New Push Seeks Clues to Find Mark Himebaugh

COURT HOUSE – On Nov. 25, 1991 Maureen Himebaugh lived a parent’s worst nightmare. After running a brief errand which kept her away from her Del Haven home for less than 30 minutes, she returned to find her 11-year-old son, Mark, missing.
As hours passed it became clear that Mark was not just with a friend. A search began that has not ended for almost a quarter of a century.
Middle Township Police and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office have announced a new effort to find the now 34-year-old.
Recently, Himebaugh’s case was reviewed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI, Middle Township and county detectives. The result of the cold case review in February, a process with strict protocols and involving over 30 attendees, was a set of new resources which Middle Township Police Chief Christopher Leusner hopes will help solve the mystery of Mark’s disappearance.
At a June 1 press conference announcing the new effort to break the case, Leusner provided a timeline of events that occurred that day in 1991.
Mark Himebaugh arrived home from school about 2:30 p.m. Shortly after, his mother returned home from a trip to the supermarket. There was a large marsh fire near their home and the curious boy was captivated by it, climbing his father’s radio tower to get a better look.
Maureen Himebaugh left home to take a friend to a garage in Villas and Mark went to see the firefighters put out the marsh fire. He was seen twice at about 3:30 p.m. near Delaware Avenue and again at 3:45 p.m. entering a nearby park with an unidentified 10-year-old girl.
The two appeared to be heading for the playground. Mark’s mother returned at 4:15 p.m., having been delayed by traffic caused by the fire. Mark was not home. Subsequent searches involved hundreds of volunteers; found no trace of the boy except one sneaker within 100 yards of home.
That last sighting, at 3:45 p.m. entering the gate of Cape May County Park South, provides the location for the mobile command center, which will serve as the focal point of the new investigation. The cold case review gave reason to believe that a potential to solve the case exists with the addition of the new resources.
Re-interviews Planned
The investigators and analysts will be re-interviewing individuals and conducting new interviews. The hope is that the location of the command post will make it more accessible to residents and others who may have seen something. The call for the public’s help was clear.
Anyone with information is asked to visit the command post or call its hot line at (800) 843-5678.
While leadership in this new effort lies with Middle Township Police, the effort is a partnership with support coming from the National Center, FBI, and County Prosecutor.
Many Prior Attempts
This is not the first such effort to find Himebaugh. Over the years his image has been on milk cartons, it was also on the television series “America’s Most Wanted.” His cause was taken up by heavyweight boxer Riddick Bowe, who dedicated a bout to Mark’s return.
A police composite of a dark-haired man seen talking to Mark was circulated, and age-enhanced artist renderings of what Mark might look like now have been developed. Efforts have produced avenues of inquiry but no additional trace since that last sighting.
Focal Point
For the next several weeks, the command post will be the focal point of the new investigation.
Leusner talked about the experience of the analysts from the National Center. He hopes that the experience and the concentration of resources will break something in this case.
One thing was clear, Middle Township Police have never given up on finding Himebaugh. It is a case Leusner said, “We haven’t been able to get across the finish line.” He believes that the new resources are “putting us in a better position than we’ve ever been in to solve this case.”
County Prosecutor Robert Taylor and FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Frankel both committed resources to the joint effort.
Maureen Himebaugh has not given up either. Living in the same house with the same phone number, she wants to be sure Mark can find his way home.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.