out of sight", just "the last ime He was seen"...it was 1959, & that WAS a different era...it wouldn't indicate the parents were remiss for letting a 4 yr old play close by, especially if His dislike/fear of the water indicated He would stay back from the shores' edge...unfortunately, I think a 'gator is probably the likeliest answer, even with the dynamiteing, one in an underwater den could have been killed without the remains coming to the surface.

Wow, I can not believe all the visciousness being said! These poor people lost a son ,and a brother.Times were different back in the day ,but, I guess mostly everyone is implying that the police were not able to run a thorough investigation!! Listen folks, it doesn't matter when this child went missing, his family should have the same rights as others who are looking for their lost loved ones.Cut them some slack, offer some support, and be very glad you are not in their position. I do hope you have great success in finding your brother Ms.Barter White.

I agree with Jen – no matter what year, you do not let a 4-yr-old unattended near water (especially with alligators). I was around in the 50's and I was a mother in the early 60's and I did not let my son at 4 or even 8 yrs. old got near water unless I could see him. I do not know what happened to this young boy, but the fact that the dogs could not even pick up a scent (even if it stopped along the way) is suspicious to me. A dog should have been able to pick up his scent if he had been at the campsite with the family at all.

My heart goes out to his family, but with all do respect, it's been 50 years. How about the FBI concentrate on finding Osama Bin Laden, before he tries to kill my 4 year old.

Are you all kids. I wasnt born until 1960, but I remember play on the beaches of S. Fla without my parents. We left our keys in the car until the mid 1970's.

Yes we live in a dangerous world. I know that better than most, but in 1959 our country was much more inocent. Heck remember "duck and cover" if you saw of a nuclear blast while in school.

do peoples noses really change that much with age

I'm about the same age as Danny, and I was allowed to roam freely throughout my neighborhood from the time I was able to toddle. I realize that he disappeared from a campsite, but we don't know if this is somewhere that was very familiar to the family – if it was familiar, he was probably given more freedoms that seem appropriate to today's reader. I'm just a bit reluctant to immediately point a finger of suspicion at the parents. My heart goes out to his family, regardless of what happened, and I hope that something surfaces to solve this mystery.

Why was he allowed to go about alone? It was a different time. As a small child in AL back in the late '40s and early '50s, I was allowed the run of the woods and towns we lived in. When someone from a rural home set a pack of dogs on me (I went back thru the trees like a monkey) I didn't mention it for fear I'd not be allowed out again.

It's possible that such a tiny body would be overlooked or that it lies far from the searched area. It's possible (less so) that he's still alive. If you're alive, Daniel, please let your family know, no matter the circumstances.

How about searching caves, quicksand,deep ravines in that area? A child once fell into hannibal cave thru a small top side hole....I think.

Dennis Martin disappeared June 14, 1969, while on a camping trip with his family at Spence Field in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Dennis disappeared just six days before his seventh birthday. The search for him started just 3-5 minutes after he went missing but no trace of him has ever been found. I was just a child when it happened but I still think about it from time to time.

Jen, you obviously were not around in 1959. There may have been as many crazy people then, although I highly doubt it. It's not that we didn't talk about it; it would never have occured to anyone that it was even possible. There wasn't a mass killer until Charles Whitman in Texas in the 60s. The term "serial killer" was 20 years from being coined. All kids played outside without a parent watching. Depending on your age, there were limits to how far you could go, and because we respected out parents back then, we followed the rules. But the bottom line is that good parents didn't have to keep an eagle-eye on their kids and 99.9% of good kids were free to play and explore without fear (or knowledge) of perverts. You can be as self-righteous and judgmental as you want, but just know that you are doing it from an age that has no experience with the innocence of the 50s.

Went to the site and read your story. I was wondering, were there any drawings of what Danny would have looked like in his teens, 20s or 30s? It stated that a brother had died several years back, could this possibly have happened to Danny too?

Why did the FBI put THIS case on their open list? It certainly is not the only child missing without explanation for many years. The story really needs to fill in that particular blank. Do they have some reason to believe this is not just another sad story?

Why are they so sure it was an abduction?? No mention of a suspect, no credible sightings, no ransom request, nothing? Given the environment (it's not like we're talking about a shopping mall), it sounds more likely there was some accident and this poor baby is long gone. I hate to make this poor family's pain worse... but why wouldn't you watch your child under these kinds of circumstances? OK, so MAYBE there were not as many "crazies" in the 1950s... but the beach?? And the swamp?? Who does this? Was the water mysteriously less dangerous in the 1950s? And he can't have drowned because he was "afraid of the water"? The poor child could have chased his toy into the water and fallen over, or tripped, or any number of awful scenarios. It doesn't matter how many divers they had looking for him, we are talking about a virtually limitless search area. You could be on a desert island with no possibility of stranger abduction, and any reasonable person would still keep a close watch on a four year old.

