Unfortunately I think it was because it was a different time back then. Stranger danger wasn’t really a big thing as far as I know and police would be highly likely to believe that kids who disappeared were runaways.
@@mirandagoldstine8548Police may not have taken cases seriously, but stranger danger absolutely was a thing back then, especially due to Satanic Panic.
Right? I thought minors legally have to be under the care of an adult. So, if they are an actual runaway, it's ok to just let a child live on their own if the police don't feel like searching? Insane.
I think it would be absurd for this to not be a big fear for a parent. I don't have kids, but the idea of one of my siblings, at any age, disappearing is terrifying. Any normal person would be terrified
The amount of missing children’s cases that were labeled as runaways back then astounds me. Where/how would an eleven year old be able to go on their own? They were either kidnapped or murdered in most cases. I’d consider as a suspect any local teen slightly older than him that came from a sketchy family, or has since then had a violent history.
That's not accurate. Over 98% of the time, they did run away. Abduction is extremely rare. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done.
I'm the same age as this missing person would be, and it astounds me too. I even had a friend who was being abused when we were kids, and she threatened to "run away" all the time. Yet, when she actually did, she did so by calling a relative (her uncle) to come get her. She didn't just run off into the night with no word to anyone. 11-year-olds don't just take off on their own without a trace.
As a runaway myself (at age 5), the police told me parents that 80% of cases of missing children are runaways who are united again with their family within 24 hours. Hence why the police do not take it seriously and they focus resources on other things, it is actually pretty rare that the kids are kidnapped (in terms of per capita)
It was clearly foul play and not a runaway case. It’s possible if he was abducted that the perpetrator got info about the grandmother living in Washington from Shawn; and then got someone to make the phone call to the school. Very sad case.
I saw a commenter who lived near Chino and said that the area is known for trafficking. If there is a big human trafficking ring there then some of the higher ups in the police force could be in on it. A common thing.
I think a tragic accident occurred when he was off playing with the pizza owner's son and then someone from the family tried calling the school posing as the grandmother to potentially delay an investigation. It's very suspicious how they quickly closed up shop and returned to their home country so soon after this occurred.
@Youser999 The whole close down of the pizza shop and departure of the owner and his family sounds incredibly suspicious to me as well. Something's rotten in the state of Denmark and it ain't the havarti cheese. [apologies to William Shakespeare] Bless Shawn wherever he is as well as his family, especially regarding what they went and are still going through. Not knowing is a throbbing pain, however dull it may become over the years, that will never go away.
I live an hour or so from Upland. Shawn was definitely not a runaway. Eleven years old! The police should have jumped on searching for the boy straightaway. I feel deeply for Shawn’s mother. Thank you DC for this episode.
Who was that guy that Shawn left the casino with and who was that woman on the phone pretending to be his grandmother where these people identified at all I think it would be vital to the case if they were
Agreed. I have a funny feeling the woman on the phone might have been an acquaintance of the family. She did know about Shawn’s grandma having formerly lived in Washington State, something I think that would only be known to those connected to the Betz family. However who she was remains a mystery. Unless we have a list of all friends and acquaintances of the Betz family determining who the mysterious caller was will be a near impossible task. Couple that with how faulty memory can be at times and we would be left with very few clues.
It sounds like he was sold into human trafficking. It was an organized effort involving an adolescent male acquaintance and an older woman whose voice could pass for a grandmother's.
We have 12 missing kids in the last one month in my area and the cops say they are just runways teens. I guess it’s just less paperwork for them if they labelled them as runaways. It’s heartbreaking.
This sounds unbelievable and is also not accurate. Unless there is evidence to show that the child was kidnapped or murdered, they are filed as runaways. 98% of the time, they ARE run aways.
@@VioletJoyNot unbelievable at all since you have no idea where they even live. Also cops don't care, they exist to protect order and the interests of rich people, not to help the common folk.
My money is on the pizza shop family being involved, doesn't seem a coincidence to close down the business and leave the country after the kid goes missing.
That is a sad story. I grew up in Chino and my husband‘s family was from Upland. They’re beautiful communities, but trafficking is common over there. Anything could’ve happened in that little boy.
