Gary, Indiana — July 25, 2015
On July 25, 2015, two members of the same family disappeared from a home in Gary, Indiana.
Neither has ever been found.
Diamond Bynum was 21 years old.
Her nephew, King Walker, was just 2 years old.
Diamond had Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that caused developmental disabilities and left her functioning at the mental level of a young child. Despite those challenges, her family described her as bubbly, affectionate, and loving. She enjoyed getting her hair and nails done, helped her mother with household chores, and adored spending time with King.
The pair were known to be inseparable.
Diamond and King Vanished from Their Home
On the morning of July 25, Diamond and King were at a home on Matthews Street in Gary with Diamond’s stepmother.
According to the stepmother, the family woke around 5:00 a.m. Diamond’s father left for the grocery store before returning home. After the groceries were put away, he left for work.
The stepmother said she bathed Diamond and King, fed them, and later laid down with King while a movie played.
She reported falling asleep around 10:30 a.m.
When she woke at approximately 11:10 a.m., both Diamond and King were gone.
No one has reported seeing them leave.
The Search for Diamond and King
Their disappearance prompted an extensive search involving hundreds of volunteers throughout Gary and neighboring Hammond.
Four days later, search dogs tracked their scent to a nearby Go Lo gas station.
The trail ended there.
On July 31, six days after they disappeared, witnesses reported seeing Diamond and King at a bus stop in Hammond.
According to those witnesses, Diamond was asking strangers for food, something her family said was consistent with her struggle with constant hunger caused by Prader-Willi syndrome.
Someone reportedly gave her $50.
Diamond’s father later said police never informed him about the reported sighting and that he only learned about it through media reports.
New Information Emerged
As the investigation continued, additional information surfaced.
According to police reports referenced during the television program Hunt for the Missing: Chicago, investigators identified two early persons of interest:
• Terrance Petty, also known as “TBaby”
• Terrance Williams, also known as “Dollar”
In November 2015, two young women reportedly told investigators that Terrance Petty confessed to killing Diamond and King inside the basement of an abandoned house.
According to the women, Petty allegedly admitted to assaulting and strangling Diamond before killing King when the child began crying.
Investigators searched more than 150 abandoned homes, but not every vacant structure in the area was examined before those searches ended.
The television investigation also reported that retired investigators interviewed Terrance Williams, who allegedly claimed he entered a drug house basement where Diamond and King were present with several men. According to that account, Diamond was being assaulted while King cried nearby before both victims were allegedly struck with a brick.
The retired detective stated that many people in the neighborhood were reportedly afraid of “TBaby.”
Neither Terrance Petty nor Terrance Williams has ever been publicly charged in connection with the disappearance of Diamond Bynum and King Walker.
A Decade Without Answers
Search dogs also tracked Diamond and King’s scent near a vacant house that investigators later examined.
Years later, investigative journalist Pam Childs and her team searched that same property.
During the search, they reportedly located size-2X blue sweatpants, children’s clothing hidden inside an air vent, and bones scattered nearby.
Diamond’s stepmother confirmed Diamond had been wearing blue sweatpants, likely size 2X, on the day she disappeared.
Authorities later determined the recovered bones belonged to an animal and have not publicly released additional information regarding the clothing.
Family tensions also became part of the investigation.
Diamond’s father has stated that Diamond’s mother, LaShann Walker, failed three polygraph examinations, something she has publicly acknowledged.
LaShann has continued pleading for anyone with information to come forward.
Pam Childs, after conducting her own extensive investigation into the case, has publicly stated she does not believe any member of Diamond’s family was responsible for the disappearance.
Nearly a decade later, Diamond Bynum and King Walker remain missing.
Diamond was approximately 4’10” tall and weighed between 210 and 238 pounds when she disappeared.
King was approximately 3’0″ tall and weighed about 34 pounds.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Diamond Bynum and King Walker is urged to contact the Gary Police Department at 219-881-1260.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished