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Child Last Seen: The Search for Patty Desmond
HER CASE HAD BEEN CLOSED—BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.
On an unseasonably warm winter evening in Pennsylvania, 15-year-old Patty Desmond sneaked out through the basement of her house. She had a history of running away, and that, combined with an argument with her mother, gave police reason to suspect she’d come home in a week or two.
The year was 1965. That night was the last time her family ever saw her.
Conrad Eugene Miller was well-known to local law enforcement. An older married man with a child, Miller’s association with Patty was questionable at best. Yet he was the last person known to have seen her alive—and the suspect police continued to circle back toward.
After nothing but false sightings and rumors, the case was moved to the backburner—where it stayed. As decades crept by, reality sunk Patty Desmond was never coming back. Then, a tiny crack unleashed a flood of information, and a mystery that had never quite been forgotten was solved.
“CHILD LAST SEEN takes the reader on an intense and suspenseful journey across multiple decades, as investigators refuse to give up on the mystery of a fifteen-year-old girl who goes missing in 1965. Full of insight and compassion, Boyle’s writing delves deep into character and community and will keep you on edge until the very end.”
Jan Brogan, author of The Combat Murder, Race and Boston’s Struggle for Justice, Final Copy, and The Hallie Ahern Mystery Series
“Maureen Boyle has done it again. CHILD LAST SEEN is a meticulously reported, beautifully written true-crime thriller so compelling and well-paced that I couldn’t put it down. With its detailed look at small-town America in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the vulnerability to evil of innocent children, and the dogged police work that resurrected a tragic cold case, CHILD LAST SEEN may be Boyle’s best book yet.”
Elaine McArdle, Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind
“Maureen Boyle’s latest true-crime effort is a thrill ride, a story of justice delayed, but not to be denied. Patty Desmond’s murder investigation is a study in the emerging forensic methods of the day and Boyle chronicles it all in meticulous technical detail. But Boyle’s real gift is her grasp of the humanity of her subjects. From the time we are introduced to Patty, Boyle never lets us forget that everyone involved—from the victim to the investigators to the killer himself—is a real person driven by real human emotions and frailties.”
Chris Gonsalves, author of Haunted Spirited Tales from the Rough and Haunted Tales of Ghostly Soulmates, Spooky Suitors and Eternal Love
“A riveting true crime story with the visceral resonance of a thriller. Don’t miss this one!”
Sue Coletta, bestselling author of the award-winning Mayhem Series
“Three people are able to keep a secret as long as two are dead. A murder committed by a single person and witnessed by no one is nearly a perfect crime. The author captures the frustrations and setbacks experienced by investigators as they investigate a murder with no body and no witnesses. It is said that the name of the murderer will appear in the very first few pages of many ‘cold case’ police reports, the police are just unable to obtain enough hard evidence to lead to an arrest. Here is a success story! CHILD LAST SEEN demonstrates the perseverance, the passion, and the know-how of the detectives who are finally able to bring a brutal murderer to justice.
On an unseasonably warm winter evening in Pennsylvania, 15-year-old Patty Desmond sneaked out through the basement of her house. She had a history of running away, and that, combined with an argument with her mother, gave police reason to suspect she’d come home in a week or two.
The year was 1965. That night was the last time her family ever saw her.
Conrad Eugene Miller was well-known to local law enforcement. An older married man with a child, Miller’s association with Patty was questionable at best. Yet he was the last person known to have seen her alive—and the suspect police continued to circle back toward.
After nothing but false sightings and rumors, the case was moved to the backburner—where it stayed. As decades crept by, reality sunk Patty Desmond was never coming back. Then, a tiny crack unleashed a flood of information, and a mystery that had never quite been forgotten was solved.
“CHILD LAST SEEN takes the reader on an intense and suspenseful journey across multiple decades, as investigators refuse to give up on the mystery of a fifteen-year-old girl who goes missing in 1965. Full of insight and compassion, Boyle’s writing delves deep into character and community and will keep you on edge until the very end.”
Jan Brogan, author of The Combat Murder, Race and Boston’s Struggle for Justice, Final Copy, and The Hallie Ahern Mystery Series
“Maureen Boyle has done it again. CHILD LAST SEEN is a meticulously reported, beautifully written true-crime thriller so compelling and well-paced that I couldn’t put it down. With its detailed look at small-town America in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the vulnerability to evil of innocent children, and the dogged police work that resurrected a tragic cold case, CHILD LAST SEEN may be Boyle’s best book yet.”
