Zachary Michael-Cole Bernhardt was eight years old when he disappeared from his home in Clearwater, Florida, on September 11, 2000.

Zachary lived with his mother, Leah Hackett (now Leah Hanson), in the 2600 block of Drew Street. According to his mother, she left the apartment at approximately 2:00 a.m. to take a walk and a short swim while Zachary was asleep.

When she returned, he was gone. Accounts regarding the duration of her absence have varied, ranging from fifteen minutes to two hours.
Early in the investigation, authorities indicated that they suspected the mother had more information than she disclosed. She was facing eviction at the time of the disappearance and had a history of moving frequently.

Authorities investigated Kevin Jalbert, a local man who made incriminating claims about being a child murderer. Though he led police to the apartment complex, his descriptions of the apartment and the child’s clothing were incorrect, and his DNA did not match evidence in the case.

Investigators explored a potential connection to an unsolved 2002 kidnapping of a five-year-old boy from the same apartment complex, but no evidence was found to link the two cases.
Charley Project: https://charleyproject.org/case/zach...cole-bernhardt