There isn’t a day that retired U.S. Marine Kevin Verville, Sr. doesn’t think about his missing son. Kevin Jr. was just 17 days old when he was abducted from the family’s Oceanside, California home in 1980 while his dad was stationed at Camp Pendleton. The kidnapper was a woman posing as a social worker and has never been identified. It’s believed she stole Kevin Jr. to raise him as her own child.
In the early days, Kevin Sr. actively engaged with the media to get the word out. After the initial coverage faded within a few months, the case fell from public view. At the same time, the family faced hurtful public scrutiny, adding to their heartbreak and Kevin Sr. remained silent for more than four decades.
Now, with the help of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the FBI, Kevin Jr.’s case is receiving renewed attention. His dad is speaking publicly once again, fueled by the possibility that someone out there remembers something that could bring answers.
Though it’s still deeply painful to talk about, he finds comfort in knowing that people do care and want to help - even after all these years. He hopes that by sharing his story at CrimeCon, new leads will surface and that he will one day be reunited with the son he never stopped loving.