Every School He Worked In Lost a Child

This man had the cleanest record in the entire school district—and that was the problem.

In 1982, a quiet janitor named Martin Hale worked at Brookside Elementary. He was the kind of employee every principal wanted to keep. He arrived before sunrise, sweeping the halls and unlocking classrooms. He stayed late, polishing floors until they shone. Teachers described him as polite and soft-spoken. Students knew his humming—the same gentle tune echoing through the building as he locked doors at night.

If a child lost a backpack, Martin found it. If a teacher needed help, Martin appeared before they even asked. On paper, his record was spotless.

Then someone noticed a pattern.

Every building Martin Hale worked in had something in common: a student went missing. A second grader walking home. A shy girl from the music club. A boy  ...