Just like any other state, Mississippi has some bizarre incidents in its past – and the disappearance of Bobby Dunbar is definitely one of them. The strange tale began in Louisiana, but came to an unusual end in Mississippi. At the time, the case gained national attention, baffling people across the country. Today, most have long forgotten about Bobby Dunbar. Read on to learn more about what has got to be one of the strangest stories in Mississippi history.

In August 1912, 4-year-old Bobby Dunbar and his parents went on a fishing trip to Swayze Lake in Louisiana. At some point during that trip, Bobby Dunbar disappeared.
Wikimedia Commons
A frantic search for the young boy began immediately. Eight months into the search, authorities in Mississippi found Bobby Dunbar – or so they thought.

The boy that authorities thought was Bobby Dunbar was in the care of William Cantwell Walters, a handyman from North Carolina. When confronted by the police, Walters said the boy was Charles Bruce Anderson – the son of a woman who worked for his family.
Mississippi authorities immediately arrested Walters and sent for the Dunbars.
Public Domain/Wikimedia
The Dunbars claimed the boy was, in fact, their missing son and returned home to Louisiana with him. Shortly after, Julia Anderson, the mother of Charles, arrived in Mississippi to support Walters’ claim that the boy was her son.
The boy was brought back to Mississippi, so Julia Anderson could have a chance to I.D. him. According to newspapers, she was initially unable to do so. However, the next day, she was given a second chance - at which time she said the boy was her son.
Public Domain/Wikimedia
However, her initial failure to I.D. the boy, combined with the fact that she had three children out of wedlock, led to her claims being dismissed. And since Anderson was not financially able to fight the Dunbars in court, she returned home to North Carolina.

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Anderson later returned to Louisiana for Walters’ kidnapping trial to proclaim his innocence.
Z28scrambler/Wikimedia
The trial also attracted many residents from Poplarville since Walters and the boy in his custody had spent a lot of time in the town during their travels.
Despite the fact that many Poplarville residents testified to seeing Walters with the boy prior to Bobby Dunbar’s disappearance, Walters was found guilty of kidnapping. The boy remained in the custody of the Dunbars, living the rest of his life as Bobby Dunbar in Opelousas, LA.
Wikipedia
The residents of Poplarville were so welcoming to Julia Anderson that she chose to stay in Poplarville.
Poplarville Historical Preservation Society/Facebook
Anderson went on to marry and have seven children. Turning her life around, she became a devout Christian, helped found a church, and worked as a midwife and nurse. Though her descendants say her life in Poplarville was a happy one, she never got over her losing her son. According to reports, she often spoke of her "lost son" and the fact that he was "kidnapped by the Dunbars."

The story of Bobby Dunar doesn’t end there, though. In 2004, DNA testing confirmed that the boy found with Walters was, in fact, not a blood relative of the Dunbar family.

Watch the video below to learn more about Bobby Dunbar.

So, did you know about the strange disappearance of Bobby Dunbar? Have any theories about what happened to him? Know of another unusual case in the state’s past? Tell us in the comments section.

This isn’t the only strange case in the state’s past. Click here to read about another.

 

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