Jaliek Rainwalker was born to a cocaine-addicted, alcoholic mother. He had been moved from pillar to post throughout his childhood, having been in seven foster and adoptive homes. Jaliek seemingly landed on his feet when he was adopted by a couple who had fostered him for two years. However, when Jaliek was 12-years-old, he inexplicably vanished under suspicious circumstances.
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Audio Sources:
“Jaliek Rainwalker case reclassified as homicide, no longer missing persons case”
“Cold Case: Jaliek Rainwalker”
“Jaliek Rainwalker still missing after five years”
“Search for Jaliek Rainwalker”
Sources:
The Post-Star, 5 November, 2007 – “Missing Boy, 12, Subject of Search”
The Post-Star, 5 November, 2007 – “Search Party Efforts Will Continue Today”
The Post-Star, 6 November, 2007 – “Police Step up Missing Child Investigation”
The Post-Star, 7 November, 2007 – “Divers Called in to Survey Batten Kill”
The Times Union, 7 November, 2007 – “Search Continues for Missing Youth”
The Post-Star, 10 November, 2007 – “Vigil Tries to Keep Hope Alive”
Bennington Banner, 10 November, 2007 – “Police Chief Fears Boy Ran into Harm’s Way”
The Post-Star, 13 November, 2007 – “Searchers Hope to Bring in More Dogs”
The Post-Star, 13 November, 2007 – “Search Focuses on Golf Courses”
The Times Union, 14 November, 2007 – “Cops Scour Woods”
The Post-Star, 15 November, 2007 – “Police Plan to Go Back to Square One”
The Times Union, 16 November, 2007 – “Family Ties Slipping Before Boy Disappeared”
The Post-Star, 17 November, 2007 – “Family Holding on to Hope”
The Post-Star, 19 November, 2007 – “Police Subpoena Media Interviews”
The Times Union, 19 November, 2007 – “Police May Turn to Media for Clues”
Bennington Banner, 20 November, 2007 – “Ground Searches for Missing N.Y. Boy Will Conclude Today”
The Post-Star, 20 November, 2007 – “Police Expand Search for Missing Boy in Vermont”
The Times Union, 20 November, 2007 – “Couple Look Back on Jaliek’s Outbursts”
The Post-Star, 26 November, 2007 – “Search for Boy Still Fruitless”
The Record, 28 November, 2007 – “$25,000 Reward Offered”
The Post-Star, 29 November, 2007 – “Jaliek’s Parents Offer Reward”
The Post-Star, 6 December, 2007 – “Police Analysing Cell Phone of Jaliek’s Father”
The Times Union, 6 December, 2007 – “Hope Remains as Search Wanes”
The Times Union, 7 December, 2007 – “Search for Missing Boy Takes New Tack”
The Saratogian, 20 December, 2007 – “Vigil for Missing Teen”
The Times Union, 20 December, 2007 – “Adoptive Father’s Actions Raise Eyebrows”
The Saratogian, 21 December, 2007 – “Extended Family Members of a Missing Boy Are Upset”
The Times Union, 21 December, 2007 – “FBI to Retrace Last Trip of Father”
The Post-Star, 23 December, 2007 – “Lights Honor Boy Missing Since Nov 2”
Bennington Banner, 24 December, 2007 – “Vigil Held for Missing Boy”
The Times Union, 24 December, 2007 – “Keeping the Flame for Missing Boy”
The Post-Star, 28 December, 2007 – “Former Foster Parents Create Task Force”
The Post-Star, 1 January, 2008 – “Group Boosts Reward for Missing Child”
Bennington Banner, 2 January, 2008 – “Families Join in Search for Jaliek”
The Post-Star, 8 January, 2008 – “Father of Missing Child Offered Second Chance at Lie Detector”
The Post-Star, 14 January, 2008 – “Father of Missing Boy Forbids Search of Van”
The Post-Star, 31 January, 2008 – “Anonymous Letter Claims Rainwalker Still Alive”
The Daily Gazette, 1 February, 2008 – “Letter Claims Jaliek Rainwalker is Alive”
The Post-Star, 4 February, 2008 – “Group Asks Letter Writer to Prove it”
The Post-Star, 8 February, 2008 – “Former Home of Kerr Searched”
The Post-Star, 18 February, 2008 – “Police Were Right to Enter”
The Post-Star, 25 March, 2008 – “Phone Records Dispute Jaliek Story”
The Record, 29 March, 2008 – “Grandmother Pushes for Custody of Missing Boy”
The Times Union, 5 April, 2008 – “Search for Rainwalker Set”
The Post-Star, 9 April, 2008 – “New Jaliek Search Scheduled”
The Record, 23 April, 2008 – “Szostaks Body Believed Found”
The Post-Star, 21 May, 2008 – “Jaliek Search Scaled Back”
The Post-Star, 16 July, 2008 – “Charges Filed in Jaliek Burglary”
The Record, 16 July, 2008 – “Jaliek’s Grandmother Charged”
The Times Union, 31 October, 2008 – “A Missing Boy, a Family Torn”
The Post-Star, 6 March, 2017 – “Police Looking into Whether Skull is that of Jaliek Rainwalker”
The Times Union, 2 November, 2017 – “What We Have is Our Memories of a Bright, Caring Boy”