The person at the center of this case
Steven Anderson (age 17 at time of disappearance)
Missing Person · Open
51 years waiting · since 1975
STEVEN ANDERSON
Justice for Steven Anderson (age 17 at time of disappearance) — the trail went cold in 1975, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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person
Lead #1What circumstances led two developmentally disabled boys to leave the supervised facility undetected?
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location
Lead #2Were there any gaps in supervision or security at the 1,896-acre New Lisbon State School that allowed the boys to wander into the New Jersey Pinelands?
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evidence
Lead #3Steven Anderson had a chipped front tooth and was last seen wearing a blue hooded jacket and blue pants—have any matching items or remains ever been recovered?
Steven Anderson, age 17, and his roommate David Williams, age 12, disappeared on April 7, 1975, from the New Lisbon State School in Burlington County, New Jersey, while walking from a ball field back to their residence. Both boys had developmental disabilities and required supervision, making their sudden disappearance highly suspicious. Nearly 50 years later, the case remains unsolved, and investigators seek any information about what happened to these vulnerable teenagers in the New Jersey Pinelands.
Case
#271
Federal Bureau of Investigation (Newark Field Office); Atlantic City Resident Agency
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
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witness
Lead #4Did staff members or other residents observe the boys leaving the ball field or see them after 4:15 p.m. that day?
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clue
Lead #5Given the boys' inability to care for themselves, did they survive long in the Pinelands, or did they encounter someone who took them?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
April 7, 1975 New Lisbon, Burlington County, New Jersey Steven Anderson, then age 17, and David Williams , then age 12, were reported missing from the New Lisbon State School, now called the New Lisbon Developmental Center, located in Burlington County, New Jersey, on April 7, 1975. Both boys lived at the 1,896-acre center located off Route 72 in the New Jersey Pinelands.
They had diagnosed developmental disabilities and were unable to care for themselves without supervision. The boys, who were roommates, were last seen at approximately 4:15 p.m., walking towards their residence from a nearby ball field where they had been playing with staff members.
Remarks: Steven had a chipped front tooth. He was known to have trouble communicating.
Steven was last seen wearing a blue hooded jacket and blue pants.
Timeline of Events
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1975-04-07
16:15Last Sighting
Steven Anderson and David Williams were last seen at approximately 4:15 p.m. walking from a nearby ball field towards their residence at the New Lisbon State School.
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1975-04-07
Reported Missing
Steven Anderson, age 17, and David Williams, age 12, were reported missing from the New Lisbon State School in Burlington County, New Jersey.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:April 7, 1975 at 4:15 PM
Last Updated:June 8, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:April 7, 1975 at 4:15 PM
Last Updated:June 8, 2026