6 year old Adji Desir was last seen in Immokalee, Florida on January 10, 2009. He disappeared after going outside to play with friends that afternoon.
Background
Adji Desir was born on October 15, 2002. He is mentally disabled, mostly non-verbal, and functions at the level of a two year old. He understands Haitian Creole, but cannot speak it.
Adji will shake his head to indicate yes or no, and can only speak a few words in English. Due to his disability he may be unable to ask for help.
At the time of his disappearance, Adji lived with his mother, Marie Neida, and stepfather, Antal Elant.
His mother, who works as a nurse, moved to the United States from Haiti in 2001, and became pregnant with Adji during a three month trip back to Haiti. His biological father, Yves Desir, still lives in Haiti.
After Adji’s disappearance, his mother and stepfather had a baby girl whom they named Adjiani in honor of her missing brother.
Disappearance
On January 10, 2009, Adji Desir spent most of the day at his grandmother’s house while his mother was at work. His grandmother lived at Farm Workers Village in the 800 block of Grace Street in Immokalee, Florida.
He ate lunch with his grandmother, and was in and out of the house that afternoon, playing with neighborhood friends.
When his stepfather arrived to pick him around 5:00 pm, they realized he was missing. After searching unsuccessfully for two hours they called the police to report him missing at 7:00 pm.
His mother Maria Nedia said it was not like Adji to wander far from home, leading her to believe it’s possible someone took him. “God will give him back to me. I think he will come home,” she said.
Investigation
An extensive search of the area where Adji disappeared from was conducted, but turned up no further clues as to his whereabouts.
Over the years since he went missing more than 1,300 law enforcement agencies, including 700 CCSO deputies, have been deployed throughout Florida to search for Adji.
Police investigated Adji’s biological father, thinking perhaps he had taken him back to Haiti, but found no evidence to support that theory.
Shortly after his disappearance authorities announced that Adji’s family members had been cleared as suspects in his disappearance.
Authorities believe Adji either wandered away or was kidnapped by a non-relative.
In 2023, police received a tip that Adji was possibly in midland Texas, however that claim turned out to be negative.
Twenty-five hundred tips have been investigated and completed, but none have led to his location.
Appearance
Black male born on October 15, 2002. Adji has black hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance he stood 3’0 tall and weighed 45 pounds.
Clothing & Accessories:
Adji was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt with thin yellow stripes, blue shorts with pink flamingos down the sides, and two-tone blue sneakers.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Adji Desir please contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at (239) 793-9300.