Sounds likely he could have ended up trafficked. The video doesn't mention what the official story of the pizza shop owner was as far as when/how Shawn left that night. He could have been abducted while walking home. A truly horrific fate to end up as a sex slave. 😢
Ya that is so sad. To me is suspicious that the pizza owners suddenly left. I wonder if they were scared of retaliation because they’re from a different country
So so sad. 3 years older than my daughter. I can't imagine not seeing my child for 36yrs and not being able to do anything about it. That pizza fam is awfully suspicious! That's the kid he was with and where he was before he just wandered home. Why didn't they make sure he got there? No. Definitely something wrong there imho. I hope they give that Mom what she needs soon. Thank you DC🙏🏼🕊️💔
@@no_peacePolice followed proper protocol. I'm confused why people think that because the child was listed as a runaway, that means police don't care. That's a very popular misunderstanding. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also listed on their website.
Why did they not check the telephone numbers that called the school? It was 1988 and they had the technology to track phone calls. This was such a tremendous tragedy and utter incompetence of the Upland PD and the fact that they wasted FOUR months was criminal!!! I am heartbroken for Shawn’s family especially his mother as she has lost her son and her husband and it taking the responsibility all on her own. I wish someone in the media would feature his disappearance to get it out into the mainstream media. Poor Shawn and his family 💔
They didn't simply wait 4 months. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done.
What is evidence of a kidnapping? The very fact that the boy was missing is the ultimate evidence of a kidnapping or abduction. You keep saying the cops were correct for filing this as a run away case, but as they say, "absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence." In other words, there's no evidence that he was kidnapped, but there's no evidence that he wasn't kidnapped, or more properly stated, there's no evidence that he wasn't abducted. The very fact that his parents were telling the police that their son wouldn't run away should've been all the proof they needed to launch an investigation. And yes, they did wait 4 months.
Sounds like somebody’s son or grandson harmed Sean, and his mother/grandmother called the cops with that fake story to give her kid time to dump the body.
I feel bad for Shawn , I was tied up and beat as a child , touched on and forced to say I like it , slapped and kicked , I’m glad I never ran away tho cuz whatever I would’ve ran into in the dark cold world would’ve been wayyy worse
Though I sometimes criticize my parents for past events, I am grateful that they were the type to NEVER let an 11 year old me go to a basketball game with another kid in another town. Errors in judgment can be carved into your soul forever.
That was a very different time. People didn't view it as a mistake to let a kid go to a game with other kids. Believe it or not, we're safer now than we've ever been. It was more dangerous then, we just didn't know it. Also, I really wouldn't call 8 miles away far away.
Was normal for the times, plus if you listen, they didn't go to the other town, they went locally and found out the game wasn't there and they returned to pizza place
Both Sean & his friend didn't even realize that it was an "away" game until they arrived at the school and found out. They didn't even *TRY to go. Instead, they just went back to the pizza shop to hang out and play some more video games. His Mom did not give him her permission to go to an away game, as neither she nor her Son knew that it *WAS an away game. She gave him her permission to go to the game with his friend thinking that it was at the local school.
@@KatHeart-dd6sk when i was a young teenager i went to a soccer game for yearbook, but it was either canceled or the schedule was wrong. Instead of hundreds of people being there, there were maybe 10 and like 5 of them assaulted me as I walked through the park to figure out what was happening. Sheet happens
It is really shameful that the Police wasted time especially the most crucial hours right after he went missing and the fact that they even dared to make up their own eventual outcome by saying “ He might come back home when he’s hungry” is aberrant and unacceptable! My best wishes to his family I hope someday they know what happened to their little boy Shawn.
There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise.
Wow back in the day about the same time. The cops always said we were runaways. None of us were. I heartbroken over this. Bless his heart rest In Peace beloved one May your family and friends find healing and peace Blessings Be.
I want to know why the police always think it’s a runaway! Even so, if it were one of THEIR children, you can bet your tax dollars they’d be out in force asap!
I was a couple of years younger than Shawn & it wasn’t that big a deal to go out on your own for a while in that time, at that age. I was all over our medium sized Florida town. I couldn’t stand to live there now but it was great until the late ‘90s I think.
My feelings when it comes to missing persons, especially children. If these children were still alive, they would've reached out to a family member. If they haven't, it's because they met with foul play & are deceased. I can't imagine, after 30-40 years, these missing people would be alive. Without ever trying to contact a member of their family. Even if they did run away!
Did they do any follow ups regarding the call? They just started digging up the house on an anonymous tip? Nobody that was in the pizza place knew the other kid at all? No parents came forward to say their kid was at the pizza place that night?
