Missing Since: 2005-02-10 Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Bryan disappeared from Paxon Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida on February 10, 2005. He and his best friend, Mark Degner, were both special education students at the school. The boys ran out of the building after an argument with a teacher at 1:15 p.m. and disappeared. Bryan was apparently seen getting into a car outside the school; it is unclear whether Mark was with him at the time. They took no extra clothes, money, or other belongings with them, not even their bookbags or Bryan’s coat. Police believed Bryan and Mark had run away and were still in the local area. They had told friends of their plans to run away; a third boy was planning to go with them but did not. The day before they disappeared, school officials caught them trying to sneak away from the buses after school ended. Bryan had run away from home before, but he never traveled more than a few miles from home and was never gone for longer than a day. Mark has no history of runaway behavior. Both children were relatively new students at Paxon Middle School and unfamiliar with the area. Mark had moved there from Indiana and Bryan from Port Orange, Florida. Bryan was abused as a toddler and was eventually placed in foster care. He lived in several foster homes before being legally adopted by his grandparents. In October 2004, Bryan’s grandparents placed him in a therapeutic group home in Jacksonville in order to treat his behavioral problems. He was reportedly very happy at the facility. After weeks passed and no one had heard from Bryan or Mark, and in light of the boys’ medical problems, authorities announced that they were considered endangered and possibly met with foul play. Their cases remain unsolved and some agencies continue to classify them as runaways. Investigating Agency Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office 904-630-0500 Source Information The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children First Coast News The Crime Library Missing Children Center Inc. News4Jax The Orlando Sentinel America’s Most Wanted Beyond Missing Laura Recovery Center WFTV Operation Lookout The Daytona Beach News-Journal Florida Justice Coalition Updated 9 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated February 12, 2025; age-progression updated.