Michael Duane Burnett, age 14, disappeared from Oroville, California on March 17, 1971.
He left his home on Claremont Drive on the morning of his disappearance, to walk to Central Middle School, but he never arrived. The school was just over a mile away from his home.
He’d reportedly had a disagreement with his mother prior to leaving the house, so she initially considered that he might have run away, possibly to his father’s home in Washington. His father had not heard from him though.
Police learned that Mike had been assaulted by some boys from another school a few days prior to his disappearance. This resulted in injuries severe enough that he was sent home from school. It’s unknown whether these boys might have had anything to do with his disappearance. I haven’t been able to find any indication of whether they targeted Michael specifically, or if it was a random attack. It sounds as though it occurred on the grounds of his school (or possibly on his way to school), since there are references to him being sent home.
There are also three friends or classmates of Michael’s, who police believe may have some information about his disappearance. Their names are Carl Laney, Ricky Brown, and Mitch Brown. It is not known if Ricky and Mitch are related, and thus far law enforcement has been unable to locate any of the three. This plea was published in 2007. It seems there was a brief interest on the part of the media that year, as there were a few articles that year. I’ve seen nothing before or after. I did attempt to contact the detective, to verify whether these three men are still being sought, but got no response.
It’s worth noting that Michael was 5’9″ and 160 pounds at the time of his disappearance, which suggests he would not have been an easy target for a stranger abduction. Michael is not believed to have left of his own accord, but it’s unclear what happened to him.
If you know the whereabouts of Carl Laney, Ricky Brown or Mitch Brown, who were in Oroville at the time, please contact Detective Dan Angel at Butte County Sheriff’s Office. These men are not suspects, just people police believe may recall details that could be helpful.
His parents are both deceased, but he has four sisters who continue to seek answers.
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