A teenager mysteriously disappeared in 1973, resulting in one of the longest unsolved missing persons cases in Texas.
On Tuesday (January 6), the Dallas Police Department (DPD) announced that the mystery of Norman Prater’s vanishing had finally been solved.
DPD detective Ryan Dalby found new evidence related to the incident, linking it with another unsolved case of an unidentified hit-and-run victim from 1973.
After further investigation, the detective finally discovered a link between the two, closing the file on the 52-year-old disappearance.
Norman Prater mysteriously vanished in Texas almost 52 years ago
On January 14, 1973, 16-year-old Norman Prater was reported missing by his family. According to authorities, he was last seen walking with his friends in East Dallas but had failed to make it home.
The DPD launched an investigation, but the case soon ran cold.
A few months later, in July, a seemingly unrelated tragedy took place on Highway 35 in Rock Port, Texas, roughly 386 miles away from Dallas. An unidentified white male was found deceased in a hit-and-run case.
Despite extensive efforts by Aransas County authorities and local news outlets, the individual’s identity remained a mystery.
However, DPD detective Ryan Dalby reexamined both cases and established a link after receiving a new photo of the hit-and-run victim.
In December 2025, the Aransas County Medical Examiner’s Office found the deceased person’s picture, which eventually made it to Dalby’s desk. He then worked with a Texas Rangers’ forensic analyst to determine that the photo was of Norman.
The Texas detective’s breakthrough helped solve Norman Prater’s disappearance
In a conversation with NBC 5 DFW, Dalby explained that the forensic analyst examined the facial reference points from both cases and believed that there was a high probability of the unidentified victim being the missing Norman.
Based on his findings, Dalby was able to contact Norman’s brother, Isaac Prater, who lives in Lewisville, Texas, and was crucial in identifying the victim.
Despite newspaper reports and public appeals to aid the investigation, Norman’s family was mostly unaware of the hit-and-run incident.
Dalby revealed that Isaac had been waiting for an update about his brother’s disappearance for over five decades.
“He goes, ‘I’ve waited 52 years for this phone call. Please tell me that you have something,’” the detective recounted.
Isaac was shown an image of his brother obtained through facial recognition software. The scars on the victim’s lip and eyebrow helped him identify the person as Norman.
“I showed him the recognition software that they used, and he just looked at me, and he goes, ‘You can close the case, that’s my brother, case is done,’” Dalby said.
Texas has one of the highest numbers of unsolved missing persons cases
The nearly 52-year-old case of Norman’s disappearance was finally closed this week, but the hit-and-run investigation remains active.
The police were also unsure of how Norman had reached South Texas, where his body was ultimately found, but he is believed to have hitchhiked.
“This resolution stands as a testament to the Dallas Police Department’s commitment to the cases we pursue and the families we serve, no matter how much time has passed,” Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said in a statement.
Despite the police’s best efforts, Texas remains among USA states with the largest number of missing persons cases.
According to a January 2025 report from the National Institute of Justice, Texas had 2,735 cases recorded in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS), the second highest for any state.
Among the top ten cities with the most unresolved missing person cases, Houston ranked first with 442 reports, and Dallas was third with 413 incidents. McAllen was placed sixth with 203 cases, making Texas the only state to have three cities in the top ten.
“Still lots of unanswered questions.” Netizens had mixed reactions to Norman Prater’s case being solved
