What Happened to Christopher Dansby and Shane Walker: Updates

(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

published 19 October 2020

Plot details for Unsolved Mysteries ahead. Content warning: kidnapping. In 1989, two small children, Christopher Dansby and Shane Walker, suddenly vanished from Martin Luther King Jr. Towers playground near their homes in Harlem, New York. To this day, we know nothing of what happened to the boys or where they could be now. Their story is the subject of a Netflix Unsolved Mysteries volume two episode.

Who were Christopher Dansby and Shane Walker?

The two toddlers were roughly the same age—Christopher was 2 years old and Shane was 19 months—and lived in the same building complex (41 West 112th Street, a.k.a. Martin Luther King Jr. Towers in Harlem). The boys' mothers, Rosa Glover and Allison Dansby, didn't know each other. Both boys were said to be cheerful and very attached to their mothers.

Christopher disappeared from the Martin Luther King Jr. Towers playground in May 1989, and Shane disappeared in August of that same year. Both cases were strikingly similar; Rosa said she took her eyes off her son for a moment after being distracted by someone sitting down beside her. Allison had gone to run an errand and left Christopher with her mother, who also said that she took her eyes off him for just a moment. Then both boys disappeared.

What happened to them?

The cases were unlike other child abductions, according to law enforcement, in part because of the stark similarities between the cases. Though nothing is known for sure, at the time, Deputy Chief Ronald J. Fenrich said, "Someone who wants a baby who is not qualified to adopt a baby might steal a baby or hire someone to do so."

Age progression photos have been used in the cases to show what the children might look like now, 31 years later. Police say they still get tips, but neither child has ever been heard from.

What wasn't covered in the episode?

Christopher and Shane both disappeared on the same day of the week, Thursday, in the early evening. Rosa said she got a strange, upsetting phone call about her son's body being buried in an abandoned building, but police searches turned up nothing.

According to The Charley Project, the disappearance of another young child, Andre Terrance Bryant, was thought to be potentially connected to the two disappearances. There are stark differences in the case, though: Despite the similar timeframe (Bryant disappeared in March 1989), that case was quite different. Andre was only 1 month old and living in Brooklyn. His mother, Monique Rivera, was lured out of the house by two women who had recently taken her shopping. Monique's body was found in the Bronx, and Andre was never seen again.

If you have information about any of these children, visit unsolved.com.

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.