Missing Since: 2013-05-05 Location: Juno Beach, Florida
Billy was last seen in Juno Beach, Florida on May 5, 2013. At the time, he was enrolled in The Academy, a residential center for troubled teens, where he was receiving treatment for his depression and substance abuse issues. He and a group of nine other boys from The Academy had gone on an outing and Billy was last seen floating the ocean off Juno Beach at 4:30 p.m. When the others came to shore, Billy wasn’t with them and he left his clothes and wallet on the beach. He has never been heard from again and an extensive search of the area turned up no sign of him. Billy was a freshman at Viera High School at the time of his disappearance. He became deeply depressed after his father died in 2012, and as a result his family enrolled him in The Academy in late April 2013. After he went missing, Billy’s mother discovered The Academy, which is run by the Tennessee-based company American Addiction Centers, didn’t offer the kind of housing and supervision it advertised. She had been told Billy would live in a home-like setting, but in fact he and the other boys enrolled in the program were staying at a hotel three miles from The Academy’s headquarters. The Academy ultimately refunded Billy’s family the $25,000 they’d paid for his treatment. The facility remains open and hasn’t been reported for any health or safety violations. A few months after Billy’s disappearance, there was activity on his personal Facebook page: someone was logging in and checking messages. This led his mother to believe he was alive and had left of his own accord. Authorities were unable to trace the person who used Billy’s Facebook account, and the circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear. His case is unsolved. Investigating Agency Juno Beach Police Department 561-626-2100 Source Information NamUs The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Florida Department of Law Enforcement Facebook Page for Billy Patient Project Jason Florida Today The Palm Beach Post WPTV 5 Billy Patient’s Facebook Page Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated March 15, 2019; three pictures added, name updated.