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Writer's pictureSarah Turney

Diamond Bynum and King Walker


On the evening of Friday, July 24th, 2015, Ariana Walker dropped off her two-year-old son, King Walker, at her father Eugene’s house in Gary, Indiana. This was a normal routine. Ariana attended school on Saturdays in Chicago, about 30 miles away. Every Friday night, she’d drop off King and pick him back up on Saturday after she finished her classes.


On Saturday morning, Eugene Bynum goes to work, Leaving King with his wife, Susanne, and his 21-year-old daughter Diamond Bynum. It’s important to know that Diamond has a medical condition that puts her at the mental capacity of about a 5- to 7-year-old according to her family. While Diamond loves being an aunt to King and playing with him, she just couldn’t quite care for him on her own and needed care herself.


Also, King wasn’t feeling well, so Susanne lays him down for a nap. Diamond and Susanne end up falling asleep as well. But when Susanne woke up about 40 minutes later, both Diamond and King were gone. Despite countless searches and sightings, as well as a named person of interest, they are still missing.


This is the disappearance of Diamond Bynum and King Walker.


Anyone with information about King Walker and Diamond Bynum, is urged to contact the Gary Police Department at 1-866-CRIME-GP, or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.




Resources:

“Case Files Chicago - Diamond Bynum & King Walker - Full Episode HD.” YouTube, Case Files Chicago, 10 Oct. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCLb-RHXCio.



Facebook, Gary Police Department, https://www.facebook.com/GaryPoliceDepartment.



“Family Holds out Hope That Missing Child, Woman Will Someday Be Found.” NBC Chicago, 11 May 2021, https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/family-holds-out-hope-that-missing-child-woman-will-someday-be-found/2507890/.



Gary, Indiana Population, https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/gary-in-population.



“A Gray Area in Amber Alert System.” The Times, 4 Sept. 2015. Newspapers.com.



“Have You Seen This Child? King Walker.” National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, https://www.missingkids.org/poster/ncmc/1252008/1.html/mainposter.



Hope, Leah. “New Age Progression Photo Released 7 Years after Diamond Bynum, King Walker Disappeared from Gary.” ABC7 Chicago, 25 July 2022, https://abc7chicago.com/diamond-bynum-king-walker-missing-woman-child/12072797/.



Johnston, Courtney. “This City in Indiana Was One of the Most Dangerous Places in the Nation in the 1990s.” OnlyInYourState®, 24 Nov. 2022, https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/indiana/dangerous-gary-indiana/.



Keagle, Lauri Harvey, and Elvia Malagon. “State Police Issue Alert for Missing Gary Woman.” The Times, 3 Sept. 2015. Newspapers.com.



Keagle, Lauri Harvey, and Sarah Reese. “Woman, Toddler Missing from Gary.” The Times, 28 July 2015. Newspapers.com.



Keagle, Lauri Harvey. “Man Sought in Bynum Inquiry.” The Times, 15 Aug. 2015. Newspapers.com.



Looker, Rachel, and Ashley Luthern. “Some Missing Children Cases Get More Attention Online than Others. Here Are 5 to Know About.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 5 Oct. 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2022/10/04/missing-children-joniah-king-walker-skye-rex-kamaria-markowski/8011549001/.



Malagon, Elvia. “Family Renews Call for Action in Search of Missing Gary Woman, Toddler Nephew.” The Times, 26 Sept. 2015. Newspapers.com.



Malagon, Elvia. “Search for Missing Woman, Toddler Enters Fourth Week.” The Times, 21 Aug. 2015. Newspapers.com.



Mcneece, Jenny. “New Laws Go into Effect on Sunday.” The Vincennes Sun Commercial, 29 June 2018. Newspapers.com.



Molagon, Elvia. “Police Expanding Search for Missing Woman, Toddler.” The Times, 5 Aug. 2015. Newspapers.com.



“The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (Namus).” NamUs.gov, https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/57949.



“The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (Namus).” NamUs.gov, https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/57950.



Ong, Eli, and Andrea Medina. “Gary Family to Hold Vigil for Boy Who Went Missing in 2015.” WGN, WGN-TV, 26 July 2022, https://wgntv.com/northwest-indiana/gary-family-to-hold-vigil-for-missing-2-year-old-boy/.



Pete, Joseph S. “Task Force Investigating Gary Woman, Nephew Disappearance.” The Times, 18 Oct. 2016. Newspapers.com.



“Prader-Willi Syndrome Explained by Mayo Clinic.” YouTube, Mayo Clinic, 18 Mar. 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZEHHJQv9A8.



Quinn, Michelle L. “Family Wonders: Why No Alerts?” Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2015. Newspapers.com.



Quinn, Michelle L. “Man Continues Wait for Daughter, Grandson to Come Home 5 Years after They Went Missing in Gary.” Chicago Tribune, 4 Sept. 2020, https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-bynum-still-missing-st-0903-20200904-ktcdnhzqvjgsbj7bawdg3qmrja-story.html.



Quinn, Michelle L. “Missing Relatives Bring Darkness to Season.” Post-Times, 26 Dec. 2015. Newspapers.com.



Quinn, Michelle L. “Year Later, Family Seeks Answers.” Post-Tribune, 31 June 2016. Newspapers.com.



Reese, Sarah. “Detectives Awaiting Info in Gary Missing Person Case.” The Times, 1 Nov. 2016. Newspapers.com.



Reese, Sarah. “Police: Disappearance Case Still Open.” The Times, 26 May 2018. Newspapers.com.



Renderman, Vanessa. “Family Asks for Continued Help in Search.” The Times, 9 Aug. 2015. Newspapers.com.



Schuba, Tom. “6 Years after Gary Woman, Young Nephew Disappeared, Family Slams Police Probe: 'I Don't Feel like They've Been Helpful at All'.” Times, Chicago Sun-Times, 25 July 2021, https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2021/7/25/22593314/diamond-bynum-king-walker-missing-gary.



Sloan, Paul. “Gary Takes over as Murder Capital of U.S.” Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2021, https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-01-03-9401030009-story.html.



Staff. “6 Years Missing for King Walker and Diamond Bynum.” The Chicago Crusader, 26 July 2021, https://chicagocrusader.com/6-years-missing-for-king-walker-and-diamond-bynum/.



Staff. “Police Search Expands for Missing Woman, Toddler.” Post-Tribune, 28 July 2015. Newspapers.com.



Trost, Rachel. “Year Passes since Disappearance of Diamond Bynum and King Walker, No Answers.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 28 July 2016, https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/year-passes-disappearance-diamond-bynum-king-walker-no-answers-n617981.



Yan, Jade. “Not Just Another Story. Relatives of Missing People Try to Keep Them in the Public Eye. They Need Help.” Chicago Tribune, 5 Oct. 2021. Newspapers.com.



Zar, Dan. “Bynum's Father: 'Last Five Weeks Have Been Hell'.” Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2015. Newspapers.com.



Zar, Dan. “Search Continues for Gary Woman, Boy.” Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 2015. Newspapers.com.



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