SAN ANTONIO – New details have surfaced in the mysterious disappearance of Gabriel Johnson, a baby who vanished 16 years ago.
Gabriel was last seen in San Antonio after his mother, Elizabeth Johnson, fled Arizona with him, defying a court order. Although she was later convicted in Arizona for custodial interference, Gabriel’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Sandy Peters, Gabriel’s great aunt, expressed frustration over the lack of charges against Johnson in Bexar County, despite a recorded admission where Johnson claimed to have killed Gabriel, only to later retract it. “She’s in prison for years and never tells us anything. That’s what makes this so hard,” Peters said.
A recent phone call has reignited hope for the family. The caller, connected to the missing child, revealed, “There are things Elizabeth told me that have been tormenting me for years. She told me she killed the baby. I really thought she was taking it to the grave.” However, when detectives traveled to Arizona, the individual denied the conversation, leaving the case unresolved.
The family has urged the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) to transfer the case to the Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons’ Unit. Peters noted, “The Attorney General’s Office… offered to do that in our case… but they wouldn’t let the Attorney General’s Office come in and help.”
SAPD stated, “He (Gabriel) is still missing. Leads are very few, but all are followed. The case is pending further investigation.”
Adding a glimmer of hope, Lois Gibson, a former forensic artist for Houston PD, reviewed images of another child and found a striking resemblance to Gabriel’s father, Logan McQuery. Peters remarked, “The match between that child and Logan is uncanny. That gives us hope.”
As Gabriel would now be 16 years old, his family continues to hold onto hope. Peters shared a heartfelt message: “Merry Christmas, Gabriel. If you’re out there, know you’re loved, you’re missed, and we hope nothing but the best for you in your life.”