She wasn't supposed to walk to the store alone. She told her sister she was going anyway. She never came back.
The Disappearance
On March 24, 1982, 8-year-old Toya Katrina Hill lived with her mother, brother, and sister at the Lafayette Homes housing project in Baltimore, Maryland. After school that day, her mother gave her a snack and permission to play outside, then left the house around 6:15 p.m. While her mother was gone, Toya, against the rules, walked two blocks to a grocery store to buy candy. Near the store, she stopped to talk with her mother's ex-boyfriend and one of his male friends. She never came home.
A Well-Behaved Child
Toya attended City Springs Elementary School, where she was remembered as quiet and well-behaved with a strong attendance record. She was last seen wearing a blue jacket, a blue and orange striped top, and blue jeans, and is described as having a chipped front tooth and a deep dimple in her left cheek.
A Mother's Unusual Decision
In the years following Toya's disappearance, her mother made the decision to marry one of the men Toya had been seen speaking with before she vanished, reportedly in hopes that being close to him might eventually lead to a confession or new information. No confession or new information ever came from it.
Where the Case Stands
Toya Hill has never been found, and her case remains classified as a non-family abduction.
FAQ
Has Toya Hill ever been found?
No. She remains missing more than four decades after her disappearance.
Who was the last person seen with Toya?
Her mother's ex-boyfriend and one of his male friends, near the corner store she was walking to.
Did the marriage lead to any new information?
No confession or breakthrough ever resulted from it, and the case remains unsolved.