Robert Thompson

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Los Angeles Police Department (CA)

Offense Location:

Los Angeles, California

Summary:

Robert Thompson mysteriously disappeared on the morning of Christmas Eve 1977 from his home in Los Angeles, California. Almost thirty years later, his body was found stuffed down the chimney of a building not far from his former house. He was identified months after the discovery. Police have a prime suspect in his disappearance and death but no charges were ever filed. Officially, his case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Robert Thompson was last seen on the morning of December 24th 1977 in Los Angeles, California. He left his residence on 125 East 94th Street and never returned home that day. Fifteen police officers performed a door to door search of his neighborhood in the days after he disappeared but no one had any clue as to what happened to the boy. Robert allegedly had a prior history of running away but there were no reported sightings of him after he was reported missing. He was epileptic and had the cognitive abilities of a six year old child. For nearly fighting years, there were little to no leads about his disappearance. On February 23rd 1985 Theodore "Theodoric" Van Smith, a former boyfriend of Robert's older sister, was arrested and charged with the rape and attempted murder of Robert’s younger brother. He drove the boy to a dark alley where he raped him before throwing him out of his vehicle and running the child over. During the course of the attack, Theodore told the boy that he had killed Robert years earlier and buried his body in his backyard. As a result, Van Smith’s residence at 400 East 93rd Street was searched for any possible remains. Investigators spent several hours digging up his backyard but only animal bones were found. Police still believe Theodore was likely responsible for Robert’s disappearance but he denies being involved in the case.

Additional Details:

On March 25th 2005, a young girl playing soccer when her ball went down the chimney of a building located at 89th and Main Streets in Los Angeles, California. The girl went to retrieve her call and when she peered down inside, she saw a human skeleton stuck inside the chimney. The police were called and they removed the bones from the chimney. It was determined the body belonged to a young Black boy aged between 12 and 15. Investigators initially believed the bones belonged to a teenage runaway who was probably dead inside the chimney for several years before the discovery. No one came forward to identify the youth, however. A sketch artist created a composite reconstruction showing what the boy looked like while still alive. This reconstruction was shown in the news which caught the attention of one of Robert Thompson’s cousins. She informed Robert’s mother, Clea Thompson of the similarities so Clea called law enforcement to inquire about the possibility. Investigators took a DNA sample from her and tested it against samples taken from the bones. On December 28th 2005, DNA testing confirmed the bones belonged to Robert Thompson. He was still dressed in the same clothes he wore when he disappeared in 1977, leading detectives to believe he was in the chimney for most of the duration he was considered missing. The building in question was used as a halfway house for drug addicts at the time of Robert’s disappearance. Investigators believe it’s possible Robert’s death was accidental, that he fell or got into the chimney and died due to being trapped. However, they also still believe foul play is a factor and that Van Smith was behind the murder. Theodoric was at the Thompson house on the day Robert disappeared since he and the boy’s sister had a child together. He apparently disappeared himself shortly after Robert left the house and Van Smith wasn’t seen for the rest of the day. He continues to maintain he had no involvement in the boy’s death. Robert’s mysterious death remains a mystery and no charges were ever filed.

Case Last Updated:

Aug 10, 2025