Let's hope police are better iinformed about missing kids today. I would like to know who the person is that said he was seen leaving the pizza place with some unidentified teen. Was it the owner of the pizza place. I hope his mother gets some answers. Thank you for taking this case on and giving it the attention it needs.
11? Once again I blame parents. Why would you let an 11 year old roam around at night? My Mom did not let me or my brother do that. I am 60 and he is 51. I did not let my sons do that. I did not let them do that even at 16!! I have more sense!! There are too many predators out there. Even back then there was too many!! I am sorry he vanished.😢
It was an abduction and propably it was trafficking. I don't understand though the police attitude. Something was very wrong there and suspicious. Maybe some people from the police were given money to NOT investigate the case and say rubbish. When you are 11 years old you are not a teen, you are still a child.
No, it's not suspicious. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also on their website, has been featured on milk cartons, and was included in that song. That's a lot more attention than most children receive.
They stayed up "all night" to wait for their 11 year old to return? Was 11 year olds staying out without calling home normal during the 1980s? I'd have been frightened out of my head and calling everyone we knew, including law enforcement.
I'm confused as to why his parents waited the whole night to check up where he was when I am literally a year younger than him, and my parents would go crazy if i was 10 minutes later than when the street lights going on & so were most of the kids I grew up with?! It wasn't normal in the late 80s for a kid to be out all night at 11, so i dont agree with it "being a different time then", as 11 would be too young to not come home even in the 50/60s...? And what was he in juvenile court for if he was a kind child etc for an "altercation at school" as that doesnt seem to add up either, as sounds more like he'd be a witness as surely that's a serious thing for a school incident to be dealt with in court, so why would police assume he was running away from that unless they thought he was afraid of retribution & so surely they'd look for him? It feels like there is too much missing from the story and until the full story is given, it seems like that that little lad will never be found. A couple of the kids from the Soul Asylum "Runaway Train" video weren't happy as they were "found" as a result, and sent back to abusive homes.
I think it depends on the parents, no matter what decade. Mine were lax with me and I'm about the same age as Shawn. My parents were older parents with teenage daughters busy fleeing the nest, and I was left to my own devices and out very late very often. Wish they had been a BIT stricter!
Again, another popular assumption and misunderstanding. Police followed proper protocol. I'm confused why people think that because the child was listed as a runaway, that means police don't care. That's a very popular misunderstanding. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also listed on their website.
They need to stop with this run away BS in missing person cases. There is no point to the term being used other than a excuse for the cops to drag their feet for some reason. It only harms the case and diminish the chances of these kids being found.
A real detective would have known that an 11-yr old is a child. Obviously not too many of those detectives in Upland, back then. === Since the Pizza place was the last known sighting, staking out the place and using a camera to photograph any youth, as per the description given, even using a photo identikit... all would have helped. I do wonder though, why the parents waited till the morning, before reporting it to the police. If that was my 11-yr old, I would have been on the case, later on in the evening. Those 9+ hours are very important. == What was the altercation about, at school ? It was serious enough for him having to appear in front of a juvenile court. Perhaps, the family of the damaged victim of the altercation had the motive, to set things right ( It wouldn't be the first time that vengeance was a motive.) As a detective, I would have gone to the victim's family to check them out thoroughly. ( with the description or identikit, at hand.) Anyway.....a total slacker Police Dept dropped the ball.
He was a bit young to have been out alone at night even for that time. Left to walk home alone. He was 11. Had he been 13 or older then it would not be that shocking.
That's a common and popular misunderstanding. The way these cases are reported does not help people to think critically but encourages assumptions. Police followed proper protocol. I'm confused why people think that because the child was listed as a runaway, that means police don't care. That's a very popular misunderstanding. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also listed on their website.
Ok, now I just got a very weird thought... I wonder if the boy in the Tara Calico Polaroid picture was Shawn Betz. It just struck me while watching this video. I hadn't heard of this case before, but I think the time frame might be correct-- 1988/1989. I wonder if someone watching this might have a little more insight. Thanks!
Wasn't sure what that was till I looked it up, and then recognized it as something I'd seen before. I could be wrong, but the boy in that photo looks a bit younger than 11. 8 or 9 maybe?
