Family wants closure 16 years after Buddy Myers disappearance

A family in Minnesota got some semblance of closure last week when a man, and the main suspect in the case, confessed to murder and led police to Jacob Wetterling's remains.

As the Wetterling family begins to heal, a Sampson County family is hoping to do the same.

Trystan "Buddy" Myers was last seen 16 years ago. On Oct. 5, 2000, the 4-year-old was playing in front of the TV when his aunt, Donna Myers, briefly drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up, Buddy and the two family dogs were gone without a trace.

Chris Godwyn, a Sampson County sheriff's detective, has worked the case for the last nine years.

"Not knowing and not having any leads to follow," he said. "They just want to know and I think what bothers most people is not knowing. It's hard to - they want to put a face to it."

Buddy would be 20 years old this year. According to Godwyn, five or six leads come in every month.

Buddy had moved from Florida to live with his aunt and uncle before he disappeared. Godwyn said he and the sheriff traveled to Florida to follow a false lead in the case.

"We have no reason to believe that he's not still alive," Godwyn said. "Until we have a reason to believe that he's not alive, then we are going to keep looking for a live person."

Donna Myers said she thinks of her nephew every day.

"In my heart, I just feel like he's alive and one day we will find out where he is at," she said.