EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — More than five decades after 20-month-old Joseph Hurtado disappeared from an El Paso home, authorities and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children are renewing their call for information.
NCMEC released a new age-progressed image showing what Joseph may look like today at age 53.
The image was created by NCMEC forensic artists as investigators seek new leads in the decades-old case.
Joseph was last seen Sept. 9, 1974, while playing outside his grandmother’s home near the 800 block of Elmwood Court in El Paso.
His mother was washing the family car in the driveway when she noticed Joseph was no longer outside, according to NCMEC.
She initially believed he had gone inside, but the family soon realized he was missing and contacted the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities searched the neighborhood and the nearby Rio Grande, but Joseph was never found.
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Joseph’s younger sister, Marie, who was born years after his disappearance, said the family has never stopped searching for answers.
Our family has spent years searching for answers, but we have never lost hope,” Marie said. “We love and miss our brother more than words can express, and we will continue searching for him for as long as it takes.
Investigators said Joseph had club feet and was wearing brown orthopedic shoes when he disappeared. He also had a birthmark near his right kidney. Authorities said that without treatment for his club feet, he would have severely pigeon-toed feet.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and NCMEC are asking anyone who knew Joseph or his family, lived or worked in the area, or remembers anything connected to his disappearance to contact investigators.
Anyone with information can call the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office at (915) 538-2217 or NCMEC’s hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST, or 1-800-843-5678.
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