He was the 3rd child of 7 childrens... Times now are very different from 50 years ago. 50 years ago a lot of childrens play around without adult supervision. Times were very different... I'm very sorry for what happend and wish that this family find some answers...

Things were different back in the 50's but you never ever leave a child alone at the water. It doesn't matter if it's a lake. pond, pool or ocean, it's a definite no-no.

1959 in Southern California, there were hardly any dangers. My brother and I were left alone to play with rocks in the desert as young children while my parents did some mining a few hundred yards away. Same wherever we camped. We were told what to beware of and minded our parents. We did target shooting in the desert with my Dad (.357 mag and 22 rifle), and were told not to touch these guns when the parents were not around. These days, kids do not listen to their parents, even if their parents do talk with them and yes, it is a much more dangerous world. The reason this family may think that Daniel is still alive is because children were still being sold on the black market to adoptive parents in the 50's. The alternative is too awful to think of. My best regards to the family.

like this boy, I was born in 54 also. Times were so different. Kids could play in the street and the people driving by would watch out for them. My mom and dad let me go outside by myself all the time. It was safe and a lot less populated back then.

I was 7 in 59 and yes it was very common for kids to be let loose and play unsupervised.I remember Halloweens back in those years my parents used to let me and my younger sister go by ourselves and didnt think a thing about it.Sad to say thats a different story nowdays but it wasnt in 59 oh how i miss those days so long ago and i agree Danny is long gone RIP little one.

I feel bad for the family, but like so many others have said YOU DON"T LET A 4 YEAR OLD OUT OF YOUR SIGHT plain and simple. On the other hand does anyone realize that 2000 children go missing every single day just in the U.S.A.- No typo- 2000 a day. Where are all these poor innocent children. There ought to be complete outrage in this country and what is being done about it? You touch a kid- you get executed-We execute enough of these sickos and maybe someday we can put a real dent in the missing children horror story that goes on every day in America. If we had 2000 servicemen or women dying every day or 2000 people dying from some illness what do you think the reaction would be in this country? Enough already. We need to do something about this national disgrace

Mary,
Let's not cloud the issue of missing persons with gun possession or ownership. Legal and probably many illegal gun owners are hardly brain dead. IF anyone abducted a 5 year old, i doubt they needed a gun to do it.

RIP Danny. God bless the Barter family. Missing persons stats are highly against his likely survival. Watch yours kida out there folks!

Eileen February 4th, 2009 10:48 am ET

I agree 100% with what Mary said.

Why was this 4 year old child allowed to play near the banks of the bay, or anywhere for that matter, without being watched by one or both of his parents?
____________________________________________________

Eileen, (anyone else with the same question)
You have to remember, this was 1959. There wasn't massive paranoia like there is now with regards to kidnapping, pedofiles, etc.

From what I'm gathering in this article, the parents had lots of other children as well. They obviously had their hands full. They made an assumption, (which was a huge mistake on their part). That their child was nearby and safe.

The sad thing is, this happened almost 50 years ago, so the odds that Danny's family will find out what truely happened to him may never occur.

two words: alien abduction

Jen, times were totally different then. Did you never see "The Andy Griffith Show"? Opie (played by Ronny Howard) was allowed to run the town and he was only about five or so, it seemed. Admittedly, I would probably have not allowed a child to play near water without watching him but that's because of the way I've been sensitized by the media. Heck, I was with my two neices, ages eight and 11, on July 4th on Beal Street in Memphis, Tennessee, and could not relax because I was so afraid someone would snatch up those cute little blue-eyed blondes! But that's in this age of awareness. And, in the 1950s, there were not as many people in the US as there are now! And, heck, the number of abductions by strangers hasn't increased, according to one person here. I don't really blame the parents – it was a totally different time and a totally different mindset. If you live away from large urban areas, then and now, you thought/think differently than those in those large urban areas.

To those who are judging the parents...

You might want to read the webpage that the boy's sister posted before making comments about leaving the child alone. The story listed there is very different from the one posted in this article. I do not know which is correct, but his sister's website suggests that the child wandered off while his father was getting ready to take some of the children fishing. Not that he was left alone on the water's edge. I agree that the latter would be very foolish, but I do not know which story is true.

