Mom Still Hopes Missing Son Will Return After 20 Years

DEL HAVEN — In 20 years, not a day has passed since Nov. 25, 1991 that Maureen Himebaugh hasn’t thought about Mark, her precious freckled-face 11-year-old who has been missing since about 3:45 p.m. that day.
At a Nov. 22 press conference, surrounded by Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor and Middle Township Police Chief Christopher Leusner and other law enforcement officials, state and national, Himebaugh fought back tears as she asked, once again, for the public’s help in finding Mark.
“I, along with Matthew (Mark’s brother) and our extended family and friends have been robbed of a lot of years of pleasure of his presence at birthday parties, graduations and weddings,” said Himebaugh.
“He was 11 and a half, and he would be 31 today,” she added.
“I miss him so much. I’m doing this because I want to get out to the public, I’m begging, pleading that if you could come forward with any information. Go back in your memory. Someone might have said something to you. You might have overheard something or saw something that day, or something recently someone said to you that will tell us what happened that cold, windy Monday,” said Himebaugh.
“I do still have hope. I hope and pray,” she added.
“If Mark is not alive and well, we all know he’s in heaven. He is in our hearts. I am asking, pleading, begging, anything you can think about, please call your local police department, and they will get in touch with the county prosecutor,” said Himebaugh.
The recent discovery of Jaycee Dugard, missing after 18 years, gave her hope that Mark might still be found. He had a personality like the missing girl who was found alive after all those years, said Himebaugh.
“Because of this, I can hope and I can dream, I hope this dream will come true,” she said.
Mark was good and caring to his older, a year and a half, brother Matthew, she said.
County Prosecutor Robert Taylor said the Himebaugh case would never rest until it comes to a conclusion. Fresh detectives’ eyes have reviewed the cold case, he said, and so it will continue. “Cold case,” he said, is a term used to describe an old case, not a forgotten one.
Taylor said the Himebaugh family’s DNA has been recorded in a national data bank, so that, should it ever emerge, closure might be given to the case.
Chief Leusner said that the Middle Township Police Department would also continue to investigate each and every lead that is sent its way. Detective Alan McClure is presently in charge of conducting the investigation, he said.
An age-enhanced image of Mark Himebaugh was distributed to media present in the hope it might job someone’s memory.
The case was on national television, on “America’s Most Wanted,” in January 1992. His image also appeared on milk cartons, billboards and in mass mailings around the nation.
The only physical items Maureen Himebaugh has of her son are a small troll doll he wrapped, and planned to give her on her birthday. She found it in his room shortly after he went missing. She lovingly brought that aged troll to the press conference with her. Also, she has many photographs that she displayed and talked with reporters about at the event.
The last recollection Maureen has of Mark was when he hugged her, and asked if he could go to see a meadow fire that was burning near their home. Knowing he was a curious boy, she said okay, since it was just a short distance from home.
Then she had to go to a garage for a friend’s car. It normally would have taken five minutes, but due to the fire, and rerouting of traffic, she was about a half hour. When Mark was not immediately home, she did not panic, thinking he was at a friend’s house nearby.
To this day, she remains at the same address on Sun Ray Road where the family lived when Mark went missing.
She has the same telephone number, in case Mark calls home.
Taylor said recent tips have filtered in from California, Kansas, Mexico and elsewhere in New Jersey.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at (609) 465-1135 or Middle Township Police Department at (609) 465-8700.
Contact Campbell at (609) 886-8600 Ext 28 or at: al.c@cmcherald.com