This time of year, I always think about a four-year-old girl who was abducted out of her front yard, just a few miles from the front yard where I played as a child. Deisy Herrera was taken on December 28, 1987. The case has been cold for going on 32 years now. Deisy's mother Eva passed away without ever knowing what happened to her.

The Charley Project's write-up is a great summary:

Deisy was last seen playing with her five siblings in the front yard of their family's residence in the 400 block of Washington Street in Kern, California on December 28, 1987. She and her siblings were playing hide-and-seek. When they called for her, she had disappeared. She has never been heard from again.

Authorities considered Gene Estel McCurdy a possible suspect in Deisy's abduction. McCurdy was sentenced to death in California in 1997 for the 1995 abduction and murder of an eight-year-old girl. Investigators believe he may have been involved in several other abductions or murders, including Deisy's case. McCurdy, a Navy veteran, has maintained his innocence in all charges and allegations.

Deisy's parents were estranged at the time of her disappearance and her father ultimately moved to Mexico. Authorities checked but could find no evidence that she was in Mexico or that either of her parents were involved in her case. Her mother has since died. There have been no arrests in Deisy's case and her disappearance remains unsolved.

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I was just 9 when this happened, but it has stuck with me all of these years. It put parents on edge, and kids were cautioned to go out in groups instead of alone. Bakersfield wasn't a small town then, and Deisy lived in a rougher part of town, but it was shocking to hear of an abduction like this.

What makes this case more mysterious to many of us is the photo of Deisy that was released to the public. In it, the little girl isn't smiling or looking carefree; her eyes are cast downward, maybe even closed. Her hair is shaggy and unstyled, and it looks like she's not wearing a shirt. It's an unsettling photo, to say the least.

Another is the number of scars Deisy was reported to have. News outlets reported she had scars on the back of her neck, her back, her right shoulder, her kidney (flank area I assume), and her right elbow. Why would such a young child have so many scars?

Those with any information are urged to call the Kern County Secret Witness at 661-322-4040.