What it sounds like is not what it is. Understandable though. It's a row of different shops connected together, entering from the outside. I thought same upon hearing 1st time.
There always seems to be a massive misunderstanding in missing children cases. People automatically assume that police don't care when they file the child as a runaway. Police followed proper protocol. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also listed on their website. If you'd like to see police available to cover more cases, then it would be good to support the hiring of more officers. While it's very popular to criticize police, it's generally due to confirmation bias. There are very few channels that encourage critical thinking but instead, foster jumping to conclusions, which very unfortunate.
At some point Americans have to do something about the sheer apathy and antagonistic attitude of the police in this country. They just terrorize people and telling families that their child just , "They ran away" -- as if a child running away is not in of itself a fucking emergency.
This is a very common misunderstanding. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. If you'd like to see more action taken in missing persons cases, then we need more police. I'd like to see that happen as that's the best chance there is at solving cases. The way things are now, there is a shortage of officers, and the numbers are going down. There is only so much time to investigate every single crime and incident.
@@VioletJoy More officers, yes. And it would help recruiting if prospective police weren't shying away from the profession due to incessant social media "justice warriors" hounding and criticizing every thing law enforcement does.
One instance doesn't translate to "the sheer apathy and antagonistic attitude of the police in this country". Do you also make sweeping generalizations about demographic groups based on one crime?
I’ll bet that those Middle Eastern pizza shop jockies probably moved back to the US or even to Europe when the going got tough there. They’d probably be findable now…
Even if he was a runaway (at 11???) I don't get how that could be any reason to not take a missing child case seriously
Unfortunately, that was quite common before things like amber alerts.
Unfortunately I think it was because it was a different time back then. Stranger danger wasn’t really a big thing as far as I know and police would be highly likely to believe that kids who disappeared were runaways.
I don’t get it either. So, even if he is a runaway are they just going to leave him on the streets?
@@mirandagoldstine8548Police may not have taken cases seriously, but stranger danger absolutely was a thing back then, especially due to Satanic Panic.
Right? I thought minors legally have to be under the care of an adult. So, if they are an actual runaway, it's ok to just let a child live on their own if the police don't feel like searching? Insane.
I have 4 children. This is one of my worst fears. Even as they age. It never goes away.
Same omg 😢
This is about you, in a way.
Same my son has turned 18 he’s still and always will be my baby boy
I think it would be absurd for this to not be a big fear for a parent. I don't have kids, but the idea of one of my siblings, at any age, disappearing is terrifying. Any normal person would be terrified
My goodness. Sometimes it keeps me up at night. It's a constant fear. I only have one kid and she's 12 and man, I wouldn't be able to breathe.
The amount of missing children’s cases that were labeled as runaways back then astounds me. Where/how would an eleven year old be able to go on their own? They were either kidnapped or murdered in most cases. I’d consider as a suspect any local teen slightly older than him that came from a sketchy family, or has since then had a violent history.
That's not accurate. Over 98% of the time, they did run away. Abduction is extremely rare.
There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done.
I'm the same age as this missing person would be, and it astounds me too. I even had a friend who was being abused when we were kids, and she threatened to "run away" all the time. Yet, when she actually did, she did so by calling a relative (her uncle) to come get her. She didn't just run off into the night with no word to anyone. 11-year-olds don't just take off on their own without a trace.
As a runaway myself (at age 5), the police told me parents that 80% of cases of missing children are runaways who are united again with their family within 24 hours. Hence why the police do not take it seriously and they focus resources on other things, it is actually pretty rare that the kids are kidnapped (in terms of per capita)
It was clearly foul play and not a runaway case. It’s possible if he was abducted that the perpetrator got info about the grandmother living in Washington from Shawn; and then got someone to make the phone call to the school. Very sad case.
No police force should be allowed to label a child as a runaway instead of doing a proper search and full investigation as a starting point. 😡
I saw a commenter who lived near Chino and said that the area is known for trafficking. If there is a big human trafficking ring there then some of the higher ups in the police force could be in on it. A common thing.
@@consciousobserver629
No wonder Americans are saying defund the police.
So sad, it's terrible that dad died before knowing what happened. God bless the child.
I think a tragic accident occurred when he was off playing with the pizza owner's son and then someone from the family tried calling the school posing as the grandmother to potentially delay an investigation. It's very suspicious how they quickly closed up shop and returned to their home country so soon after this occurred.
