The Missing 
Andre Terrence Bryant
Brooklyn, New York

The Heartbreaking Disappearance of Baby Andre Terrence Bryant 🕊️

On March 29, 1989, one-month-old Andre Terrence Bryant disappeared without a trace from Brooklyn, New York. More than three decades later, the mystery surrounding his disappearance remains unsolved, leaving his family with a lifetime of unanswered questions and the hope that one day they will finally learn what happened to the little boy they never stopped searching for. Today, Andre would be 37 years old.

Andre was born on February 17, 1989, to Monique Rivera and Timothy Bryant. He was the youngest of three boys and was described by his family as a quiet, sweet baby with a full head of hair and a big smile. His mother, Monique, was known as a loving and devoted parent whose children meant everything to her. Although the family struggled financially, Monique worked hard to provide for her sons and dreamed of giving them a better life.

On March 28, 1989, while walking with her children in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, Monique was approached by two women who appeared friendly and generous. They complimented baby Andre, asked if they could hold him, and eventually invited Monique and her children to lunch at McDonald’s. During the outing, the women bought clothing for Monique and took the family shopping at Green Acres Mall on Long Island. According to Monique, the women claimed to know her from middle school, although it has never been confirmed whether they actually did. Before dropping her off at home, they invited her to go shopping with them again the following day.

Timothy Bryant was immediately uneasy about the encounter. He questioned why complete strangers would spend money on Monique and expressed concern about her accepting their generosity. Monique later told him she believed the women were using stolen credit cards during their shopping trip. Despite his worries, she assured him everything would be fine.

The following afternoon, March 29, the women called Monique from a nearby payphone and asked her to meet them outside. When she reached their burgundy late-model Pontiac Grand Am, they specifically instructed her to return inside and bring only baby Andre with her. Monique left her two older sons in the care of family members, picked up her infant, and got into the car. Around 2:00 p.m., she and Andre were seen driving away with the two women. It was the last time either of them would be seen alive together.

As the evening passed and Monique failed to return home, her family immediately sensed something was terribly wrong. She would never have stayed away overnight without contacting them or arranging care for her children. Timothy reported Monique and Andre missing that night, fearing the worst.

The next morning, March 30, a jogger made a heartbreaking discovery in a wooded area near City Island Road in the Bronx. Monique’s body was found at the bottom of an embankment, more than twenty miles from where she had last been seen in Brooklyn. She had been struck in the head and strangled with a scarf. Investigators documented numerous defensive wounds, bruises, and broken fingernails, clear evidence that she had fought desperately for her life. There was no sign of baby Andre.

Police quickly concluded that Andre had likely been the intended target all along. Investigators believe Monique refused to hand over her son and paid the ultimate price trying to protect him. The fact that the women specifically insisted she bring only Andre with her strongly supported that theory.

Authorities have spent decades trying to identify the two women responsible for luring Monique into their vehicle. One was described as a Black woman between 30 and 35 years old with a heavy build, dark complexion, and sunglasses. The second woman was described as either Black or Hispanic, between 22 and 25 years old, with a light complexion, long reddish-orange hair, a red leather jacket, and white pants. Both women were approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall. They were driving a burgundy or maroon 1988 or 1989 Pontiac Grand Am Sports Edition with tinted windows that may have displayed Maryland license plates. Timothy Bryant also reported seeing a gun inside the vehicle.

Just days after Monique’s body was identified, another strange twist emerged. A woman identifying herself as “Joan Walker” called the Bryant family’s apartment asking to speak with Monique. When informed that she had been killed, the caller reportedly replied that it couldn’t be true because she had been shopping with Monique over the previous two days. She provided police with an address, but investigators determined the information was false. The caller has never been identified, and authorities have never been able to determine whether she was connected to the two women who disappeared with Monique and Andre.

Over the years, investigators have explored several theories about what happened to Andre. One of the strongest is that he was abducted as part of an illegal adoption operation, a crime that was not unheard of during the late 1980s. Others have suggested he may have been taken to be raised by someone unaware of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. Investigators also considered whether the women used infants during credit card fraud schemes because women carrying babies often attracted less suspicion while making fraudulent purchases. Authorities have additionally examined possible links between Andre’s disappearance and the unsolved disappearances of Christopher Dansby and Shane Walker, two other young Black boys who vanished from New York City in 1989, although no direct connection has ever been established.

Despite the passing of more than 37 years, Andre’s case remains open. Advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy continue to offer hope that one day investigators may finally uncover the truth. If Andre survived and was raised under another identity, he may have no idea that he was abducted as an infant or that his mother gave her life trying to protect him. His family has never stopped searching and continues to hope that he is alive somewhere.

Andre was only one month old when he vanished. He never had the chance to celebrate his first birthday, learn to walk, or grow up surrounded by the family who loved him. His disappearance and Monique Rivera’s murder remain one of New York City’s most heartbreaking unsolved mysteries. Someone, somewhere, knows what happened on March 29, 1989. After all these years, even the smallest piece of information could finally provide the answers Andre’s family has waited decades to hear.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Andre Terrence Bryant is urged to contact the New York City Police Department at 212-694-7781. 

One phone call could finally bring answers to a family that has never stopped hoping.

Sources:
Have you seen this child? Andre Terrence Bryant 
Andre Bryant Disappearance in Brooklyn New York – City Towner
Missing Person / NamUs #MP5304 | NamUs 
Andre Bryant | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom 
Andre Terrance Bryant: The Brooklyn Baby Who Never Came Home — And Then They Were Gone