Madison was last seen leaving his home in the 14500 block of Sayre Street in Sylmar, California on December 16, 1968. He had an argument with his father about smoking and rode away from his house on his motorcycle. Madison never returned home and has never been heard from again. His family initially believed he'd run away from home.

Madison loved animals and rock and roll music in 1968. He enjoyed playing sports and playing the guitar, and he was close to his family, which included his parents, two sisters and two brothers. Madison's parents have died, but his siblings are alive and hope for a resolution in his case.

Authorities believe Mack Ray Edwards was responsible for Madison's disappearance. A photograph of him is posted below this case summary. In 1970, Edwards pleaded guilty to killing three California children and sentenced to death at his own request. He confessed to killing Madison and two other missing children, Brenda Howell and Donald Baker. Edwards lived just five houses down the street from Madison's home and was a regular visitor. Madison was a classmate of Edwards's adopted son, and the two boys were friendly. Edwards stated he lured Madison into an orange grove and tricked him into agreeing to be tied up as part of a game. Edwards said he then stabbed the teen to death and buried his body under the 23 Freeway in Thousand Oaks, California.

The freeway was under construction at the time and Edwards was looking at the site. He claimed he used a bulldozer to bury Madison's body. Authorities believe he was also most likely responsible for the murders of several other children and the disappearances of Thomas Bowman, Bruce Kremen and Karen Tompkins. Edwards lead authorities to a site where he said he had buried some of his victims, but no evidence was located and he was never charged in connection with any of the missing children's cases. He committed suicide on death row in 1971. A photograph of Edwards is posted below this case summary. His alleged victims ranged in age from eight years to sixteen.

Foul play is suspected in Madison's case due to the circumstances involved. His case was reopened in 2007 as authorities renewed the search for the bodies of Edwards's victims. Edwards was employed as a heavy equipment operator in the 1950s and 1960s, and helped construct many highways across the state of California. Investigators believe he may have buried the children's remains under the highways. In 2008, they dug a 25-foot-deep pit near the 23 Freeway in search of Madison's body, but the search was called off due to safety concerns. Authorities believe Madison's remains are very close to the search site, however, and his younger sister left a bouquet of flowers there.

Above: Mack Ray Edwards