Or he was just plain murdered. I bet "grandma" was the pizza shop mother.
@Youser999 The whole close down of the pizza shop and departure of the owner and his family sounds incredibly suspicious to me as well. Something's rotten in the state of Denmark and it ain't the havarti cheese. [apologies to William Shakespeare] Bless Shawn wherever he is as well as his family, especially regarding what they went and are still going through. Not knowing is a throbbing pain, however dull it may become over the years, that will never go away.
Idiotic gossiping.
Agree
@@eadweard.Are you the pizza shop owner?
I live an hour or so from Upland. Shawn was definitely not a runaway. Eleven years old! The police should have jumped on searching for the boy straightaway. I feel deeply for Shawn’s mother. Thank you DC for this episode.
Who was that guy that Shawn left the casino with and who was that woman on the phone pretending to be his grandmother where these people identified at all I think it would be vital to the case if they were
Agreed. I have a funny feeling the woman on the phone might have been an acquaintance of the family. She did know about Shawn’s grandma having formerly lived in Washington State, something I think that would only be known to those connected to the Betz family. However who she was remains a mystery. Unless we have a list of all friends and acquaintances of the Betz family determining who the mysterious caller was will be a near impossible task. Couple that with how faulty memory can be at times and we would be left with very few clues.
He wasn't with anyone and never left. Or left drugged and tied, bound for the Middle East.
It sounds like he was sold into human trafficking. It was an organized effort involving an adolescent male acquaintance and an older woman whose voice could pass for a grandmother's.
We have 12 missing kids in the last one month in my area and the cops say they are just runways teens. I guess it’s just less paperwork for them if they labelled them as runaways. It’s heartbreaking.
What area is that?
Acab
This doesn't sound true.
This sounds unbelievable and is also not accurate. Unless there is evidence to show that the child was kidnapped or murdered, they are filed as runaways. 98% of the time, they ARE run aways.
@@VioletJoyNot unbelievable at all since you have no idea where they even live. Also cops don't care, they exist to protect order and the interests of rich people, not to help the common folk.
I'm subscribed to Crime Hound too. It was nice of you to give acknowledgement of her work. She deserves a lot more subs!
“Probably will return home”??! Terrible neglectful police. May Shawn’s family ever find peace. Poor Shawn.
My money is on the pizza shop family being involved, doesn't seem a coincidence to close down the business and leave the country after the kid goes missing.
Why not a coincidence?
That is a sad story. I grew up in Chino and my husband‘s family was from Upland. They’re beautiful communities, but trafficking is common over there. Anything could’ve happened in that little boy.
Sounds likely he could have ended up trafficked. The video doesn't mention what the official story of the pizza shop owner was as far as when/how Shawn left that night. He could have been abducted while walking home. A truly horrific fate to end up as a sex slave. 😢
Ya that is so sad. To me is suspicious that the pizza owners suddenly left. I wonder if they were scared of retaliation because they’re from a different country
So so sad. 3 years older than my daughter. I can't imagine not seeing my child for 36yrs and not being able to do anything about it. That pizza fam is awfully suspicious! That's the kid he was with and where he was before he just wandered home. Why didn't they make sure he got there? No. Definitely something wrong there imho. I hope they give that Mom what she needs soon. Thank you DC🙏🏼🕊️💔
I thought this one sounded familiar. I love crimehound channel. Thank you for bringing more attention to this case!
Strange that they waited all night for 11-year-old before they called the police
It's not strange. Look at the police reaction. They knew they would be dismissed
@@no_peacePolice followed proper protocol. I'm confused why people think that because the child was listed as a runaway, that means police don't care. That's a very popular misunderstanding.
There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also listed on their website.
It's some places it's normal sadly especially in ghetto or poor areas
Why did they not check the telephone numbers that called the school? It was 1988 and they had the technology to track phone calls. This was such a tremendous tragedy and utter incompetence of the Upland PD and the fact that they wasted FOUR months was criminal!!! I am heartbroken for Shawn’s family especially his mother as she has lost her son and her husband and it taking the responsibility all on her own. I wish someone in the media would feature his disappearance to get it out into the mainstream media. Poor Shawn and his family 💔
No they did not have the technology - not after the call had ended.
They didn't simply wait 4 months. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done.
