Myong Hwa and Bobby Whitt

Myong Hwa Whitt, age 44 and Robert Adam “Bobby” Whitt, age 10 of North Carolina and formerly of Sardinia, Ohio were not finished living when their lives were abruptly ended in 1998. Both murdered and left along the roadside of Interstate 85, one in North Carolina and the other over 200 miles away in South Carolina. Both remained unidentified for 20 years, two cold cases in two different states and the authorities did not know they were mother and child. On December 26, 2018 a breakthrough DNA testing through Ancestry linked Bobby to a family member. After talking with family, they were able to link Bobby to Myong Hwa and piece the story together.  

Myong Hwa (Cho) Whitt was born January 27, 1954 in South Korea and died May 12, 1998 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. She was a loving mother and a hard worker, sometimes holding down two jobs at the same time. But she always found time for Bobby. Myong Hwa is survived by one sister – Mina and one niece – Susan.

Bobby was born January 7, 1988 in Oscoda, Michigan and died July 29, 1998 in Mebane, North Carolina. His remains were dumped under a billboard earning him the moniker “The Boy Under the Billboard.” He was a typical fun loving 10-year-old that always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Bobby was kind and giving, often giving away his toys because a friend wanted it. He loved dinosaurs and Jurassic Park and his room was full of characters from the movie. He was a joy, full of life and his family adored him. Besides his mother, Bobby was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother – Janet Ruth (Shiveley) Whitt. Janet was heartbroken when Bobby, her only grandson disappeared from her life in 1998. She died in 2017 never knowing what happened to him.

Bobby is survived by his paternal grandfather – Ovel Whitt and wife Edith of Greenville, Ohio; one aunt – Barbara Moellman and husband Dan of Mt.Orab, Ohio; two uncles – Tom and James Whitt both of Sardinia, Ohio; nine cousins – Natalie Mosteller of Covington, Kentucky, Abbey Harvey and husband Ty of Owensville, Ohio, Samantha Mosteller of Eastgate, Ohio; Mary East, Ben, Cecilia and Ian Harvey and Isabella and Lydia Mosteller.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, May 18, 2019 at the Cahall Funeral Home in Mt. Orab, Ohio. Scott Hennig will officiate. Visitation will be from 12:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. Saturday at the funeral home. Inurnment will be in the Mt. Orab Cemetery in Mt. Orab, Ohio where mother and son will finally be reunited and laid to rest together next to Bobby’s grandmother, Janet.

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