Duane Robert Talmon Jr. was a student at Williamsville North High School in 1974. On October 30th of that year, he called his mother and told her not to pick him up at school as he was going out with a friend to Akron Park. He asked her to pick him up at Miles Road, but he never showed up. Since his disappearance, he has not been in contact with his family or friends and all his personal belongings were left behind.

In 1986, a man named Michael Thurman confessed to Duane's murder. Thurman claimed that he and Duane had a fight over money during a drug transaction, which escalated into a shooting. Thurman said he buried Duane near North French Road in North Amherst, New York, but authorities were unable to find any remains after extensive searches.

However, in recent years, the court has become more lenient in prosecuting homicides without a body, and Duane's death was presumed. In 2003, Thurman was charged with second-degree murder in Duane's death, based on statements from witnesses who claimed to have heard him talk about killing Duane. Thurman was offered a plea bargain, pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter, and was sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison. Despite the confession, Duane's body has never been found and his case remains unresolved.