Dallas Police Close Longest Missing Persons Case After 52 Years
A Dallas family finally received closure after a missing persons case was solved after several decades. A new lead reopened the cold case, and a veteran detective was able to connect two separate incidents.
After 52 years, the Dallas police department finally had a breakthrough and was able to close this missing persons case at the end of 2025. This is the case of 16-year-old Norman Prater, who went missing on January 14, 1973. The teen was last seen walking with friends in East Dallas, but unfortunately, never made it home.
In July of 1973, 6 months after Norman’s disappearance, an unidentified white male was killed in a hit-and-run near Corpus Christi, Rockport, Texas. Despite the police’s pleading for public assistance, the body was never identified.
The Aransas County medical examiner’s office found a new photo of the unidentified body and passed it on to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The photo made its way to Dallas detective Ryan Dalby. He and a forensic analyst with the Texas Rangers agreed it was likely that this photo was of Prater.
Norman’s older brother in Lewisville was contacted and shown this photo, and was also able to make an identification.
With no DNA evidence or fingerprints to compare, the new photo was crucial in closing the case after 52 years. Detective Dalby still doesn’t know how or why Norman was near Corpus Christi. It is suspected that he was hitchhiking in the early 70s.
The hit and run remains unsolved, but with an identity, authorities have a chance to solve it.
Norman’s case was the longest missing person investigation in the history of the Dallas police department.
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