UNDERGROUND MYSTERIES – 2017, edited on December 4, 2021

William Joseph Shields, also known as “Billy”, went missing under mysterious circumstances around June of 1977, and his case is buried in the cyber world.  Let us bring this case a new light to bring it more publicity, shall we? 

Shields’ last known whereabouts is the Chicago-Read Mental Health Center, located at 4200 North Oak Park Avenue in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.  He was a patient at the hospital for an unknown length of time, and then he went missing directly following his hospital discharge.  It is unclear where he was residing prior to his disappearance.  He is a highly endangered missing person due to the fact that he relies on medication for a psychiatric condition, schizophrenia. He has presumably been without this medication after his hospital release, on the day he went missing.  This illness also makes him vulnerable due to the ebbs and flows of a disoriented mental status.  There is a chance he may have encountered foul play, become lost, or become paranoid, leading to avoidance and possibly surviving in dangerous conditions.  He may have also been a John Wayne Gacy victim, as Gacy was active in his crimes in the same area and around the time that Shields vanished.  There is also a possibility that Shields has been living nomadically.

There is speculation that Shields may be carrying a guitar. An avid musician, it is said it is very unlikely that he would have traveled without his guitar.  

Born on December 13, 1954 to Elizabeth Gartner and William W. Shields (both now deceased), William J. Shields was only 22 years old at the time of his disappearance.  He had attended St. Patrick High School of Chicago, Illinois.  He had his whole life ahead of him.  His family grew very concerned and went through various measures in hopes to locate him.  

Shields is described as being Caucasian with sandy blonde / brown hair and blue eyes.  His height is 5’11” and his weight at the time of his disappearance was somewhere between 100 and 150 pounds.  

I created a Facebook page for Shields’ disappearance, which you can visit by clicking here. I am using the hashtag #FindWilliamShields for his posts to be easily searchable on other platforms. I will also include this article on my Twitter page and will circulate his story.

Of course, if Shields is still alive, he could be anywhere at this point. I tagged Michigan and Indiana (along with Illinois) in this article, since they are so geographically close to Chicago, Illinois. He could even be in Canada or Mexico. The possibilities are endless. Keep your eyes out for him, but keep in mind that he would look much different now than he does in his photos. He would be in his late 60’s if alive today. This means he could have gray and/or balding hair, and he may have gained or lost weight. His face will look aged.

CONTACT:
If you have any information about William Shields’ whereabouts, please contact the Cook County Police Department at 312-744-8261, and please mention case number HS467346.

SOURCE:
Cook County Police Department
Newspapers
Chicago Tribune Newspaper of Chicago, IL, July 8, 1979 edition
Ancestry
Google Maps
Google Earth
St. Patrick High School in Chicago – for yearbook
 

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