AURORA, Ill. (WLS) -- Four years ago, Timmothy Pitzen's mother took him on a trip to Wisconsin and no one has seen him since.
"I miss him and his mother every day of my life," Alana Anderson, Timmothy's grandmother, said. Timmothy was last seen in May 2011 checking out of a Wisconsin resort with his mother, Amy Fry Pitzen. The next day, she was found dead in a Rockford motel. Investigators found a note, "Timmothy is with someone who loves and cares for him and you will never find him."
Despite an international search, police have come up empty. Officials thought they may have a break in the case when Fry Pitzen's cell phone was recovered from a roadside ditch near Rockford two years ago.
"There was no useful information on that cell phone," Aurora Police Department Spokesperson Dan Ferrelli said.
On Tuesday, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a age progression to show what Timmothy might look like now, as a 10-year-old boy.
"NCMEC forensic artists do amazing work and their images have helped bring home hundreds of other children before. This important tool may hold the key to bringing Timmothy home," said Detective Lee Catavu of the Aurora Police Department.
"I know he's alive. His mother would never hurt him. I believe he's out there," Anderson said.
Police said there is no evidence that Timmothy met with foul play, but they've also never found evidence as to his whereabouts. Officials hope the newly-released age-progression photo will generate some leads.
Anyone who may have information is asked to call The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or Aurora Police at (630) 256-5500.