Diamond Bynum is a “bubbly” young woman who likes to joke around with her family. Described as a "caring person" by her family members, Diamond Bynum has a genetic condition, Prader-Willi syndrome. The symptoms of her condition include mental disability, the constant feeling of hunger, and short stature. Diamond, who has the mental capacity of a five-to-seven-year-old child, has difficulty communicating with others. Despite this Diamond likes helping her mother with chores around the house and she enjoys getting her hair and nails done.
In 2015, 21-year-old Diamond Bynum and her family had recently moved from Hammond, Indiana to Gary, Indiana. Diamond lived at 529 Matthews Street with her father, Eugene Bynum Jr., and stepmother, Susanne. She had a nephew, 2-year-old King Walker, who lived with his mother Ariana Walker. King would visit his grandparents and aunt on the weekends while Ariana commuted to Chicago, Illinois, to attend beautician classes, reports Dateline.
On July 25, 2015, Diamond and King were at home with her step-mother, Susane. Susane told authorities she took a nap between 9:00 am and 10:00 am. When she awoke at 11:00 am, both Diamond and King were gone, reports Namus.
When the family lived in Gary, Indiana, Diamond would take walks and explore their neighborhood. She was familiar with the area, and the neighbors were familiar with her, aware of her condition, reports Dateline. Her family believes Diamond may have taken King for a walk in the new, unfamiliar neighborhood and became lost.
"I'm still hopeful that my son is coming back so it's kind of hard to move forward in my life," Ariana Walker, King Walker's mother told ABC 7.
After the disappearance of Diamond and King, hundreds of volunteers searched the city and posted flyers. They were unable to locate Diamond and King.
“It’s like they vanished from the face of the Earth,” La Shann Walker told the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Capital Gazette reported that on July 31, 2015, Diamond and King may have been seen at a bus stop in Hammond, Indiana. Lt. Richard Hoyda said Diamond may have been asking people for food and someone at the bus stop possibly gave her $50, reports the Capital Gazette. Diamond's father, Eugene Bynum, according to the Capital Gazette, was not told about the sighting by authorities. The Capital Gazette reports Eugene found out about the possible sighting during a news report. Eugene is frustrated with the lack of FBI support and wants the bureau to take over the investigation, reports Dateline.
“If they had taken this seriously from our first call, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now, because Diamond and King would be home and safe,” Eugene told Dateline. “If the FBI can’t take over, we would like to know exactly why they don’t fit the criteria.”
Ariana and King's father, Joshua Williams, told the Chicago Sun-Times their phone calls to investigators go unanswered or unreturned. The parents said the police failed to give them a police report critical to the case, something they want to conduct their independent investigation with a private investigator.
“I don’t feel like they’ve been helpful at all during the whole process,” Ariana Walker told the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s kind of been like they’ve been fighting us every step of the way.”
"I really think they dropped the ball from the beginning, and that’s why they’re pushing to like not release the original police report,” Joshua Williams told the Chicago Sun-Times.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, LaShann Walker, Diamond's mother, provided the news outlet with information on the search dogs. She said the search dogs lost the scent of Diamond and King at a Go Lo Gas station in Gary, Indiana. The surveillance footage was reviewed by investigators but did not show Diamond or King and was later deleted. The Chicago Sun-Times reports LaShann said their scents were also picked up at a vacant home.
“They failed Diamond and King very badly,” LaShann told the Chicago Sun-Times. “And I just don’t know where to pick up the pieces.”
"If he's out here watching the TV screen, this is your dad talking to you. I love you," said Joshua Williams, King's father, reports ABC 7.
Almost eight years later and their family and authorities still have no idea what happened to Diamond and King.
Diamond Bynum is 4'10 and weighed 210-238 pounds when she vanished. King Walker was 3'0" and weighed 34 pounds when he vanished. If you have any information, please contact the Gary Police Department at 219-881-1260.
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