The 1966 Cold Case: How a Library Renovation Solved a Boy’s Disappearance

Justice came too late for the perpetrator. Records showed that Arthur Sterling had died in a state mental hospital in the late 1970s. The case was officially closed due to the death of the suspect. The current school board issued a public apology to the community, and a memorial plaque was commissioned for the school's lobby.

In the fall of 2016, Oak Creek finally said goodbye to Billy Thompson. Under a steady rain, a small casket was laid to rest in the family plot, right next to Eleanor and Frank, who had spent their lives searching for him. The ceremony was attended by aging classmates, local residents, and a distant cousin who spoke of how Billy had dreamed of building things that would last.