TROY, Mo. — New information about a Lincoln County cold case may help police find out what happened to an 11-year-old boy who went missing over 30 years ago. The Sheriff’s office says that a murder in the year 2000 may be connected to the disappearance of Charles “Arlin” Henderson on July 25, 1991.
Arlin was last seen riding his bicycle in the Fountain N’ Lakes subdivision of Moscow Mills. It was found in a bean field off of North Ethlyn Road, about five miles away from his home.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department sent a release to the media Thursday with the following statement:
“Intriguingly, in the year 2000, Charles Arlin Henderson’s sister, Joy Henderson-Leonard, 29, suffered a tragic fate when she was murdered by her husband, Robert “Bob” Leonard, who subsequently took his own life. Investigators believe that Bob and Joy Leonard may have had crucial information related to Charles Henderson’s disappearance before their untimely deaths.”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that in 2001 a man confessed to killing Arlin, pled guilty to murder, and said that two other men put him up to it. He later said that he made up the story.
Police are asking the public to come forward to help solve this mystery. You can call them at 636-462-6153 or submit a tip online here. You may remain anonymous.