Towanda, Kansas – Adam Herman, an adopted child from Towanda, was last seen in the late spring or summer of 1999 at the Pine Ridge Mobile Home Park where he lived with his adoptive parents, Douglas Raymond “Doug” Herrman and Valerie Janelle Herrman. His disappearance remained unreported for nearly a decade, with troubling revelations surfacing about potential abuse and neglect during his time with the Herrmans.
Adam was placed into the Herrmans’ care at the age of two, along with his two younger siblings, after being taken from his biological parents. Unlike his siblings who attended public school, Adam was homeschooled. His adoptive parents later claimed that Adam frequently ran away and suggested he might have been homeless or living with his birth family. However, they continued to collect adoption subsidies for him until he turned eighteen, amounting to approximately $700 per month.
His disappearance was only reported in 2008 after Adam’s adopted sister, Crystal Espinosa, raised concerns with authorities. She discovered through the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services that they believed Adam had remained with the Herrmans until adulthood, which Espinosa knew was false.
Harrowing accounts of Adam’s treatment emerged from his adoptive siblings. They described physical abuse at the hands of their mother, Valerie. According to his brother, Justin Herrman, Valerie frequently mistreated Adam, tying him to a bathtub tap, locking him in the bathroom, and denying him food. His adoptive sister also reported witnessing Valerie physically assault Adam. Both siblings recalled sneaking food to Adam during this time.
Valerie denied most allegations but admitted to spanking Adam and using a belt. She claimed medical professionals had diagnosed Adam with severe mental health issues and advised her to confine him in the bathroom at night.
Despite Adam’s absence, Doug and Valerie continued to mislead family members about his whereabouts, claiming he had been returned to state custody or admitted to a psychiatric facility. The couple was later charged with felony larceny in 2010 for continuing to collect public assistance for Adam, despite his disappearance. They entered into a plea deal in 2011, admitting to unlawfully collecting $15,488 between 2003 and 2005. Doug was sentenced to nine months in prison, and Valerie received a seven-month sentence.
The case remains unsolved, and although no human remains were found during searches of the Herrmans’ properties, investigators continue to treat the case as suspicious. In 2020, a man falsely claimed to be Adam on social media, but his claims were quickly debunked.
Authorities have indicated that charges could still be brought against the Herrmans for their failure to report Adam missing and their alleged abuse. However, despite extensive investigations, no evidence has been found to confirm whether Adam is alive or dead, and his fate remains a mystery.