A Long Island family discovered a haunting answer to a decades-old mystery. In 1963, a man disappeared from his home with no trace. The wife of the man raised their 5 children while telling them that their father had abandoned them. Years passed, and one of the children found the dead body of their missing father in their basement.
“Dad, I think we found something,” Michael’s son told his father, who was seated in their living room. He insisted that his father go downstairs to the basement to see what had managed to utterly shock him.
Dorothy Carroll Told Her Kids That Their Dad Abandoned Them. 55 Years Later, the Kids Found George Carroll’s Body Buried in the Basement https://t.co/7sUJIggaUX
— People (@people) December 5, 2025
His sons Chris and Mike Jr. had been digging for months before they discovered the answer to a mystery that had haunted their father and his siblings all their lives.
The pair found exactly what they were looking for. Any traces that could be linked to their grandfather’s sudden disappearance in 1963. Michael, who was made to believe that his father had abandoned him all those years ago, saw the bones buried deep in his basement.
“I thought maybe it was a root or a dog bone,” the 64-year-old recalled. He revealed how, on second glance, it was evident that the bones belonged to a human. This was when the whole narrative he had believed all his life came crashing down.
When his father had vanished from their house at 30 years old, Michael’s mother told him and his three other siblings that he had abandoned them. Dorothy was left with the responsibility of raising 4 kids under the age of 10.
Dorothy never gave her children a real explanation about their father’s disappearance, but repeatedly told them that their father wasn’t “a good guy.” She then went on to marry the family’s live-in handyman, Richard Darress. The couple gave birth to a son named Rich and separated after.
Dorothy’s two sons shared how they endured abuse at the hands of their stepfather. Her two daughters were allegedly sexually assaulted by Darress. What was peculiar about the case was that the mother of 4 at the time decided against filing a missing persons report for her husband.
George’s firstborn, Steve Carroll, spoke about how he and his siblings were led to believe that their father just up and left. “But somebody murdered him,” he added. After the remains of their father were found, there was speculation that their mother, who passed away from cancer, could have played a part in his demise.
“I know who she was, and if she had any part in this, she definitely had a reason,” Rich noted, according to a report by People. Dorothy’s other children have maintained the same stance despite the speculation.
Dorothy Carroll Told Her Kids That Their Dad Abandoned Them. 55 Years Later, the Kids Found George Carroll’s Body Buried in the Basement https://t.co/xtXq078PSr
— Dian (@Dian5) December 5, 2025
Jean Kennedy, Dorothy’s daughter, persuaded her siblings to go to a psychic along with her. The psychic they hired told them that their father had been murdered and his body was hidden in the basement. This was what led the family to go digging in their basement.
Suffolk County Police is now investigating the murder to find out who killed the beloved father and war veteran. Richard Darress is being looked at as the prime suspect in the case.