What is evidence of a kidnapping? The very fact that the boy was missing is the ultimate evidence of a kidnapping or abduction. You keep saying the cops were correct for filing this as a run away case, but as they say, "absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence." In other words, there's no evidence that he was kidnapped, but there's no evidence that he wasn't kidnapped, or more properly stated, there's no evidence that he wasn't abducted. The very fact that his parents were telling the police that their son wouldn't run away should've been all the proof they needed to launch an investigation. And yes, they did wait 4 months.
He was only 11??? Why was out alone at 11? Thats too young...wow!!
It’s so troubling how many families never have answers to what happened to their child, not to mention justice if murder is involved.
Sounds like somebody’s son or grandson harmed Sean, and his mother/grandmother called the cops with that fake story to give her kid time to dump the body.
I grew up not far from the Upland area and never heard anything about this case.
I feel bad for Shawn , I was tied up and beat as a child , touched on and forced to say I like it , slapped and kicked , I’m glad I never ran away tho cuz whatever I would’ve ran into in the dark cold world would’ve been wayyy worse
I'm so sorry for what you had to endure
@@ericsneary5430 thank you I’m slowly healing mentally
I’m so sorry for your hardship. You’re brave.
I’m sorry you had to deal with that. Hope you heal and find happiness.
Sorry for all you went through. Stay strong and continue healing.
Thanks for what you do how you do it.
Poor kid 😢
I love your channel soooooo much, I just wish your videos were longer. ❤
The 4 month delay by police is really quite shocking. He was a minor and the case should've been a priority.
Though I sometimes criticize my parents for past events, I am grateful that they were the type to NEVER let an 11 year old me go to a basketball game with another kid in another town. Errors in judgment can be carved into your soul forever.
That was a very different time. People didn't view it as a mistake to let a kid go to a game with other kids. Believe it or not, we're safer now than we've ever been. It was more dangerous then, we just didn't know it. Also, I really wouldn't call 8 miles away far away.
Was normal for the times, plus if you listen, they didn't go to the other town, they went locally and found out the game wasn't there and they returned to pizza place
Both Sean & his friend didn't even realize that it was an "away" game until they arrived at the school and found out. They didn't even *TRY to go. Instead, they just went back to the pizza shop to hang out and play some more video games. His Mom did not give him her permission to go to an away game, as neither she nor her Son knew that it *WAS an away game. She gave him her permission to go to the game with his friend thinking that it was at the local school.
@@KatHeart-dd6sk when i was a young teenager i went to a soccer game for yearbook, but it was either canceled or the schedule was wrong. Instead of hundreds of people being there, there were maybe 10 and like 5 of them assaulted me as I walked through the park to figure out what was happening. Sheet happens
Thank you for this video and Thank you for telling us about CrimeHound. I appreciate her work as much as I do yours. ✌❤
Thanks for mentioning Crime Hound, she’s awesome 😊👍
Just SO very sad.
He will come back when he's hungry?? Ridiculous and insulting
Love watching Crime Hound too, she has a terrific channel - I always think it's cool to know how vast the true crime community is.
It is really shameful that the Police wasted time especially the most crucial hours right after he went missing and the fact that they even dared to make up their own eventual outcome by saying “ He might come back home when he’s hungry” is aberrant and unacceptable!
My best wishes to his family I hope someday they know what happened to their little boy Shawn.
I was just listening to this at first and I thought you were saying the last name Bates in a really Northern accent.
If leads don't come forth within 72 hrs cases go cold very fast, even today sadly.
He would have been very hungry after 4 months. They should have taken it seriously immediately. But at least the next day, sheesh...4 months?
There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise.
Wow back in the day about the same time. The cops always said we were runaways. None of us were. I heartbroken over this. Bless his heart rest In Peace beloved one May your family and friends find healing and peace Blessings Be.
That is a tragic story. I cannot imagine how the family and friends could cope with that.
My grandson just turned 12 yo, this is heartbreaking
I want to know why the police always think it’s a runaway! Even so, if it were one of THEIR children, you can bet your tax dollars they’d be out in force asap!
They don't think they're runaways at all, as I think you might be suggesting. They don't care
4 months? 😡
This doesn’t sound like it will end well- child trafficking is my guess. Poor kid.
I was a couple of years younger than Shawn & it wasn’t that big a deal to go out on your own for a while in that time, at that age. I was all over our medium sized Florida town. I couldn’t stand to live there now but it was great until the late ‘90s I think.
