CHILD from OREGON Spoke of a “TALL FRIEND in the WOODS” — A Month Later, He Vanished…

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The Disappearance of Ethan Hullbrook

On a sweltering day in August 1997, an eight-year-old boy named Ethan Hullbrook vanished without a trace in Douglas County, Oregon. His disappearance sparked one of the largest search operations in the region’s history, involving over 200 volunteers, police officers, helicopters, and service dogs, all scouring the dense forests of the Cascade Mountains. Yet, despite their efforts, Ethan was never found.

The search began on August 7th, a day that would forever haunt his family and the community. Before his disappearance, Ethan had been living with his mother, Deborah Hullbrook, who had moved to the small town of Roseberg after a difficult divorce. Seeking a fresh start, Deborah chose a house on the edge of the Jimqua National Forest, where she believed her son could play freely and safely.

Ethan was a shy, imaginative child with tousled red hair and freckles adorning his nose. Initially, the move was hard for him; he missed his friends and his father, whom he saw only once a month. However, things changed in mid-June when he began to explore the woods behind their home. He would return with flushed cheeks, excitedly sharing stories about a tall, faceless man he claimed was his friend. This mysterious figure, he said, showed him beautiful places in the forest.

Deborah felt a pang of fear at the thought of Ethan spending time with a stranger, but he seemed so happy. Their neighbor, Tom McKenzie, a retired ranger, reassured her that it was likely just an imaginary friend—a common occurrence for children, especially after a traumatic event like a divorce.

However, as summer progressed, Deborah’s concerns grew. She discovered Ethan’s sketchbook filled with drawings of the same tall figure, always faceless, with disproportionately long limbs. In one drawing, the figure held Ethan’s hand, leading him deeper into the woods. When Deborah confronted Ethan about it, he insisted that his friend was real and that he could see him despite the lack of a face. This unnerved Deborah, but she was also torn by her desire to support her son’s imagination.

She set boundaries, allowing Ethan to play in the woods but requiring him to return home every two hours. Tom McKenzie even tied bright orange ribbons to trees, marking the safe zone. For a while, this arrangement worked, but Ethan’s demeanor began to change. He grew increasingly withdrawn, his sketches filled with haunting images of the faceless figure.

On August 7th, the day of his disappearance, the weather was hot and humid. Deborah made Ethan breakfast and reminded him to stay close to home. After she left for work, Margaret McKenzie, their neighbor, saw Ethan leave the house around 9:30 a.m., waving goodbye as he disappeared into the trees. By noon, when he had not returned, Margaret grew concerned and called Deborah at the hospital.

Within hours, the search began. Officers from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department combed the area, calling Ethan’s name and searching for any sign of him. As time passed, it became clear that this was no ordinary case of a lost child. The missing minor protocol was activated, and by evening, 87 people were involved in the search.

The breakthrough came when search dogs picked up Ethan’s scent leading from the house into the forest. About a mile from home, near a massive oak tree, they found Ethan’s white Nike sneakers neatly placed side by side, as if he had taken them off before crossing a stream. This detail raised alarms; if he had been abducted, the shoes would not have been left behind so carefully.

As investigators examined the scene, they discovered children’s footprints leading from the sneakers into the woods. However, the trail abruptly ended, as if Ethan had vanished into thin air. The dogs lost his scent, and despite thorough searches, no trace of Ethan was found.

Amidst the chaos, a chilling discovery was made. High on the oak tree’s trunk, about 12 feet above the ground, was a drawing scratched into the bark—a tall, faceless figure with long arms, holding a small figure that resembled Ethan. The connection was undeniable. Deborah confirmed that the drawing was identical to those in Ethan’s sketchbook, and the realization sent a shiver down the spines of everyone present.

The search continued day and night, but as the days turned into weeks, hope dwindled. The FBI became involved, launching a thorough investigation, yet every lead turned cold. Ethan Hullbrook’s case became one of the many unsolved disappearances in America’s national forests, leaving a community in despair and a mother in anguish.

For Deborah, life became a nightmare. She could not return to the home that held so many memories of her son. Each tree, each rustle of leaves reminded her of Ethan and the joy he once brought into her life. A month after his disappearance, she moved back to Portland to live with her sister, clinging to the hope that Ethan was still alive.

Years passed, and Deborah dedicated her life to helping families of missing children, creating a fund in Ethan’s name. She organized memorial services every August 7th, bringing together parents, activists, and journalists to honor the memory of her son and others like him.

In 2012, a glimmer of hope emerged when a mushroom picker found a child’s backpack in the woods, about five miles from where Ethan disappeared. Inside were a half-full bottle of water and a sketchbook, confirmed to belong to Ethan. Although the pages were damaged, several drawings depicting the same faceless figure were restored. The last drawing, dated August 7th, showed a small figure beside the tall one, walking into an empty void.

This discovery reignited searches in the area, but once again, no traces of Ethan were found. The mystery deepened—how could a young boy have traversed such rough terrain barefoot, and why had he abandoned his backpack?

Ethan Hullbrook’s story became a haunting legend in Douglas County, a tale of loss, hope, and the inexplicable. The tall, faceless figure remained a chilling symbol of the unknown, a reminder of a boy who vanished in the woods, leaving behind unanswered questions and a grieving mother who would never forget.

Deborah Hullbrook passed away in 2020, yet her love for her son endured. In her will, she requested that her ashes be scattered near the oak tree where Ethan’s sneakers were found, forever connecting her to the place that held both her greatest joy and her deepest sorrow. The mystery of Ethan Hullbrook’s disappearance remains unsolved, a tragic reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring power of a mother’s love.