The story of Clifford Roy Wood and his son, Peyton Michael Penn, has drawn attention following an emotional family appeal shared on social media. A relative has been searching for Peyton for many years, hoping to reconnect him with the family he lost contact with during his early childhood.
According to a Facebook post shared by Rachel Forbus in the Adopted/Missing Family Members Looking To Reunite group, Peyton was born on September 18, 2008, in the Baltimore, Maryland, area. His mother was Tabitha Penn, who has since passed away, and his father was Clifford Roy Wood, who was also reported to have died.
Peyton was reportedly last seen by his maternal family around Father’s Day in 2011, when he was still a very young child. His father had previously been involved in custody arrangements with Tabitha. However, following a period of separation and reconciliation, Clifford eventually took Peyton for a Father’s Day visit. According to the family, that was the last time they saw the boy.
For years, relatives struggled to discover where Peyton had gone. They reportedly contacted authorities and attempted to use available public records to locate Clifford. However, their efforts did not lead to answers. The family also believed Clifford had connections in West Virginia and possibly Idaho or Iowa.
In 2016 or 2017, Tabitha reportedly received a Facebook message from someone claiming to be a member of Clifford’s family. The message informed her that Clifford had become ill and had passed away. Unfortunately, the sender provided no additional information about Peyton before blocking her.
The uncertainty surrounding her son’s whereabouts reportedly remained a painful part of Tabitha’s life. Despite facing personal struggles, she never stopped being part of the story of a mother hoping to reconnect with her child.
Tabitha passed away in June 2022 after suffering from a serious brain tumor and a brain aneurysm, according to the family account. Her sister described her as a loving person who had quietly faced her illness while trying to protect those closest to her.
After losing her sister, Rachel made a promise to continue searching for Peyton. She explained that he deserves to know about his mother, grandmother, stepfather, and siblings who have never stopped wondering about him.
There was also an encouraging update in the original post. Rachel thanked members of the online group after receiving a promising lead on some of Clifford’s relatives. She said she had seen more recent photographs that helped confirm she was looking at the correct family and had sent messages to several relatives while waiting for responses.
For the family, this development represents an important step after many years without answers. Their hope is that Peyton will eventually learn about his background and reconnect with the relatives who have spent so long looking for him.