That reminded me somewhat of a case in Scotland from 1988. I first read about it in the excellent book "
Scotland's Unsolved Mysteries of the Twentieth Century"
Five year old Stephen McKerron disappeared from a holiday park in Ayr; launching Scotland's biggest ever hunt for a missing child. He was later found in the hills six miles from the holiday camp (and just outside the search area that the police had established). He had apparently died of exposure.
The police conclusion was that he had simply wandered off and later died due to the cold.
However, some doubts remain as to whether he could have travelled all that distance on his own.
The farmer, on whose land his body was found, said "I was very surprised that he got half that distance in the countryside. The hills, the woods, marshland, fences, drops into gullies and what have you.. I don't know how he did it."
Stephen's father pointed out that his son's socks were found in his pockets but with his shoes on his feet; and Stephen was to young to have learned how to tie his laces. Also, a barmaid at the camp said she saw Stephen fighting to escape a "scruffy looking man" who carried him out of one of the buildings of the camp. Another witness, a motorist, claimed to have seen a man wearing a waxed jacket leading a boy by the hand into the Garrick Hills, where Stephen's body was later found.
Hamilton Historian page about the tragedy
A
blog post about the case