Over the course of years I've seen many parents leave their children unattended in public places, especially grocery stores where they can be snatched in a manner of seconds. So many parents seem completely unaware of the dangers, and sometimes even 'unconscious' of the dangerous world around them as they go about their shopping. My mother would have NEVER taken her eyes off of us for one second in this setting. I'm shocked at the complacency!

Today's helicopter parents who never let their child out of their reach, even when he or she goes to college, are a new phenomenon. Yes, people DID let four-year-olds out of their sight, back before they were driven into a frenzy of fear by sensationalism. And y'know, we grew up just fine. In fact, we didn't shoot up our schools, we didn't commit suicide because someone de-friended us on MySpace, and we didn't expect to have our hands held every minute of every day.

Looking around, seeing a country where my fellow citizens are not just willing but eager to trade their liberty for empty promises of security, as if they were going back to their childhoods as cosseted, over-protected children, I don't think the change has been for the better.

It was 1959. things were alot different in those days. people were more trusting and honest. I remember growing up in the 70"s & 80"s me and my sister would stay gone ALL DAY playing in the creek.

One word – gator.

Check out the Doe Network online. This story along with hundreds of other unexplained disappearances are listed. It is sad to see so many stories, which most are probably related to a crime, go unsolved. There are also thousands of unidentified victims listed with some pictures, sketches, and personal effects they were found to possess when they were found. Who knows maybe you could help solve some of them.

Alligator got him.

Hope they find him.

And there weren't as many crazy people as today. There was probably 50-60% as many even if the percentage was the same since there were far fewer people back then. USA 1959 = 170 mil, today close to 300 mil

Oh brother. 50 years old. shouldn't they be working on something more current. if there was an illegal act committed, the perportraitors are probably dead.

Jen: I think it's a little late for your holier-than-thou moralizing.

well if the family have been ruled out, then he likely fell victum to henry lee lucas or some other nutcase in the area

You people crack me up . . . you should feel ashamed of yourself, there's a poor kid that's either not alive any more, or, was abducted and probably doesn't know any better that he's living with his abducter. And to think that all you guys can do is sit here and criticize the parents . . . c'mon, you gotta be kidding me. Have some respect for their loss, imagine how you would feel if the tables were turned! what evidence do you have that shows the parents are responsible??

Until you have some, I would suggest you keep your comments to yourself and have some respect.

Theresa:

Please let me apologize for the people who have ridiculed your family. Apparently, they have no idea how different times once were. I hope some day you find Danny, or at least find out what happened to him.

Take care –

Cari

my dad was born in 52 and when he was 3 years old I believe, he was watching his adopted brother bill get on the bus to go to school and he always looked up to bill, all he could say was bill and bus, but he followed that school bus 10 miles trying to get back to bill. By the time my grandma realized he was gone a man that barely knew my grandpa recognized him and took him home. There was an article in the newspaper and everything, so times were different back then, if a little boy would follow a bus 10 miles today he would be raped, killed, or hit by a car. I'm not saying that he shouldn't have had some supervison but it was a different world back then. we just need to stop being so judgemental because no one knows what happened, we are getting the censored version. Just pray and hope that the family finds out what happened. That is my only wish.

Letting a child that young out of your site was no more excusable in 1959 than it is in 2009. Water, woods, strangers, an area he wasn't familiar with..... It boggles the mind.

ya'll are idiots. you want to know why he may have been alone, were his parents involved, have his parents been suspects? all your questions, i guaruntee you that the FBI looked into it 50 years ago. Thats why it has been re-opened, its 50 years old.

It was indeed a different world 50 years ago. Yes there were crazies and serial killers but no one knew about them. We didn't have the internet and the constant barrage of news we have today. This little boy was born a month before I was. As a child I always played outside all day long without parental supervision – as did all my little friends. And, get this – we walked to and from school, sometimes alone and sometimes with friends. We never knew about kidnappers and serial killers much less child molesters. I went camping many times with my parents and siblings and always went exploring by myself. It's just what people did then. To blame and judge the parents by today's standards is ridiculous and pointless. Most likely the worst thing little Daniel worried about was getting his shoes wet and getting in trouble for it.

What people need to keep in mind when questioning where the parents were when a 4 year old boy disappeard is that it was a time when children were safe to be on their own outside of their home. I can remember having breakfast, jumping on my bike, telling my parents where I was going and never having to worry that something might happen to me. Today a child isn't even safe sleeping in his/her bedroom. People today are just plain sick. No respect for other people, perverted. never have to face penalties for their actions. Its obvious to me that the family had nothing to do with is disappearance if they are still maintaining a web site and searching for this man.

