In the majority of missing persons cases, the person is found safe and unharmed within 24 hours. But 35-year-old David Boykin is in the minority.

The mystery began when the Washington state native headed to Bakersfield abruptly in the Spring of 2017, without telling his family.

Though Boykin was a grown man, his sudden move was terrifying. He’d spent his childhood and adolescence in special education. As an adult, psychologists found he has an IQ of 55, categorizing him as “intellectually challenged.”

His family believes Facebook friends encouraged the move, but his family worried about his decision.

His mother Mary Diane Boykin says her son has the mental capacity of a child about nine years old. Additionally, he relies on medical injections every couple of weeks. Without that treatment, he would not be able to walk.

“He will try to blend in with everybody and say okay to everything,” she said. “He will stand up and say ‘yes, yes’ and give you whatever you want him to do. He will do it. Because David wants friends.”

Concerned, but eager to support their son’s attempt to live a normal adult life, his family found him an apartment and roommate in Southwest Bakersfield.

As summer came to a close, his family got a call that changed their lives forever.

On August 1st of 2017, David and his belongings were gone.

In the nearly two years since that call, Boykin’s prescriptions have not been filled and his monthly social security check deposits have not been withdrawn from his bank account. He has also not logged into his Facebook account.

Another somber clue: Boykin didn’t call his sister at 12:01 a.m. on her birthday to be the first to wish her happy birthday. Until now, it was a yearly tradition.

But with no concrete evidence of foul play, family felt there wasn’t much of an investigation being done by law enforcement.

A couple months after the disappearance, they hired a Bakersfield private investigator Mitch Rolland, who unearthed a troubling tale.

“I was able to talk with some people David had communicated with in the last few days that anybody had heard from him, “ Rolland said. “He had indicated that he was being pursued by some people who believe that he stole money from them and that they had guns and he felt his life was in danger.”

Just when the family was beginning to accept that they may never see Boykin again, things took an unexpected turn.

Mary Boykin got a call from the Stockton police department saying a 36 year old man named David Boykin was wanted on an October 2018 domestic violence charge.

Both family and their private investigator were suspicious.

“It’s not my son to hurt somebody,” said Mary Boykin. “They’re saying this is domestic violence…my David would not do that. My David, I don’t think could be in a relationship.”

Convinced law enforcement was mistaken, she pushed for further investigation.

Bakersfield police reviewed the Stockton officer’s body camera footage and her instinct was correct.

This David Boykin was not her son. In fact, a search confirms there are two other 36-year-old men in California alone who share the name.

“The whole system has failed my son,” she claims. “Learning disabilities and all, everybody’s failed my son, including myself.”

The investigation has returned to square one with one major exception: BPD agrees he disappeared under suspicious circumstances.

Rolland fears David met someone who took advantage of him, and may have hurt him.

“David doesn’t have the mental capacity of someone of his psychological age, so he’s susceptible of falling into the wrong group of people,” Rolland said.

David’s family says the passage of time is only increasing their grief.

“I can drive down the street and I think it’s my son, and it’s not,” Mary said.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of David Boykin, you are asked to please call Bakersfield Police at (661)-327-7111.

You can also remain anonymous by calling Secret Witness at (661)-322-4040.