My feelings when it comes to missing persons, especially children. If these children were still alive, they would've reached out to a family member.
If they haven't, it's because they met with foul play & are deceased.
I can't imagine, after 30-40 years, these missing people would be alive. Without ever trying to contact a member of their family.
Even if they did run away!
Believe it or not, some kids never contact their families again.
He might not have been able to or contact info changed plus they didn’t have modern technology
I’d love to know if the “grandmother” had any type of accent or anything?
What if Shawn intentionally gave to his captor(s) the outdated info about his grandmother as a code so others would know something was wrong?
Did they do any follow ups regarding the call? They just started digging up the house on an anonymous tip? Nobody that was in the pizza place knew the other kid at all? No parents came forward to say their kid was at the pizza place that night?
Let's hope police are better iinformed about missing kids today. I would like to know who the person is that said he was seen leaving the pizza place with some unidentified teen. Was it the owner of the pizza place. I hope his mother gets some answers. Thank you for taking this case on and giving it the attention it needs.
11? Once again I blame parents. Why would you let an 11 year old roam around at night? My Mom did not let me or my brother do that. I am 60 and he is 51. I did not let my sons do that. I did not let them do that even at 16!!
I have more sense!!
There are too many predators out there. Even back then there was too many!! I am sorry he vanished.😢
I love how the police are still actively working on the case. Maybe if they had taken it seriously in the first place we wouldn't have an active case.
The call to school. Known grandma info. Someone very close.
You still have to look for runaways
It was an abduction and propably it was trafficking. I don't understand though the police attitude. Something was very wrong there and suspicious. Maybe some people from the police were given money to NOT investigate the case and say rubbish. When you are 11 years old you are not a teen, you are still a child.
No, it's not suspicious. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done.
He's also on their website, has been featured on milk cartons, and was included in that song. That's a lot more attention than most children receive.
Shawn is gone! Sad to say that, but he is.. May he RIP 🙏🏾💜🕊️
You know his family is likely reading the comments.
@@KohalaLover You read mine 🙄 RIP Shawn 💐
They stayed up "all night" to wait for their 11 year old to return? Was 11 year olds staying out without calling home normal during the 1980s?
I'd have been frightened out of my head and calling everyone we knew, including law enforcement.
Poor lad 🙏🕯🙏
🥺💔
I'm confused as to why his parents waited the whole night to check up where he was when I am literally a year younger than him, and my parents would go crazy if i was 10 minutes later than when the street lights going on & so were most of the kids I grew up with?! It wasn't normal in the late 80s for a kid to be out all night at 11, so i dont agree with it "being a different time then", as 11 would be too young to not come home even in the 50/60s...? And what was he in juvenile court for if he was a kind child etc for an "altercation at school" as that doesnt seem to add up either, as sounds more like he'd be a witness as surely that's a serious thing for a school incident to be dealt with in court, so why would police assume he was running away from that unless they thought he was afraid of retribution & so surely they'd look for him?
It feels like there is too much missing from the story and until the full story is given, it seems like that that little lad will never be found. A couple of the kids from the Soul Asylum "Runaway Train" video weren't happy as they were "found" as a result, and sent back to abusive homes.
I think it depends on the parents, no matter what decade. Mine were lax with me and I'm about the same age as Shawn. My parents were older parents with teenage daughters busy fleeing the nest, and I was left to my own devices and out very late very often. Wish they had been a BIT stricter!
I had Runaway Train on cassette. Feeling my age, rn.
I hope the Betz's one day get answers.
No way he was a runaway. So sad authorities didn't take this seriously. A child is a child.
💔💔💔💔💔
Minors should NEVER be considered as run aways! Freaking lazy police.
Again, another popular assumption and misunderstanding. Police followed proper protocol. I'm confused why people think that because the child was listed as a runaway, that means police don't care. That's a very popular misunderstanding.
There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also listed on their website.
Why did the parents take so long to report him being missing to the police? If my child went missing, i would not be waiting over night to report it.
Yes, maybe a 17-year-old with a history of defiance, but not an 11-year-old.
❤❤❤❤❤
They need to stop with this run away BS in missing person cases. There is no point to the term being used other than a excuse for the cops to drag their feet for some reason. It only harms the case and diminish the chances of these kids being found.
Police can be so terrible sometimes
A real detective would have known that an 11-yr old is a child.
