Every year in Amarillo we have major events, holidays and even anniversaries that we count down to. One of the big ones this week is Halloween. Kids love Halloween. They love to dress up and go around and get as much candy as they possibly can.

Then they bring the candy home and try to enjoy it for as long as they possibly can. They try to eat just enough to not get a stomachache. That is what the kids of Amarillo should be doing each and every Halloween.

The anniversary that we shouldn't have to be reminded about is when a lost boy in Amarillo disappeared and has never been found. This has been going on for twenty-six years.

Back on October 26th, 1998, nine-year-old Dorien Thomas left his home in Amarillo on his bike. That was twenty-six years ago this past Saturday. Dorien has not been heard from since.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
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Every time any news comes out about skeletal remains being found we, as a city, hope it is Dorien. We hope and pray that the Thomas family can get some type of closure. We would love for it to be a story of him being found alive. We really would. Some story of how he was taken to another state and finally found his way home.

We just can't imagine how much pain his family has suffered over the years. Every year as we are counting the days to Halloween the Thomas family is approaching another year without Dorien.

This is one of those cases that if you lived here during the time he went missing it has stuck with you. You just want the family to have answers. One way or another. Twenty-six years is a long time not knowing what happened to your loved one. Somebody knows something.

The Missing 18 People From the Texas Panhandle

These are the 18 people from the Amarillo area who have gone missing and have not yet been found. The cases are listed from most recent to oldest. Please take a look and see if you recognize any faces. Any information is helpful for investigators and the families missing them.

If you know anything about the following missing people, please call Amarillo Police Department at (806) 378-3038 You may make an anonymous tip.

Information gathered from the Amarillo Police Department, Charley Project, TXDPS, and NAMUS.

Gallery Credit: Sarah Clark

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