This is indeed a sad story but makes antone think this boy is still alive?
Come on. Most abductions lead to death and that's what is 99% certain in this case. Sorry, but those are the facts.

Hi I agree with SHELBY
I was raising children back then .YOU DID NOT HAVE T V to.baby sit. You had to wash clothes, .dishes., floors and all those things .Kids were taught to stay where they were told . They were not the medicated little puppets like they are now. Most of them by the age of four could be left to fend for themselves .They could get their on snacks. Fix their own juice ,dress themselves In the south they were potty trained with not many accidents.They could realize the consequences of not following instruction Believe me they did not sass their elders or strike out at them. Mine did not whine and scream in public areas .They wore what they were told .No they were not beaten .they were rewarded if they obeyed but were not rewarded if they misbehaved. Rewards were not given if jobs were no accomplished so that their feelings would not be warped .
I am sure that this child was where he was told to be .IF he left ,he was probably led off by an older person.because he was taught to mind adults.He may have fallen in a hole or gone deep into the woods.He could have been snake bitten or he may have hidden in a hollow tree.

I would like to personally thank everyone that has sent their prayers out to our family. My family is a great family and would like to find my missing uncle one day. No I am only 28 and yes times have changed but I did know my grandmother (my grandfather pasted away before I was born) and she was the most awesome lady you could ever meet. We lost my grandmonther (Danny's mother) and my father (Danny's brother) many years ago and I know that they never gave up hope. So as the next generation we are trying to close this case and find our lost uncle. Please keep us the Barter family in your prayer cause I believe that we will find him alive and well one day. We are having a Candle Light Vigil in June please feel free to come on out and meet our wonderful family.

Thank you,
Marci Barter Myers

I have read the comment – yes- things were a LOT different back then. The parents I am sure have been through a lot- however- I read the site and maybe they were used to being on the water, I know children were allowed to wander around some. I was the youngest of 4 children- when we went to the river- we stayed very close. Even then- we were closely watched – my father was a State Penitentiary guard- so he knew of the things that could possibly happen- more often than you think. He did not tell us- but kept a very close watch- my mother knew where we were – she kept a close watch on us.It does not seem quite right- depends on how the parents reacted at the time- whether it would be suspicious or not. The mother sounds very sincere- but quick to think a couple probably liked him- since she no longer thought he had drown. It just sounds odd to me. There were a lot of perverts then too- not as weird as today, of course- but there are a lot more people now also. Even in the '70's people seem to think it was relaxed- it was not that relaxed! That is when a lot of serial killers, wives missing, -police take the word of family too easily- or friends who give them alibis. I feel bad for the family- but maybe someone at the store liked him- all the other things could have happened, but I still think he would have screamed or they would have noticed- I am not sure the whole story is told here- but maybe that it all they know- someone taking him sounds likely. Whatever happened – I feel sorry for him and the family- but I think he might still be alive.

An question was posted earlier, "Why is there renewed interest in this case?' There is a change that has come over America. There is a huge and genuine interest in finding these lost people, dead or alive. And the Police Departments that have spent countless hours investigating them would dearly love to resolve them happily. In many instances that is not the case, but to solve them, lay the person to rest if that is the resolution, is the goal. The victims deserve that, the families deserve that, the detectives, the CSI and the police all deserve that, and so do you and I.

According the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC)

85% to 90% of the 876,213 persons reported missing to America’s law enforcement agencies in 2000 were juveniles (persons under 18 years of age). That means that 2,100 times per day parents or primary care givers felt the disappearance was serious enough to call law enforcement.

152,265 of the persons reported missing in 2000 were categorized as either endangered or involuntary.

The number of missing persons reported to law enforcement has increased from 154, 341 in 1982 to 876,213 in 2000. That is an increase of 468%.

So yes, obviously times were very different in 1959, as they also were as late as 1982. Kidnapping makes up less than 2 percent of all violent crimes against juveniles reported to police.

Based on the identity of the perpetrator, there are three distinct types of kidnapping: kidnapping by a relative of the victim or "family kidnapping" (49 percent), kidnapping by an acquaintance of the victim or "acquaintance kidnapping" (27 percent), and kidnapping by a stranger to the victim or "stranger kidnapping" (24 percent).

Statistics regarding America’s missing children are staggering. According to the most comprehensive missing child statistics ever compiled, every year in America there are :

114,600 Attempted Abductions;
4,600 Non-Family Abductions;
450,700 Runaways;
438,200 Lost/Injured/Otherwise Missing;
354,100 Family Abductions;
127,100 Thrownaway Children.

