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Was the real Ray Elliot
returned?  Draw your own
conclusions through news-
paper articles, then discover
his true identity.

Ray Elliott - Lost Boy

In 1893, three-year-old Ray Elliott disappeared while playing near his home in Marengo. A boy was returned to the Elliott family fourteen months later and a courtroom battle over possession of the boy ensued. Was the lost boy the kidnapped Ray Elliott or was he Roy Burke? Over one hundred years later playwright Tom Johnson discovered a book, contemporary to the event, which documented the incident. Tom then produced a play in 2002 at the Old Creamery Theater in Iowa County. This renewed interest resulted in the pursuit of DNA evidence and the final illuminating conclusion... 109 years later.

Follow the story as it unfolds through news articles of the day, or read the article which captures the essence of the events, then skip to the story of the amazing and conclusive discovery made in 2002.

Lost Boy News Articles, 1893-1951

• Ray Elliott Goes Missing - Drowned? Kidnapped by Gypsies?1893
• Ray Elliott Possibly Found - Ray Elliott or Roy Burke?1894
• Lengthy Court Trials - Show me the evidence1894-6
• More Drama - Murder accusations!1901
• The Story Revisited - 1921 blurb & 1951 sum of events1921-51

True Identity News, 2002

• Century-old Mystery - DNA tests may answer...2002
• DNA testing indicates...2002

Interest in the case 100 Years Later

• "Lost and Found", a 2002 play at the Old Creamery Theater (Now the Amana RV Park & Event Center), in Iowa County.
• "Lost Boy", a 2003 Iowa Public Television documentary. [This artical appears to have been removed from iptv.org in 2017]