Right 2: Age-progressed by NCMEC to 30 and 39 years
Right 2: Age-progressed by NCMEC to 30 and 39 years
Name: David Ezell Blockett
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: December 11, 1980
Location Last Seen: Newport News, Newport News City County, Virginia
Date of Birth: November 26, 1980
Age: 2 weeks old
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Height: 1'8"
Weight: 7 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Mole on right ear; birthmarks under left arm, on back, and buttocks
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
David Blockett was taken from his home under false pretenses by a woman claiming to be a social worker on December 11, 1980. The woman, who said her name was Marie Kelly, told the baby's mother, Vanessa, that the Department of Social Services was sponsoring a Christmas party for children at Riverside Regional Medical Center. She convinced Vanessa to allow her to take David and his 2-year-old brother, Frederick, to the party.
An hour later, Vanessa received a phone call from the Hampton Police Department. A woman had found Frederick wandering alone near Old Mallory Road in Hampton, about 10 miles away from Newport News. A piece of paper with his name and address had been placed in his pocket, but there was no sign of David.
An investigation found that no females matching Kelly's description were employed at the Department of Social Services. Nor had there been any sort of Christmas party taking place at the hospital. The abductor is described as an African American female, 30-35 years old, standing 5'6, weighting approximately 150 lbs., medium brown complexion, black hair cut short and worn straight, arched eyebrows, and even teeth. She had been wearing a photo identification badge with the name Marie Kelly on it.
While the police were canvassing the neighborhood, they spoke to a young mother who told them a woman fitting Marie’s description had stopped by her home early that morning trying to pick up her child for a Christmas party. This mother had sensed something was off and told the woman to go away. The woman had given birth around the same time as Vanessa Blockett; it seemed that Marie was specifically targeting infants. Detectives realized that three days earlier the local paper had published a list of recent births. It gave each new baby’s name, date of birth, and address; it made the perfect shopping list for a kidnapper.
On December 23, a tourist found David’s diaper bag on the side of Colonial Parkway near Yorktown. Inside were some of David’s clothes, booties, and a blanket, as well as a hair comb that might have belonged to the kidnapper. The items in the bag were clean, and there was nothing to indicate that David had been injured. It was a positive sign, but it didn’t bring them any closer to finding David. It was the only tangible piece of evidence that has ever been found in the case.
Authorities were not able to locate David nor his abductor after extensive searches of the Newport News Virginia area.
Agency Name: Newport News Police Department
Agency Contact Person: MPO T. Cioffi
Agency Phone Number: 757-247-2500
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 1995-06934
NamUs Case Number: 8851
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NCMEC Case Number: 601759
NamUs
NCMEC
Medium - Feb. 17, 2021
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 02/04/2024 - By: kc
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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