Crime & Safety

Unsolved Cases: William Majewski

The 8-year-old boy disappeared from near his McKees Rocks home in 1991.

Willie Majewski was only 8 years old about 4 p.m. on Nov. 9, 1991 as he gathered his fishing gear and walked toward Chartiers Creek, which feeds into the nearby Ohio River.

He wasn't reported missing for several hours after he disappeared. His mother was out playing bingo and didn't realize he hadn't come home.

Willie's fishing gear was found later behind the Eat'n Park restaurant—along the banks of the creek, about 100 yards from a camp where homeless people stayed. His equipment had not been disturbed and there were no signs of a struggle at the scene.

Find out what's happening in Plum-Oakmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Witnesses reported seeing Majewski in the McKees Rocks Plaza. One person saw him talking to a scruffy man in a store. Another said an unkempt man pulled him into a burnt-orange Nova. The man and the car were never found.

Divers and dogs conducted an extensive search of the area surrounding the creek. The search dogs reacted to a few scents, but no other clues were found. Authorities say the chances that Willie drowned or died in an accident is slim as no body was ever found.

Find out what's happening in Plum-Oakmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There have been reports that link Willie's disappearance to a homeless man, Joseph Cornelius, who was arrested in late 2000 for the murder of Scott Drake, an 11 year old whose body was found on a grassy area near an underpass just off East Ohio Street on Pittsburgh's North Side. Cornelius reportedly confessed to killing Scott after telling authorities the boy stole his radio. But the connection has never been proven.

Willie was born on April 25, 1983. He was 8 years old when he disappeared. Police describe him as a white male; 4 feet, 1 inch tall; 50 pounds; with sandy hair, blue eyes and gaps between his teeth. He was last seen wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt, gray pants and black tennis shoes.

Anyone with information concerning Willie's whereabouts are asked to contact McKees Rocks Police Department's Missing Persons Unit at 412-331-2300. You can remain anonymous.

Editor's note: This story has been revised since first published.

For more information about this and other missing person cases, visit Pennsylvania Missing PersonsNamUs or the Doe Network.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.