It’s been 12 years today since the disappearance of two local boys. Their families continue to search for answers.
12-year-old Mark Degner and 13-year-old Bryan Hayes were last seen walking out of what was then Paxon Middle School in February of 2005, and haven’t been seen since. Friday, the families came together for a special balloon release for the two boys.
“It is very difficult, and it doesn’t get any easier. It’s the very same as the first day he went missing, because we have no answers,” said Darlene Briggs, Mark’s grandmother.
The family tells Action News Jax the boys both have medical conditions that required daily medications. “Our family changed forever that day Mark and Bryan walked out of that school,” says Angie Campbell, Mark’s aunt.
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They were last seen as boys, but are now missing as men. “The boys are grown up. They are no longer 12- and 13-years-old; they are 24, 25-years-old,” said Briggs. In 2010, photos were released showing what Mark and Bryan could look like now.
“We will not give up hope,” Campbell said.
The 12 balloons released Friday represent how many years the families have been pushing for answers, and holding onto hope.“We are going to keep on doing what we have to do until the day that they are there,” Campbell says
“One of these days, they are coming home, and we are getting reunited,” Briggs said.
JSO said it continues to receive tips. If you have any information, call (904)630-0500. There’s a $10,000 reward.
Cox Media Group
