The Butler County Sheriff's Department continues the investigation into the missing boy from Towanda, who has been identified as 11-year-old Adam Herrman at the time of his disappearance.
Officers are continuing to investigate the case, looking at it as a missing person case and going about it as if it is a death because that leads to a deeper investigation. Despite this, they are not leaning one way or another on if Adam is still alive or not. Adam disappeared 10 years ago and it was thought he disappeared during the summer months.
Adam, who was born June 8, 1987, used to live in the mobile home park with his adopted parents, Doug and Valerie Herrman, who adopted him when he was 2 1/2. They had been foster parents for the Adam and his siblings when they lived in Derby. They also adopted two of Adam's younger siblings, after which they moved to Towanda. The Herrman's were the park managers at the time.
"Back on Wednesday, the 31st of December, our department along with Sedgwick County Exploited Children Unit investigators, and Sedgwick County Emergency Management K-9 Unit were in the south part of Towanda in the Pine Ridge Mobile Home Park and we were looking at an empty former, mobile home lot," Murphy said at a Monday news conference.
Murphy reiterated that they did find one of the answers they were looking for, but still declined to comment on what that answer was. He did say they did not find any remains during their search.
"It was reported Adam had not been seen since '99 when the parents left the trailer park at Towanda," he said.
From there, the parents moved to the town of Sedgwick then back to Derby.
"The investigators from the agencies started what I call a bio historical data search," Murphy said.
That included anything they could find on Adam from birth to up to today.
"In this search, we have come up to 1999, but we have not come up with anything past 1999 as far as historical data on that child," Murphy said. "Nothing has been given to us or have we determined that we know where his whereabouts today are. There could be several answers to this and that is what the investigators are still working on.
"We don't know what happened to Adam Herrman past '99 when he was last seen."
Murphy said their hopes are the search will go nationwide. As part of that, Murphy will appear on CNN this evening in a phone interview about the case.
"That is exactly what we want because there are a multitude of things that could have gone on in his disappearance," Murphy said. "We still have answers to seek and investigative methods to exhaust."
The sheriff's office is asking anyone in 1999 who may have seen something, known something or who may have thought something in the Towanda area something wasn't right to contact the investigators so they can take a look at it.
"We have had a lot of cooperation," Murphy said.
Just this morning Murphy received an e-mail from a person who grew up with the Herrman children.
"People are concerned about it, we are concerned about it," Murphy said. "We just don't have all the answers that we would like to have right now and we're not sure what happened to Adam Herrman."
Investigators have talked with the Herrmans but Murphy declined to comment on that conversation. Investigators are continuing to interview individuals and doing what is necessary to confirm the validity of the information they receive.
No charges have currently been brought against the adoptive family because the sheriff's department is not ready to do that yet. But, Murphy said, there are various charges that they could face. They are among the people of interest in this case at this time. The family says the boy ran away 10 years ago, but they did not report it.

"When you arrest somebody there is so much that has to be prepared, that has to be done because there is a time constraints on us," he said. "We have limited resources. It's one of those things where we want to line up our ducks. We are lining those ducks up in is he alive, is he dead."

As for a timeline, the department is ready to take the time needed to fully investigate the case.

Comments have been made about abuse in the family, but Murphy said as for proving that right now, they are not at that point.

One big question remains about why it took 10 years for someone to come forward.

"I've asked that same question," Murphy said. "That question is there and it's a legitimate question."

Currently, investigators are working to get DNA from the biological father and Adam's sister so they will have it to either rule in or rule out any DNA found on an unidentified body if that happens.

While it has been 10 years, Murphy said there is some evidence that does not disappear. They also are hoping after hearing about the case, people will remember something they may have forgotten about back in 1999.

Murphy asks individuals who knew or know the Herrman family and feel they may have information to help investigators to contact the Butler County Sheriff Investigations at 322-4254 or 322-4398 ext. 8 and ask to speak to the investigator on duty concerning Adam.

He also makes a plea to Adam if he sees a story on this case.

"If Adam Herrman is alive out here somewhere and should he see this somewhere, I would ask him to please contact us immediately," Murphy said.

Adam's older biological sister Tiffany Broadfoot now lives in in Wichita and his biological father lives in Indiana. Adam's biological mother now lives in Colorado.

Murphy has seen a lot of cases during his career, but he said this is a first for him.

"I don't think I've ever had one that came in after 10 years and is just now coming to light," he said. "It is a first for me and it is a first for investigators."