Jaliek Rainwalker

* Living photo
* Age progressed

**Jaliek L. Rainwalker**, also known as "**Jay**," was a boy who disappeared in 2007. He left a note suggesting he left on his own accord, yet police now suspect foul play in his disappearance. His adoptive parents have not been ruled out as persons of interest. His latest age progression depicts him at 14.

## Background

Jaliek Rainwalker was exposed to crack cocaine and alcohol in utero. He spent his early childhood in six different foster homes. However, by 2007, he had been living with his adoptive parents, Steven Burrell Kerr and Jocelyn A. McDonald, for five years. Kerr and McDonald claim Jaliek sometimes had violent meltdowns which caused his four siblings to be afraid of him.

A former foster family of Jaliek described him as an intelligent but troubled child. They had cared for him for four years and confirmed that he had violent outbursts. They had backed out of plans to adopt him after he attacked their daughter, which is when he started staying with Kerr and McDonald.

Jaliek’s eventual adoptive family lived a very unconventional lifestyle, which they said was because it was better for the environment. Their home had no running water, a generator as it’s only source of electricity, outhouse toilets, and everyone slept in the same room.

Jaliek’s adoptive maternal grandmother, Barbra Reeley, stated that Steven Kerr had anger management issues and was sometimes aggressive towards his children. She claims to have witnessed one incident where Kerr dragged Jaliek outside and repeatedly dunked him in a nearby creek after he became angry with him. Reeley says that McDonald made Kerr write an apology letter to Jaliek for this and made him do Jaliek’s chores for a month as punishment.

According to Kerr and McDonald, Jaliek was both suicidal and homicidal at the time of his disappearance. However, he was not receiving any therapy for his mental health and was not on any medication to help control his condition. On October 23, Kerr called a crisis hotline, saying his son was unmanageable and had threatened a student at his homeschool group. Kerr and McDonald wanted to reverse the adoption but were told this was not possible.

Jaliek was sent to live with Elaine and Tom Person, who had provided respite care for him in the past. He was returned to his adoptive parents on November 1, and they were planning on sending him to another respite provider the next day, but he disappeared that night.

## Case

Jaliek was last seen at the home of his adoptive paternal grandparents the night on November 1, 2007. Him and his adoptive father, Steven Kerr, were the only people home.

Rainwalker was reported missing at 8:47 a.m. the next morning. He left behind a note stating “Dear everybody, I'm sorry for everything. I won't be a bother anymore. Goodbye, Jaliek.” Because of this, it was initially believed he had run away. However, police soon announced they believed he had met with foul play, although the possibility that he ran away or died by suicide could not be ruled out.

Elaine and Tom Person have stated the note Jaliek left was not a farewell message but rather an apology note his father made him write for homework. Tom claims to have seen Jaliek writing it. The Persons, along with several of Jaliek’s former foster parents, and his adoptive maternal grandparents, have created a website to publicize Jaliek’s disappearance. Elaine said she believes Kerr was responsible for his disappearance and that he may have harmed Jaliek.

Kerr has been considered a person of interest in the case since January 2008. Video footage shows him driving around the neighborhood at a time he claims to have been asleep. Cell phone records also contradict his story. In February 2008, police searched the home Jaliek vanished from and seized a computer. Kerr and McDonald later sued the police department, on the grounds that the search was improper and they had been illegally detained.

Barbra Reeley, Jaliek’s adoptive maternal grandmother, filed for custody of him after he disappeared, but was denied. She was arrested for burglarizing Kerr and McDonald’s home in July 2008. She allegedly saw some clothing which prompted police to seize it for testing. Reeley has stated this clothing was the yellow fleece pullover Jaliek was said to have been wearing when he vanished.

Kerr and McDonald maintain their innocence and have said they believe Jaliek ran away, possibly to live with a Black family, as Jaliek had always identified with that part of his ethnicity and supposedly wanted to live with other African-Americans.

In 2017 skull fragments, initially stated to be of a preteen male, were discovered along the Hudson River, along with some clothing. It was suspected that the skull might belong to Rainwalker, however further testing indicated that the skull actually belonged to an adult man, thereby excluding Jaliek.

No one has ever been charged in his disappearance and, despite the fact that investigators suspect foul play, his body has never been found.

## Characteristics

* Curly, light brown two-inch afro with blond highlights.
* Green eyes.
* Moles on his back.
* Rhotacism, which affected his pronunciation of the letter "r."
* Reactive attachment disorder.

## Clothing

* Yellow pullover made of fleece.
* Gray t-shirt with a dragon graphic.
* Blue jeans.
* Black shoes.

## Sources

* Jaliek Rainwalker at the *Charley Project*
* Jaliek Rainwalker at *NamUs*
* Jaliek Rainwalker at *NCMEC*
* FBI
* *Times Union*