Name: Thomas Delvin Novak
Case Classification: Missing
Missing Since: July 25, 1958
Location Last Seen: Park Valley, Box Elder County, Utah
Date of Birth: May 22, 1946
Age: 12 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'4" - 5'9"
Weight: 90 lbs
Hair Color: Brown, crew cut
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Tommy
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Walks with a shuffle; medium complexion; possibly autistic
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: Tan shirt and blue jeans
Jewelry: None
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Thomas was last seen about 10:00 pm on July 25th, 1958, on the Lawrence Carter Ranch in Park Valley, Utah, getting ready for bed. The next morning, he was gone. Tommy had run away before, so his parents didn't notify police until a week later. It is believed Tommy left on foot, as no cars or horses were reported missing. He did not take any extra clothing or food with him.
At first it was thought Thomas may be headed to Finley, Nevada or Idaho.
A boy resembling Tommy had been seen trying to board a freight train in Brigham City that was heading for Wells, Nevada, around the time of his disappearance.
On August 4, a young boy in a tan shirt, blue slacks, a western style straw hat, carrying a rusty, old type .22 and a bundle of cattail stocks about 18" long and had been cut smooth on each side, was seen at the Ogden stockyard and later the rail yards. The boy told a railroad checker that he was going to Wells, Nevada. The boy was seen getting on a flat gondola car and was reported to have jumped off the train on the outskirts of Wells while the train was traveling at around 30 miles an hour. He reportedly rolled over several times, got up, and walked towards the highway.
The last possible sighting of Tommy came from a rancher in Snowville, Utah who reported that he saw the boy on the evening of August 11th.
The Box Elder County Sheriff's Office and many locals on horseback conducted extensive searches of the rugged area around Park Valley but did not find any trace of the missing boy. Railroad authorities as far as California were notified to be on the lookout for Tommy riding the rails.
Before moving to Utah about a year prior, the family had lived in Nevada. The authorities from Nevada were familiar with Tommy and noted that the boy had an interest in trucks. He was known to hitch rides or stow-away in large trucks.
Agency Name: Box Elder County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: Det. Cade Palmer
Agency Phone Number: 435-734-3800
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 21-000929
NamUs Case Number: 86599
NamUs
UT BCI
The Herald-Journal (Logan, UT) - Aug. 4, 1958
The Daily Herald (Provo, UT) - Aug. 6, 1958
The Ogden Standard-Examiner (Ogden, UT) - Aug. 9, 1958, Jan. 1 & Jul. 26, 1959
Added: 10/11/22; Last Updated: 10/11/22 - By: Doe-NamUs-App
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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