Description

Bobby Panknin disappeared during a family outing to the Deep Lake Resort near Northport. Bobby and his two brothers were hiking with their mother on a logging road near their campsite at the now-defunct Deep Lake Resort in northern Stevens County. The rest of the group left Bobby alone for a few minutes, and when they returned he was nowhere to be seen. Extensive searches were conducted with thousands of searchers, volunteers and hunters looking for Bobby. He was barefoot, and no footprints were found. The search area, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border, was largely undeveloped then. It was hilly and heavily timbered. Police were open to the possibility that Bobby had been abducted, but considered that highly unlikely in view of the remote location and the short time the boy was left alone.