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Man arrested in 1993 disappearance of 10-year-old boy in Prince George’s County
A man was arrested in connection with the 1993 disappearance of a 10-year-old boy in Prince George’s County.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. - A man has been charged with the murder of a 10-year-old boy who disappeared from his Prince George’s County neighborhood in 1993. The cold case went unsolved for more than 30 years.
What we know:
For three decades, "Junior" Burdynski’s family held onto hope that he could be alive. Now, they know with certainty that he is not.
On May 24, 1993, Burdynski left his Brentwood home on his bike to see a friend. He was never seen again.
Police searched from the air and water, put up posters and sent out dogs in the search for Burdynski.
"The Prince George’s County Police Department never closed the door on this case," said Chief George Nader.
Officials announced that 61-year-old Joseph Lynch was charged in connection with Burdynski’s murder.
During the initial investigation into the case, police discovered a local child sex ring in Burdynski’s neighborhood. They charged several adults in connection with the discovery, including Lynch. However, police were unable to connect Lynch to Burdynski’s disappearance.
"The circumstances around his disappearance remained unresolved for more than three decades," Nader said.
On Thursday, Nader said detectives interviewed everyone and learned about a new victim who is now a 46-year-old man. He told police that when he was 13, he and Burdynski were both abused by Lynch.
The man told police that he killed Burdynski during a session of forced abuse at Lynch’s hand. Lynch then disposed of Burdynski’s body.
Burdynski’s sister, Virginia, was only five years old when she last saw her brother. During Thursday’s news conference, she spoke directly to him.
"Junior, I’m so sorry for what happened to you," she said. "I'm so sorry for what you had to go through. We’ve held on to hope for 33 years; this is not what we prayed for. This is incredibly devastating….our hearts are shattered…we love you, Junior."
Burdynski’s body has not been found.
What's next:
It is unlikely that the man who admitted to killing Burdynski will face any charges, as he is believed to be a victim himself and was 13 at the time.
Chief Nader believes there are other victims that they still don’t know about. He encouraged any additional victims to come forward.
The Source: Information in this article is from Prince George's County police and the State's Attorney's Office.