Since 1997, the AMBER Alert program has been credited with the safe recovery of 426 children.

I wonder how Anderson is going to work his historic pilgrimage to Jena, Mississippi into this story. I can hardly wait.

Hey Eileen, maybe you actually think before making presumptuous and arrogant statements because you were not there, so how can you judge the parents? As for a four year old walking around alone? You don’t know if he was actually alone or with family members a certain distance away. In 1959 it was not that big of a deal. Children were much more mature at that age and not like the little medicated trolls that they are today. Parents back then were clear-headed, hard-working and healthy. Today they are whiny fat slobs that use foul language and allow TV and game consoles to babysit their kids. In today's society, college-aged folks are no more mature than 5 year olds of 1959. Three years ago I was in France at my fiancée’s friend’s home and her friends five year old were sitting on the couch conversing with me in fluent French. This kid was more mature than more girls I have ever dated in the States. If any of you acted the way you do now, back in 1959, you would have been ostracized by family, friends, and society. Back then, white trash was not allowed to integrate into normal society and it should be this way today. But now we watch white trash on COPS, Cheaters, and a plethora of other trash TV which only encourages kids to act this way. In fact, when I was a kid in the 70s, American society, for the most part, was still pretty much disciplined. It wasn’t until the babyboomers grew up into the working world that we now have a chaotic society that rules, instead of a disciplined society.

Did they look on the shores for blood or any other evidence for him. Would if a dog ate him or a bird. Maybe check Guantanamo bay he might be tortoured. Check underneath the ground around that area.GOOD LUUUUUUCK!! 30 SECONDS

Thank you to those of you that take into consideration how things were back then. It was a more innocent time. True, child molestors, kidnapping and serial killers were not publicized as much as they are today. People have changed over the years because of the media and its reports of crime. Seems crime is all we hear of when we watch the news or read a paper.
I am a child of the 70's and early 80's. Even then, communities were more trusting. We used to sleep at night in the summer with our windows open. Nowadays, doing that is gambling your life and family.
Bottom line, I think those of you that think Danny had irresponsible parents need to read the articles in the website http://www.dannybarter.com. His family loved him very much, especially his mother. The campsite was a family place and private property. Everyone felt safe there and why shouldn't they? There are family members of Danny reading what you all write so consider their feelings.
Also, alligators, snakes and other creatures did not have anything to do with this. I am positive! I suggest those of you read up on alligator behavior to get a better understanding. They had champion blood hounds in this search and Danny's scent stopped at the road, not the water or the woods. According to Danny's family, he was afraid of the water.
One last point, if Danny had fell to the mercy of an alligator, do you really think the FBI would be involved?

I wish everyone would STOP blaming the parents unless you have proof they did something. Today with the use of the internet and TV there is a change that Danny will see himself and realize he was taken from his REAL family 50 yrs ago. Everyone open your eyes and look for Danny.

To everyone who is saying "Why did the parent let him out of their sight... why did they let him play on his own..." keep in mind this was back in the 1950's! Times were MUCH different back then.
Parents didn't have to keep an eye on their kids 24/7 like they seem to now. The terrible things that happen to kids nowadays, obviously did happen then, but it wasn't as widely known because people didn't talk about that kind of stuff back then. Of course kids were being kidnapped, murdered, molested, etc in the 1950's, but it wasn't a topic of discussion, and fear, like it is today. So don't knock his parents for not staying glued to his side constantly.

I totally agree with amazed! You really need to cut that family some slack. I have two kids of my own and I know how I would feel if it were one of mine. You people that are saying all these bad things should be tied up and beat! I hope you NEVER have to find out what this poor family has had to endure. God Bless the family that has NEVER given up looking for their son,brother. I hope that you find out something soon so that you can have some closure. I will pray for you every day and I will have my church praying for you and anybody else that I can talk to that will pray. Keep in mind that God loves you and will give you the strength that you need to get through this time.

Love,
Your sister in Christ

No matter what the reason was that Danial came missing the only thing everyone should focus on is looking around and maybe just maybe you'll see him. Everyone always wants to find fault. He's missing and what would you want if it were your loved one. I pray for the family and hope for the best. Theres a power higher than all of us.
God Bless all of you who do care. Thats whats wrong with our world. Things happen beyond our control

[...] Barter has been missing from Alabama since June 18, 1959. Daniel was last seen playing near the banks of Perdido Bay where he had gone camping with his [...]