Police track new lead in Jaliek Rainwalker case

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State police were seen Wednesday afternoon searching the wooded area near the South Troy Dodgers Baseball Field, looking for anything that would help them solve the case of Jaliek Rainwalker’s mysterious disappearance. 

We dug back into News Vault 13 to find the video from 2007 when Jaliek initially disappeared. In the throwback video, you see police searching the area high and low for Jaliek.

He was last seen on November 1, 2007, when he stayed the night at a family home in Greenwich with his adoptive father Stephen Kerr.

On camera, Kerr was seen making an emotional plea and asking anyone with information to reach out.

In the original report, parents say Jaliek mentioned suicide, but never actually attempted suicide. Police eventually labeled the case a likely homicide, saying all signs point to the adoptive father.

Jaliek’s adoptive maternal grandmother did not believe Kerr’s tearful plea, and she’s hoping there will be justice for her grandson. 

“I still feel that Stephen knew, he was cognizant of what was happening,” she said. “I get my hopes up that there will be something found that is linked to Jaliek or that there will be some closure for us as a family or that there will be a lead that comes out of it.”

Kerr has insisted he’s innocent, but police say he has not been cooperative.

Over the past 14.5 years, police have searched dozens of places throughout the region and followed hundreds of leads.

Police are asking if anyone needs information to call their tip line at 1-800-448-3847 (Give Tip) or email Crimetip@troopers.NY.gov.