Jaliek had a difficult past. Born addicted to crack cocaine, he’d been in six foster homes before being adopted. He had severe behavioral problems, including violent outbursts, and his former foster parents confirmed this. Even his adoptive siblings were afraid of him. Although intelligent, he was described as a troubled child.

The Kerr family lived a self-sufficient lifestyle with no running water, outhouses, and generator-powered electricity. They moved to Vermont the following year.

Before his disappearance, Jaliek’s behavior had worsened. His adoptive father had contacted a crisis hotline, expressing his inability to manage Jaliek and the family’s desire to reverse the adoption. Jaliek was temporarily placed in respite care but returned to the Kerrs before disappearing.

Police investigated, but found no trace of Jaliek. While runaway and suicide remain possibilities, foul play is suspected, due to the difficulty of a 12-year-old surviving alone. Kerr refused a lie detector test, while his wife, Jocelyn McDonald, took one.

The goodbye note is questioned; Jaliek’s respite care providers believe it was actually homework assigned by Kerr. The adoptive grandmother, Barbara Reeley, has been vocal in the search for Jaliek but has also been implicated in a separate crime—burglarizing the Kerr home. She claims she saw Jaliek’s yellow fleece jacket there. She also alleges that Kerr had anger management problems and was physically abusive to Jaliek.

Police considered Kerr a person of interest, noting inconsistencies in his statements and surveillance footage. Despite the investigation, Jaliek remains missing, and no one has been charged. Authorities believe he might be in Albany or Altamont, New York.