Kevin Collins: Cops Identify Man of Interest in Cold Case of Missing Boy

San Francisco police have released a name and photos of a felon who they believe to also be a person of interest in the cold case investigation of 10-year-old Kevin Collins, who went missing in 1984.

Today, Police Chief Greg Suhr called reporters to the hall of justice where he identified Dan Leonard Therrien as the man police are now linking to the missing boy. To make the case more challenging, Therrien, who used various names throughout his life, died in 2008 at age 51. He went by the name Wayne Jackson at the time of Kevin's disappearance.

But that hasn't stopped police from searching the man's last known residence on Masonic Avenue. In late 2012, SFPD inspectors started reviewing this case with "a new set of eyes." During the review, they learned about Therrien, who lived not too far from where the boy was last seen.

Therrien also matched a description of a tall, blond man who was seen talking to Kevin on Feb. 10, 1984, as the boy waited at a bus stop on Masonic and Oak streets, according to police. The man had a black dog with him. Therrien also had a black dog.

Therrien reportedly had a criminal history, including a felony for a lewd act on a child. In 1981, he served six months in jail after he plead guilty to a felony charge of lewd act on a 7-year-old kid. However, police say, because Therrien used aliases, they didn't know about his criminal past when they questioned him after Kevin's disappearance.

SFPD

Man of interest

After identifying the man of interest, police got more information, securing a search warrant of Therrien's last known residence in 1984. On Jan. 29, 2013, police served a search warrant at a residence on the 1100 block of Masonic Ave. where police dogs detected remains under the concrete floor in the garage.

They excavated the floor and found bones, which turned out to be animal, not human remains, police said. However, further analysis of the bones is necessary. The investigation continues and the search warrant remains under seal.

"The San Francisco Police Department is releasing this information today in the hopes of learning more about Jackson's [Therrien'] whereabouts and activities around the time that Kevin Collins went missing," police said in a statement.

Therrien also went by these aliases:

Anyone with information on this matter is asked to contact the SFPD Major Crimes Unit / Homicide Detail at 553-1145. Information can be given anonymously at 575-4444, or by text to TIP411, beginning the message with SFPD.