Streator Boy's Unsolved Murder Marks 10 Years

STREATOR, Ill. (CBS) – The downstate town of Streator marked a solemn 10-year anniversary Saturday: a child's unsolved murder.

Seven-year-old Dalton Mesarchik disappeared in March 2003 waiting on his front lawn for a church van to pick him up. The very next day, his body was found near a river; the boy had been bludgeoned with a hammer.

This weekend, the boy's family, friends and investigators held a news conference to re-publicize the case and keep it alive. A state police official said investigators have followed up on 2,000 leads over the years.

A $50,000 reward is being offered to help find the boy's killer.

"I'm sure none of us thought we would still be looking for answers after 10  years," Dalton's mother, Michelle Mesarchik, said. "We do know at this point that nothing we could say or do will ever bring Dalton back to us. The one thing we can concentrate on is justice for Dalton."

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Illinois State Police Zone 5 at 815-844-1500 extension 2321 and 217-278-5004.