Jay Durnil

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Douglas County Sheriffs Office (NE)

Offense Location:

Waterloo, Nebraska

Summary:

Jay Durnil was an 11-year-old boy from the Riverside Lakes community near Waterloo, Nebraska, who was last seen on April 29, 1976, biking to the Elkhorn River to shoot his BB gun. Initially handled as an accidental drowning, his body was discovered in the Missouri River 21 days later with clear signs of murder. The case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On the evening of Thursday, April 29, 1976, Jay Durnil left his home on his bicycle to go to the Elkhorn River near his family's neighborhood in the Riverside Lakes community south of Waterloo, Nebraska. He planned to shoot his BB gun and spend time at his treehouse by the river, activities he frequently undertook. His dog, Tex, returned home that night, but Jay never returned. Jay's mother, Wanda Durnil, was home planning a scavenger hunt for a housewarming party scheduled for that weekend. When Jay did not come home, she became alarmed. His body was discovered floating in the Missouri River on May 20, 1976, approximately 21 days after his disappearance. The body showed clear signs that he had been murdered, not drowned as initially assumed. Investigators noted that Jay was a strong swimmer and the Elkhorn River was slow-moving, making an accidental drowning unlikely.

Additional Details:

Initially, Jay's case was handled as an accidental drowning, but when his body surfaced in the Missouri River with evidence of murder, the investigation took a different direction. Wanda Durnil, Jay's mother, previously offered a reward for information leading to the identification and conviction of her son's killer. She was convinced her son had been kidnapped and expressed her suspicions in newspaper interviews on May 20, 1976, stating that the killer was likely responsible for the deaths of other children in the region. She mentioned a five-year-old boy found on the Missouri River banks in April 1976 (ruled accidental drowning) and two boys (ages 12 and 13) who were abducted about an hour away from Omaha the fall prior. She believed a specific person was responsible for multiple child murders in the area. Law enforcement detectives from Douglas County met with law enforcement in Lincoln, Nebraska, to discuss related cases. The investigation revealed multiple suspect sketches and wanted posters in the case file, including one featuring two men with long dark hair and mustaches believed to have been seen in the Riverside Lakes area around April 29, 1976, possibly driving a blue Chevrolet Camaro (1969-1971 model).

Case Last Updated:

Sep 01, 2026