Elaine McArdle, Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind
“Maureen Boyle’s latest true-crime effort is a thrill ride, a story of justice delayed, but not to be denied. Patty Desmond’s murder investigation is a study in the emerging forensic methods of the day and Boyle chronicles it all in meticulous technical detail. But Boyle’s real gift is her grasp of the humanity of her subjects. From the time we are introduced to Patty, Boyle never lets us forget that everyone involved—from the victim to the investigators to the killer himself—is a real person driven by real human emotions and frailties.”
Chris Gonsalves, author of Haunted Spirited Tales from the Rough and Haunted Tales of Ghostly Soulmates, Spooky Suitors and Eternal Love
“A riveting true crime story with the visceral resonance of a thriller. Don’t miss this one!”
Sue Coletta, bestselling author of the award-winning Mayhem Series
“Three people are able to keep a secret as long as two are dead. A murder committed by a single person and witnessed by no one is nearly a perfect crime. The author captures the frustrations and setbacks experienced by investigators as they investigate a murder with no body and no witnesses. It is said that the name of the murderer will appear in the very first few pages of many ‘cold case’ police reports, the police are just unable to obtain enough hard evidence to lead to an arrest. Here is a success story! CHILD LAST SEEN demonstrates the perseverance, the passion, and the know-how of the detectives who are finally able to bring a brutal murderer to justice.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2023
115 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 3, 2023
Child Last Seen is a suspenseful and compelling true crime story about the 1965 disappearance of a 15-year old Pennsylvania girl, and how the cold case was solved decades later by detectives who were determined to bring her killer to justice. Author Maureen Boyle is a first-rate journalist and writer who brings the characters to life, and chronicles the investigation and forensics involved in fascinating and fast-paced detail. All with compassion for the life lost and the small community left with a hole in its heart. An excellent read.
June 20, 2023
This is an intriguing and well-written true story about the search for a 15-year-old girl and the eventual discovery of what happened to her. I couldn’t put Boyle’s book down, and I read this straight through the weekend.
There are forensic science photographs included, and those are historic. I ordered from Amazon and An Unlikely Story in Plainville for summer gifts.
There are forensic science photographs included, and those are historic. I ordered from Amazon and An Unlikely Story in Plainville for summer gifts.
June 25, 2023
Maureen Boyle continues her streak by turning out another fascinating true crime account, this one on the disappearance of a 15 year old in 1965. What we can appreciate most about this book is the level of detail Boyle is able to extract from her prodigious research and how she is able to translate that into a highly readable, fast-paced story.
October 18, 2024
Chilling true story
I had never heard of this case and being a true crime buff I was interested. The telling of the case was intriguing but I did not like all of the statistics and history that waz included so that's the reason behind the 2 stars
I had never heard of this case and being a true crime buff I was interested. The telling of the case was intriguing but I did not like all of the statistics and history that waz included so that's the reason behind the 2 stars
June 22, 2023
Maureen Boyle has written another incredible book. Her research and the tireless work of speaking to anyone and everyone associated with a case is unequalled. The story telling was fast paced, in-depth and suspenseful. I could not book this book down. If you haven't read this book, or any of her others, put them on your MUST read list.
January 9, 2024
not at all interesting/repetitive
Boring and very repetitive. Unnecessary details and explanations are tedious. They add nothing to the story. Information was often repeated sometimes in a page or two sometimes in a following paragraph. A waste of time.
Boring and very repetitive. Unnecessary details and explanations are tedious. They add nothing to the story. Information was often repeated sometimes in a page or two sometimes in a following paragraph. A waste of time.
July 4, 2023
Such a very sad story and Ms. Boyle tells it with such candor. I want to get her others!
July 10, 2023
kind of dry
Interesting. Wish he had confessed early on that he killed her and not set her on fire! So sad for her parents and siblings.
Interesting. Wish he had confessed early on that he killed her and not set her on fire! So sad for her parents and siblings.
August 19, 2024
Great Read
This was a departure for me because i don't usually read non fiction but the author kept me interested all the way to the end
This was a departure for me because i don't usually read non fiction but the author kept me interested all the way to the end
August 19, 2025
Such a sad story. My heart just breaks for that family and the years they went without answers about where Patty was. I also feel so bad for the family of the killer.
December 2, 2025
With Boyle
s trademark compassion for the victims and diligent reporting of the most fascinating details, this book kept me on the edge of my seat.
s trademark compassion for the victims and diligent reporting of the most fascinating details, this book kept me on the edge of my seat.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews