Daniel James Klein

Daniel, circa 1951

  • Missing Since 11/10/1951
  • Missing From Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Classification Lost/Injured Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Age 4 years old
  • Height and Weight 2'11, 35 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A red snowsuit, blue overalls, a blue shirt, brown rubber boots, a brown plaid woolen cap and brown or red mittens.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Daniel has a scar near his eyebrow and a scar in the center of his forehead.

Details of Disappearance

Daniel and his brothers, David and Kenneth, disappeared together from Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 10, 1951. The boys left their home in the 2900 block of Colfax Avenue north at 1:30 p.m. to go to Fairview Park at Lyndale and 29th Street, four blocks away. They were never heard from again.

Investigators believe it's likely the Klein brothers drowned in the Mississippi River. The river runs near Fairview Park, and a tracking dog traced their scent to the riverbank, where it lost the trail.

Searchers found two of the children's caps in the river near the dam, and two Roman Catholic catechisms belonging to the boys were found on a brush pile near the riverbank. However, an extensive search of the river turned up no other sign of them or their remains.

The search was called off on November 16, and none of the brothers were ever found. The Klein children's parents continued to hope they were alive, and up until the 1990s they advertised in the newspaper asking for any information leading to their whereabouts.

Daniel, David and Kenneth left behind one older brother, and their parents had four more sons in the years after they disappeared. Their cases remain unsolved.

Investigating Agency

  • Minneapolis Police Department 612-673-2853

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated March 21, 2017; casefile added.