On November 9, 1996, Adam, Trevor, and Mitchell O'Brien (aged 14, 11, and 4) went to visit their father and non-custodial parent, Gary O'Brien, at his home in Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

At 8:30pm that night, Gary called Diana Boland, his ex-wife and the boys' mother and custodial parent, and told her that he was not going to return the boys to her and had rigged his house so that it would explode if anyone entered it.

When Diana asked to speak to the boys, Gary told her "later" and hung up.

Adam, Trevor, and Mitchell and Gary O'Brien have never been seen since.