RICHMOND, Va. -- Mac Adams does not know how so much time has slipped away.
"I enjoyed being from the city and being an officer in the city. Thirty years of memories,” Adams said. "Blink of an eye. Seriously Greg. It seems like a blink of an eye."
The Richmond Police homicide detective turned in his badge last July.
"I woke up one morning and said that is it," Adams recalled.
But this former investigator is still trying to solve a mystery, in black and white.
Mac Adams holding photo
An old photo given to him as a retirement gift piqued his interest.
"I was thankful she gave it to me. And gave it to me and my next thought was who is this kid," Adams said.
The snapshot, from the 1930’s or 1940’s of a little boy in a police uniform, was purchased by a friend at an antique store.
"The billy stick looks real. The handcuffs look real. Those things look real," Adams said.
He has so many questions about the pint-sized patrolman.
"Kind of picks at you. 'Hey, who is this kid? Is he still here? Is his family still here?'"
The photograph was produced at DeSouza Studios on North Sycamore Street in Petersburg. The building still stands, but the business is long gone.
"What immediately caught my eye is that he has two different badges on," Adams said.
The photo mystery is putting Mac Adams’ well-honed investigative skills to the test, but it has been one road block after another.
"I sent copies to some friends who work for Petersburg and they showed it around. Nobody knows. Nobody recognizes. They got nothing," Adams said.
The former officer is hoping someone can identify the kiddie cop.
Adams suspected the boy in the photo is now about 85-years-old. Mac Adams a man dedicated to serving and protecting for so long. Now he is determined to crack one last case.
"It is a real cute picture,” Adams said. "To find out what happened to this picture. What happened to this kid. What did he go on to be. What did he become. What happened to his life? I would really like to return it to the family."
If you can help Mac Adams figure out the little boy's story -- email Greg McQuade. We’ll update you if Mac solves the mystery.
Watch Greg McQuade's "I Have A Story" features Fridays on CBS 6 News at 11 p.m.
Watch "I Have A Story" Fridays on CBS 6 News at 11 p.m. If you know of someone with an interesting story we should tell, email gmcquade@wtvr.com