Obviously not too many of those detectives in Upland, back then.
===
Since the Pizza place was the last known sighting, staking out the place and using a camera to photograph any youth, as per the description given, even using a photo identikit...
all would have helped.
I do wonder though, why the parents waited till the morning, before reporting it to the police.
If that was my 11-yr old, I would have been on the case, later on in the evening.
Those 9+ hours are very important.
==
What was the altercation about, at school ?
It was serious enough for him having to appear in front of a juvenile court.
Perhaps, the family of the damaged victim of the altercation had the motive, to set things right ( It wouldn't be the first time that vengeance was a motive.)
As a detective, I would have gone to the victim's family to check them out thoroughly.
( with the description or identikit, at hand.)
Anyway.....a total slacker Police Dept dropped the ball.
He was a bit young to have been out alone at night even for that time. Left to walk home alone. He was 11. Had he been 13 or older then it would not be that shocking.
Another case of lazy police work. Thanks for covering this.
That's a common and popular misunderstanding. The way these cases are reported does not help people to think critically but encourages assumptions.
Police followed proper protocol. I'm confused why people think that because the child was listed as a runaway, that means police don't care. That's a very popular misunderstanding.
There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also listed on their website.
@@Ayn-Rand-Is-Dead I shared a rational explanation, not an apology.
@@Ayn-Rand-Is-Dead I support and encourage critical thinking. This is a logical explanation.
Ok, now I just got a very weird thought... I wonder if the boy in the Tara Calico Polaroid picture was Shawn Betz. It just struck me while watching this video. I hadn't heard of this case before, but I think the time frame might be correct-- 1988/1989. I wonder if someone watching this might have a little more insight. Thanks!
Wasn't sure what that was till I looked it up, and then recognized it as something I'd seen before. I could be wrong, but the boy in that photo looks a bit younger than 11. 8 or 9 maybe?
3:57 -- Shawn Betz looks a lot like my Uncle when he was younger.
What TH is a "strip mall"? If it's what it sound like, what would a kid be doing there?
What it sounds like is not what it is. Understandable though. It's a row of different shops connected together, entering from the outside. I thought same upon hearing 1st time.
Oh my god, He owned a general lee car from the dukes of hazard? He was obviously a racist.
I'm really scared nowadays ...😢! What has become of the once great U.S.A?
Nothing Great about it.. Evil been here from Generation to Generations..
You mean compared to chattel sla very and indigenous geno side?
There always seems to be a massive misunderstanding in missing children cases. People automatically assume that police don't care when they file the child as a runaway.
Police followed proper protocol. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done. He's also listed on their website.
If you'd like to see police available to cover more cases, then it would be good to support the hiring of more officers. While it's very popular to criticize police, it's generally due to confirmation bias. There are very few channels that encourage critical thinking but instead, foster jumping to conclusions, which very unfortunate.
Take a look at Adam Schiff & Ken Buck !
Those are two Evil bastards
Don’t make this political; you are not funny.
At some point Americans have to do something about the sheer apathy and antagonistic attitude of the police in this country. They just terrorize people and telling families that their child just , "They ran away" -- as if a child running away is not in of itself a fucking emergency.
This is a very common misunderstanding. There was no evidence to suggest that he had been kidnapped or killed, so that's the way incidents like this are filed.... until evidence shows otherwise. The house was searched, the pizza owners were interviewed, leads were followed, and It is still under investigation. It's not like nothing was done.
If you'd like to see more action taken in missing persons cases, then we need more police. I'd like to see that happen as that's the best chance there is at solving cases. The way things are now, there is a shortage of officers, and the numbers are going down. There is only so much time to investigate every single crime and incident.
@@VioletJoy More officers, yes. And it would help recruiting if prospective police weren't shying away from the profession due to incessant social media "justice warriors" hounding and criticizing every thing law enforcement does.
One instance doesn't translate to "the sheer apathy and antagonistic attitude of the police in this country". Do you also make sweeping generalizations about demographic groups based on one crime?
I’ll bet that those Middle Eastern pizza shop jockies probably moved back to the US or even to Europe when the going got tough there. They’d probably be findable now…
It's getting to the point where I can't watch these videos or any of these kinds of channels anymore
There is no god.
You're watching a true crime channel.
That's understandable.💔 Of course, there is no god. That's why it's critical that we as a society put more attention on children.