Taking a Road Trip on Route 66? Help Bring a Missing Child Home

For nearly 100 years, Route 66 has symbolized the American road trip, stretching more than 2,400 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California.

As communities celebrate the highway's centennial, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is asking travelers to go the extra mile; check out these faces of missing children from communities along or near Route 66.

A missing child could be recognized anywhere — at a diner, hotel, gas station or roadside attraction. One face. One memory. One tip could change everything.

William Carter disappeared in November 2024 after leaving a youth facility. Investigators believe he may be living on the streets with his homeless father. As your journey begins, be on the lookout for this young man. 

William Carter (Credit: NCMEC)

Bonnie and Clyde’s Hideout Apartment in Joplin, Missouri; Historic Route 66 Neon Signs

Vintage neon signs, classic diners and restored motor courts keep Route 66's golden age alive in Missouri. In Joplin, visitors can stop at the apartment where Bonnie and Clyde hid before a 1933 gun battle with law enforcement. The outlaws escaped, leaving behind a camera filled with photographs that became part of their infamous legacy.

Just beyond these historic landmarks, Sorayda Pop-Caal, 16, vanished from a St. Louis-area sponsor home on Nov. 8, 2020 after leaving with her belongings. No one knows where she went.

Sorayda Pop-Caal (Credit: NCMEC)

Blue Whale of Catoosa

No Route 66 landmark is more recognizable than the giant Blue Whale of Catoosa, where generations of travelers have stopped for photos. Built in the early 1970s by zoologist Hugh Davis as a swimming attraction for his grandchildren, the whimsical landmark has become one of the highway's most beloved roadside icons.

Not far away, sisters Sarahi and Madison Rosales disappeared from Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 26, 2025. Investigators believe the girls may be in the company of a relative and are asking the public to help locate them and bring them home. 

Allen Chalapah was just 15 years old when he left a youth shelter in Tulsa. He hasn’t been seen since.

Sarahi and Madison Rosales (Credit: NCMEC)

Allen Chalapah (Credit: NCMEC)

At Cadillac Ranch, visitors leave their mark with colorful spray paint. Maybe your mark on this trip is sharing the face of a missing child.

Infamous Cadillac Ranch       

Dorien Thomas disappeared while riding his bicycle in Amarillo, Texas, on Oct. 26, 1998. His mother told police the 9-year-old rode to a neighborhood store and never returned. More than 25 years later, investigators still hope someone remembers seeing Dorien that day — or knows where he is now. 

Dorien Thomas at 9 years old and age progression to what he may look like today (Credit: NCMEC)

Glowing neon, the legendary El Rancho Hotel — where Hollywood stars once stayed while filming Westerns — and the crystal-clear Blue Hole swimming spot make New Mexico one of Route 66's most memorable stretches. Some mysteries here have never faded.

El Rancho Hotel; Blue Hole

Anthonette Cayedito was just 9 years old when she disappeared from her home in Gallup, New Mexico. She was last seen asleep around 3 a.m. on April 6, 1986. Her mother told investigators that when she awoke later that morning, Anthonette was gone. Her disappearance remains one of New Mexico’s most haunting missing child cases. 

Anthonette Cayedito at age 9 and an age progression (Credit: NCMEC)

A burger restaurant; the Grand Canyon

From quirky Seligman to breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon, Arizona offers some of Route 66's most unforgettable stops. Hidden among those landscapes are stories still waiting for answers.

Justin Richardson vanished after walking away from friends near the Grand Canyon in July of 2001 and has never been seen again.

Justin Richardson at age 13 and an age progression (Credit: NCMEC)

The final miles of Route 66 cross the Mojave Desert before ending at the Santa Monica Pier, where travelers traditionally celebrate reaching the Pacific.

The Santa Monica Pier

For one young girl, the journey ended before anyone even knew her name. She is known as Jane Barstow Doe 2010.

In February 2010, the remains of a young girl believed to be the victim of a homicide were discovered along a desert road off Highway 58 near Barstow, California. Investigators believe she was a Hispanic girl between 14 and 19 years old with brown hair. More than a decade later, detectives are still searching for the clues that could identify her and reveal who killed her.

Jane Barstow Doe 2010

The road may end in Santa Monica, but for these families, the search never does.

Whether you're traveling Route 66 or your hometown streets, stay aware of your surroundings. A child who appears frightened, controlled by another person, unable to speak freely or shows signs of abuse or neglect could need help.

View missing children and unidentified child cases at ncmec.org.

If you recognize any child featured here — or have information that could help identify an unknown child — don't assume someone else has already called. One tip could be the one that finally brings answers. Report tips to NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).