Covering Timmothy Pitzen: 15 Years of Searching with His Family

In this line of work, certain cases stay with you. For me, Timmothy Pitzen is one of those stories.

When I joined the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2013, I was brought on to help build the organization’s original video content. Timmothy’s case was the very first story I covered to launch that initiative. While I had spent my career working closely with families as a crime reporter, this was the first time I was building a full-scale production from the ground up for NCMEC. It was a big challenge, and the project really came together because Timmothy’s family allowed us to tell their story on camera, something they had not done before. That level of trust carries a responsibility I don't take lightly.

This May 11 marks fifteen years since Timmothy vanished. It’s a milestone no family should ever have to reach.

Timmothy Pitzen’s missing photo (left) and NCMEC’s age progression image (right) to show what he might look like today.

For those unfamiliar with the case, the facts are still as chilling as they were in 2011. Timmothy was only 6 years old when his mother, Amy, picked him up from school in Aurora, Illinois. They spent three days traveling through Wisconsin and visiting water parks before the trail went cold. Amy was later found dead in a hotel room. She left behind a note claiming Timmothy was safe with people who loved him and said, "You will never find him."

He hasn’t been seen since.

This case lives in a difficult and complicated limbo. While many fear the worst, we can’t ignore the very real possibility that Timmothy is still out there. His family believes he was handed over to someone and has grown up without knowing his own true story. The thought of him walking around today, totally unaware that his family is desperate to find him, is a possibility that never leaves you.

Kara Jacobs (right), Timmothy Pitzen’s aunt, with Angeline Hartmann on a bench dedicated to Timmothy by his family. Located beneath a shaded tree at a playground in Antioch, Illinois, the bench overlooks a place where Timmothy’s grandmother used to bring him to play.

Over the years, the time I’ve spent on this story has only deepened my connection to it. Like many of us at NCMEC, we become close to the families we work with and their endurance becomes our motivation. I’ve stayed in touch with Timmothy’s father, Jim Pitzen, and his aunt, Kara Jacobs. We’ve done media interviews and have traveled together to keep Timmothy’s story in the public eye. We’ve had quieter moments in between and have shared more hopes, setbacks and heart-to-hearts than I can count.

Back in 2019, a young man in Kentucky claimed he was Timmothy and had escaped his captors. For hours, the world held its breath until DNA confirmed it was all a cruel hoax. Thinking back on that day and all the pain this family has endured still brings tears to my eyes.

Timmothy should be 21 this year. He should be navigating adulthood, not staring back at us from a missing poster. Fifteen years later, we are still searching. We’re still hoping.

You can read more about Timmothy's story here.

If you know anything at all, please call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678), the Aurora Police Department (Illinois) at 1-630-256-5516 or go to ncmec.org to submit a tip. Timmothy is still out there, and he is not forgotten.