April’s missing person of the month will take us to Goose Creek, South Carolina. It was after midnight on March 30th, 1997, when Tracy McClam saw her son 14-year-old son, Kevin, for the last time.
Born in Indianapolis, Kevin’s stepfather served in the U.S. Navy; which meant that the family moved on a fairly regular basis. By 1997 Kevin was living within the Charleston Naval Weapons Station Base with his mother, stepfather and younger sister. He was in the eighth grade at Marrington Middle School and was described as a shy, good student who was well liked by his teachers and handful of friends. He enjoyed playing basketball. He was also known to be responsible. According to his Charley Project entry, Kevin never missed a meal with his family and was always home before dark. There is no record of him ever getting into any trouble or running away.
Tracy McClam arrived home on that March night to find Kevin playing video games with his little sister. The three sat and spoke for a while and by 1 AM, Tracy and her daughter decided to go to bed. Kevin said he wanted to stay up longer to play video games. He has not been heard from since.
On either March 31st or April 1st, a construction worker found clothes similar to Kevin’s scattered along the ground of a nearby building site. The clothes, while covered in spray paint, did not suggest there was any kind of struggle. No rips. No evidence of a stabbing or gunshot holes. No blood. Eyewitnesses came forward to report seeing a person who matched Kevin’s general description walking along the dirt road near the construction site during the afternoon hours of March 30th. The individual was wearing only sneakers and boxer shorts. They appeared to be alone, uninjured and not under duress. Two additional witnesses also reported seeing someone that looked like Kevin at the Weapons Station’s McDonald’s on March 31st and April 1st. He was alone on both occasions. Tracy believes Kevin may have snuck out of the house to meet his friends the night he vanished. But all of his friends have denied this theory.
Kevin circa 1997
It would be almost ten years before there would be a major break in the case. In early 2006, authorities announced they would be investigating Kevin’s disappearance as a homicide due to new forensic evidence and fresh tips from the public. That October, a search for remains in the Goose Creek area yielded no results. In December of 2006 authorities publicly named a suspect in Kevin’s possible murder: 26-year-old Thomas McCardle, who was incarcerated at the time on unrelated robbery charges.
Thomas McCardle
Another man, Michael Moorcroft, was also being investigated as he allegedly bragged about how he and Thomas McCardle had killed Kevin. Both men would have been in their teens at the time. Moorcroft later insisted he only made up the story. Police conducted a search of Moorcroft’s childhood home. Cadaver dogs alerted them to the possible scent of human remains under a shed. But when police dug up the backyard, they found nothing of interest. As of this writing, Michael Moorcroft and Thomas McCardle have not been charged in relation to Kevin’s disappearance. Kevin’s family moved out of South Carolina in 1998 and currently live in Georgia.
Kevin McClam was only 14-years-old when he disappeared in 1997. Foul play is suspected in his case. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeved brown and white-striped shirt, long white pants, and black and white Nike shoes. His clothing was later found at a nearby construction site. Kevin stood at 5″7′ and weighed approximately 140 pounds. He is an African American male with black hair and brown eyes. He has a gap between his top two front teeth and walks with a noticeable slouch. He may use the last name Alexander. If Kevin were to resurface today, he would be 40-years-old.
Age progression of Kevin at 33 years old (circa 2015) by NCMEC
If you have any information on the disappearance of Kevin McClam, you are encouraged to contact the Goose Creek Police Department (803-572-4300) or the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Headquarters (800-479-9685). His agency case number is 970968.
