Immokalee, Florida | January 10, 2009
Six-year-old Adji Desir was playing outside his grandmother’s home in Immokalee, Florida.
Then he disappeared.
More than 17 years later, no one knows where he is.
Adji, affectionately known as “Ji Ji,” was developmentally disabled and non-verbal. He could not call out for help if he was frightened or in danger, making his disappearance especially heartbreaking.
A Child Vanishes
On Saturday, January 10, 2009, at approximately 5:15 p.m., Adji went outside to play with neighborhood children in the Farmers Village community near the 800 block of Grace Street.
It seemed like an ordinary afternoon.
About 30 minutes later, his grandmother went outside to check on him.
Adji was gone.
His mother, Marie Neida, rushed to the home, and family members searched frantically for nearly two hours before contacting law enforcement.
A Massive Search
Authorities immediately launched an extensive search involving deputies, K-9 teams, helicopters, boats, ATVs, specialized search equipment, and hundreds of volunteers.
Despite those efforts, no trace of Adji was ever found.
Adji understood Haitian Creole and could say only a few words in English.
He primarily communicated by nodding and was known to be afraid of strangers, meaning he may have hidden rather than sought help if approached.
He was last seen wearing blue shorts, blue sneakers, and a shirt with yellow stripes.
At the time of his disappearance, Adji was approximately 3 feet tall and weighed about 45 pounds.
A Family Still Searching
Over the years, numerous rumors have circulated throughout the community.
Some claimed Adji was taken by a relative.
Others reported possible sightings or suggested he may have been trafficked.
Law enforcement has never confirmed any of those claims, and investigators have publicly stated there is no evidence implicating any family members.
Today, Adji’s disappearance remains one of Florida’s most heartbreaking unsolved missing child cases.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Adji Desir is urged to contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 239-793-9300.
A little boy who couldn’t tell anyone he needed help simply disappeared.
Whether someone has remained silent for years or remembers a detail they once thought was unimportant, that information could finally bring answers to Adji’s family.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished
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