Name: Frank L. Black
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: February 24, 1996
Location Last Seen: Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
Date of Birth: circa 1938
Age: 58 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Frank Black was last seen leaving from Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey on a Kiwi Airlines flight to West Palm Beach, Florida on February 24, 1996. He told associates he was going to Florida to meet a client to discuss selling a part of his fleet of school buses.
Black is the founder of Frank L. Black Bus Service, which has contracts with several school districts. One of his credit cards was used at a West Palm Beach gas station shortly after he arrived in Florida, but the police said they did not know who used it and had no evidence that he had rented a car.
Investigators became convinced that Black's disappearance was no mystery and that the former school bus driver was a victim of foul play allegedly masterminded by a business rival and former friend, Alan Mackerley.
On March 15, 2003, a jury found Mackerley guilty of the first-degree murder of Frank L. Black. At trial, a witness reported that Mackerley told him in detail about Black's demise. Mackerley's girlfriend had brought Black from the airport to Mackerley's home where Mackerley put Black in a headlock and shot him in the head. Black's body and the weapon were wrapped in tarp and taken to Mackerley's boat and dumped into the ocean. Another source said Frank was murdered on the plane and his body was dumped in the water in Florida.
Agency Name: New Jersey State Police
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 609-882-2000 ext. 2894
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: N/A
NamUs Case Number: Unknown
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
COURTTV.COM
The New York Times - 4/8/96
Delaware Online 2/20/2006
Added: 1/19/06 ; Last Updated: 11-13-2021 - By: Htmlcnvtr
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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