New Person of Interest Identified in 40-Year-Old Cold Case of Missing 8-Year-Old Girl

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Christy Luna went missing in 1984 at the age of 8 in Greenacres, Florida, after going to a local store to buy cat food. Authorities have followed multiple leads over the decades but no one has been charged in connection with her disappearance. On Wednesday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office announced they are looking into a new person of interest - Warren Gilbert Williams Jr., a convicted child sex offender who died in 2016. Investigators say they received an anonymous tip that Williams was remodeling a home near the store Christy visited and left to buy cigarettes the day she went missing, and that he had a "peculiar past of sexual activity with children."

Why it matters

The disappearance of Christy Luna has remained an open and active cold case for over 40 years. The identification of a new potential suspect, even decades later, offers renewed hope that authorities may be able to finally solve this long-standing mystery and provide closure for Christy's family. The case also highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in investigating cold cases and the importance of the public coming forward with any information, no matter how small or how long ago.

The details

Authorities say they received an anonymous tip last year that Warren Gilbert Williams Jr., a convicted child sex offender who died in 2016, was remodeling a home near the general store Christy Luna visited on the day she went missing in 1984. Investigators learned that Williams left the home to go buy cigarettes at the store and never returned. Williams had a history of sexual crimes against children, including convictions for sexual battery on a child under 12 and lewd and lascivious molestation. He served prison time in Florida from 2007 to 2013 and then went to prison in Alabama for sexual abuse of a child. Detectives also discovered that Williams installed a concrete pad in his backyard a week after Christy's disappearance. Authorities excavated the property last month but found nothing.

• Christy Luna went missing on May 27, 1984.
• Warren Gilbert Williams Jr. was 46 years old at the time Christy disappeared.
• Williams died in prison in 2016.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Authorities are urging anyone with information about Warren Gilbert Williams Jr. or the disappearance of Christy Luna to come forward, even after all these years. They are hoping that new leads or witnesses may help them finally solve this long-standing cold case.