Were Andre, Christopher and Shane's disappearances linked? Theories on Unsolved Mysteries Stolen Kids cases
Three children; Christopher Dansby, Andre Bryant and Shane Walker, went missing under similar circumstances.
After a successful first season, Unsolved Mysteries is back for another volume on Netflix, offering six more cases in the hopes that answers can finally be found for families still suffering.
One of the most heart-wrenching episodes of the new series is titled Stolen Kids, focusing on the disappearances of three children from Harlem in the late 1980s, which may or may not be linked.
We take a look at what happened to Christopher Dansby, Andre Bryant and Shane Walker and the top theories for the Unsolved Mysteries case.
Unsolved Mysteries episode 6: What happened?
On the evening of 18th May 1989, Allison Dansby took her two-year-old son Christopher to the Martin Luther King Jr Towers Playground.
Leaving him in the care of his grandmother, she popped into a nearby store, but was horrified to find Christopher gone upon her return.
The grandmother explained that he had been playing with an older girl and boy, who were also nowhere to be seen.
Allison reported her son missing to the police, whose investigation found one witness who claimed to have seen Christopher walking with a man down a road near to the play area.
According to the witness, he was African-American, in his mid-to-late 20s and about sux feet tall, with dreadlocked hair, but he was never found.
This is particularly troubling given a very similar incident occurred just three months later, when Rosa Glover took her one-year-old son, Shane Walker, to the same park in Harlem.
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Two older children asked Rosa if they could play with Shane and she agreed, taking a seat on a bench nearby where she could keep an eye on them.
A man joined her soon after, who reportedly spoke about how bad things happen to children whose parents do not pay enough attention, which is a sinister coincidence given what happened next.
Shane too went missing and the pair of kids who had been playing with him claimed they did not know where he went; it later emerged they were the same children who had spent time with Christopher prior to his own disappearance.
The children and the man who sat with Rosa were questioned by police, but none were considered suspects in the investigation.
These eerily similar cases have also been discussed in association with a third missing persons case, that being Andre Bryant, who disappeared at only one month old in March 1989.
In the days leading up to his abduction, his mother, Monique Rivera, had become acquainted with two women who had taken her shopping for new clothes.
They invited her out a second time, insisting that she bring her newborn boy with her; Monique's body was found bludgeoned to death the next day, while Andre has never been found to this day.
As all three infants were African-American and residing in the same neighbourhood at the same time, there has been speculation that the disappearances could be connected.
However, there is a lack of hard evidence to support such a story at this time, but it is hoped that Unsolved Mysteries could encourage new leads to come forward.
Theory one: The children were abducted for a black market adoption ring
One of the most prominent theories that has been put forward in relation to these cases is that the children were kidnapped to be sold into a black market adoption ring.
Given the extremely similar circumstances in which Christopher and Shane disappeared, both had even been living in the same apartment building, some have wondered if this could have been a routine operation for a local criminal gang.
The Charley Project, which maintains a database of cold case missing persons files, have created an image of what Christopher and Shane could look like today, if they are still alive.
Theory two: Andre's disappearance was unrelated
While Christopher and Shane's abductions are very similar, the case of Monique and her newborn son Andre is really quite different.
Not only were two women involved, rather than two children, but also Monique herself was brutally murdered in the kidnapping, suggesting there may have been a personal connection behind it.
The Charley Project states that Monique "may have known" her two attackers from middle school, while they allegedly used a fraudulent credit card on their shopping trip, suggesting they may have been involved in further criminal activity.
The organisation's website has a picture of Monique, baby Andre, and what he could look like today, if he is still alive.
Unsolved Mysteries Volume Two is available to stream on Netflix from Monday 19th October 2020. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, visit our TV Guide, or find out about upcoming new TV shows 2020.
Find out more about the Unsolved Mysteries cases including JoAnn Matouk Romain, Jack Wheeler, Lester Eubanks, Jennifer Fairgate and the Stolen Kids.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
