On November 30, 1982, twelve-year-old Robert Heintz went into the bush behind Larder Lake Public School in Larder Lake, northeastern Ontario, with four other boys during lunch hour. The group had planned to hide out in the woods after leaving school, intending to run away.
When the boys didn’t return, concern began to grow. The following day, the others emerged from the dense forest — cold, hungry, and disoriented. They had spent the night lost in the bush and eventually found their way out to the highway. All of them made it back. Except Robert.
At the time, Robert — a youth in care — was living at the New Horizons Boys Home in nearby Kearns. The home was intended to provide a stable and supportive environment for boys who could not live at home. Staff described Robert as quiet and well-behaved. When he went missing, the home’s manager immediately joined in and helped lead the search, working closely with local authorities and community members.
Despite efforts to locate him, no trace of Robert was ever found. His disappearance left a lasting mark on those who knew him and continues to raise difficult questions more than four decades later.
In the years that followed, the boys who were with Robert that day lived under a cloud of suspicion, accused of harming their friend. As adults, they’ve shared their memories of what truly happened — and the trauma that followed.
If you know anything about Robert’s disappearance, please call or text our confidential tipline at 289-975-0909, send us a private message, or contact Crimestoppers.
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