LIVONIA, Mich. – A man believes he could be the answer to a missing person case that has gripped Metro Detroit for 25 years: What happened to D’Wan Sims?
D’Wan Sims was 4 years old when he went missing on Dec. 11, 1994. Since then, police have questioned what happened that day. His mother said he simply disappeared from the Wonderland Mall in Livonia while shopping with her.
Livonia police Captain Ron Taig was assigned to the case in 1994 and said he has always had his doubts about that theory.
“I was here at the department and we looked at all of the video, we checked everything, and we never saw D’wan with Ms. Sims,” Taig said.
Now, more than two decades later, a man walked into the police station and said he believed he could be D’Wan Sims.
“I think we’re all shocked, absolutely,” Taig said.
Police said they first heard about the man’s theory after he posted his belief about his identity on Facebook. He also shared concerns about what his parents told him about his childhood.
“I guess what’s odd is that he claimed that he didn’t want any of this information out in the media and from what I understand he has put this out on social media,” said Taig.
Police took his DNA and are working to learn if he’s a match to D’Wan’s family.
Sources told Local 4 that this would be standard procedure in any high-profile case.
“We are going to reach out, obviously, to the family and provide his information, to see if they want to contact him,” said Taig.
Sources told Local 4 that the man reached out to D’wan’s mother on Facebook and she blocked him.