Missing
Bobby Panknin
Bobby, approximately 1963
Date and time person was reported missing : 08/03/1963
Missing location (approx) :
Stevens County, Washington
Missing classification : Lost/Injured Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
Age at the time of disappearance: 4 years old
Height / Weight : 2'8, 30 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A blue swimsuit and bare feet.
Medical conditions : Bobby is allergic to chocolate. He is susceptible to severe ear and bronchial infections.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Blond hair. At the time of his disappearance, Bobby had difficulting pronouncing "R" and "C" sounds.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Bobby was last seen camping with his parents and three older brothers at the Deep Lake Resort (now defunct) in Stevens County, Washington, about 20 miles from the Canadian border. Bobby was hiking with his mother and two of his brothers on an isolated logging trail.
One of the boys left the trail to look at a small creek and their mother followed him, telling the other child to stay with Bobby. But Bobby's brother followed his mother and brother to the creek, leaving Bobby alone. They didn't walk more than 100 or 150 feet and were only gone for a couple of minutes, but when they returned to the trail, Bobby was no longer there.
An extensive search, involving bloodhounds and 4,000 volunteers, turned up no indication of his whereabouts, not even footprints. Dogs tEthnicity : d his scent for a couple of miles, but then lost it.
Both of Bobby's parents are now deceased, but his brothers are all still alive. It's possible he was abducted, but authorities believe it's more likely he got lost or was attacked by a wild predator such as a cougar, an eagle or a bear. His case remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Stevens County Sheriff's Office
509-684-5296
September 2021 updates and sources
The Idaho Spokesman-Review
The Seattle Times
The Long Beach Independent
The Doe Network
Congenital Disease Tumblr
October 12, 2004. December 30, 2017; picture added.
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
