Missing Since: 2004-02-15 Location: Casper, Wyoming
Justin was last seen at the R.L. Mills Home, the group home for boys where he resided in the 100 block of east H Street in Casper, Wyoming. At 7:00 a.m. on February 15, 2004, workers at the home found his room empty after he failed to show up for breakfast. His bed was found stuffed with clothes to give the appearance that he was sleeping in it. Justin’s mother had willingly turned him and his younger sister over to the custody of the state. He been through several failed foster care placements before he was placed in the R.L. Mills Home in the summer of 2003. His father, Phillip Harris, a truck driver who had fought for custody of him, initially said he believed his son ran away to be with him. Phillip theorized that Justin was either still in the Casper area, or tried to go to Swink, Oklahoma, where his father lives. He had repeatedly run away from his various foster homes in the past. Later, Phillip said he thought Justin hadn’t run away from the group home but had, in fact, become the victim of a crime, and that the group home was trying to cover this up. Phillip denied that Justin suffered from any kind of disability, but these assertions were contradicted by the staff at the R.L. Mills Home, who said he required constant supervision and could not function without his psychiatric medications. They stated he’d been doing well at the facility, however, and was also succeeding at school. Justin’s case remains unsolved. The R.L. Mills Home, which served adolescent boys with a variety of emotional and behavioral problems, was closed in 2011 due to financial constraints. Investigating Agency Casper Police Department 307-235-8278 Source Information The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The Casper Star-Tribune City of Casper, Wyoming Vanished Children’s Alliance The Casper Star-Tribune True Crime Magazine The Billings Gazette Updated 5 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated October 6, 2020; age-progression updated.