Katharina Buczek
It’s well-known that the first 48 hours of a missing person investigation are the most crucial. So, the North Carolina community is perplexed following the alleged disappearance of a boy named Blake Deven, who reportedly hasn’t been seen by his family in years.
Blake would now be 17-years-old, but according to a press release issued by the Fayetteville Police Department, it’s been years since his relatives last saw him.
“While conducting interviews in a separate police investigation, several members of Blake’s family reported they have not seen him in several years,” the press release reads.
“Due to the unusual circumstances of his reported disappearance, the Fayetteville Police Department’s Homicide Unit, which also investigates missing and endangered persons, is leading the investigation.”
Together, the Fayetteville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted searches at three different locations in Fayetteville on March 27. According to neighbors of Blake’s family, there was also a large police presence and forensic trucks outside their home.
“Just thinking about any of my kids going missing, I wonder if they feel the same emotions as me,” neighbor Alexandria Lopez told CBS17.
“Two years he’s probably gone, he’s probably been gone for a long time, and they say the first 48 hours are crucial.”
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Blake has been missing since August 2022. However, authorities have not publicly disclosed how long they believe he’s been missing.
Photos of Blake have also been released, but the most recent picture of him was taken in 2012 – when he was in elementary school. So, investigators shared an age-progressed photo of what they believe Blake may look like today at 17.
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