MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — State and local officials gathered Friday to dedicate Jimmy Ryce Avenue in honor of nine-year-old Jimmy Ryce, whose 1995 abduction and murder led to significant changes in child protection laws and missing child investigations across Florida.
FDLE Missing Persons and Offender Enforcement Director Melissa Bujeda joined representatives from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction, elected officials and members of the FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse Advisory Board for the dedication ceremony on June 5.
Jimmy Ryce was abducted and murdered in September 1995 near his home in Redland, just steps from a school bus stop. Following the tragedy, his parents, Don and Claudine Ryce, founded the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction and became advocates for stronger protections for children.
Their efforts helped lead to the passage of the Jimmy Ryce Act and the development of resources used by law enforcement agencies nationwide in missing child investigations.
“Every day, law enforcement officers, missing child advocates, analysts, investigators, and community members throughout Florida continue this mission. The work we do today in missing child investigations, child recovery efforts, and offender enforcement is part of a legacy that was shaped by Jimmy’s story,” said FDLE Missing Persons and Offender Enforcement Director Melissa Bujeda. “His name became synonymous with a commitment to ensuring that no family faces such a tragedy without every available resource dedicated to bringing their child home.”
Officials said the street dedication serves as a permanent reminder of Jimmy Ryce’s legacy and the ongoing commitment of law enforcement and advocacy organizations to protect children and support families affected by abduction cases.