When a child or a loved one goes missing, immediately life changes as you know it, your entire world seems to fall apart. You feel isolated, confused and desperate and may feel you have nowhere to turn for help and support. You become bombarded with emotion, not knowing what to expect, or what to do, or how to respond. Life becomes an emotional roller coaster for those left behind, leaving you emotionally vulnerable. Feelings of sadness, loss, guilt and anger are normal but leave you feeling emotionally drained. Longing for direction, most families who have experienced a child or loved… Read More
In March 1993, Tricia Lynn Reitler, 19, was a freshman psychology major at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. Teachers described Tricia as a beautiful and brilliant student with a high grade point average. Her future was bright until . . . she vanished without a trace. The Disappearance During the early evening of Tricia’s disappearance on March 29, 1993, she was writing a term paper and decided to take a short break to walk to Marsh Supermarket, approximately half a mile from the university campus. According to investigators, while at the store, she purchased a root beer and a… Read More
The story of Sherry Papini, 34, is one of the most bizarre kidnapping cases in recent years. On November 2, 2016, Sherri, vanished without a trace in Northern California while jogging near her home in Redding. Her family and the community were shocked that such a beautiful and outgoing young woman could be abducted while innocently jogging in such a safe and tranquil place. 22 days later, at approximately 4:30 a.m., on Thanksgiving morning, a passing motorist saw Papini desperately waving on the side of the road in Yolo County. The location is approximately 150 miles south of her home… Read More
Former Globetrotter, Rico Harris, 42, vanished without a trace from the Cache Creek Regional Park in northern California on a warm evening on October 10, 2014. His mysterious disappearance continues to baffle authorities. Early Life Harris was born on May 19, 1977, to parents Margaret Fernandez who was a caregiver to the elderly, and Henry Harris, a semiprofessional basketball player. The firstborn of four children, his early childhood was chaotic due to his father’s abusiveness, his parents’ divorce, and several moves, first to Oregon, then to Los Angeles, and finally to Alhambra, California. Growing up Rico was soft-spoken and bashful,… Read More
Commonly called America’s Corn Belt, southern Indiana is a fertile state where you can find hilly farmland that stretches into the states of Illinois and Iowa on up to the higher hills and majestic glacial kettle lakes. A place where families gather for holidays and traditional family values are still alive and well. But Indiana also has a dark side where the light has been overshadowed by fear. A place where those who have vanished have left no trace. Denise Pflum The Disappearance Denise Pflum, 18, was last seen leaving her house on March 28, 1986, in Connersville, Indiana. An… Read More
Montana is a Rocky Mountain state that borders Canada and often referred to as “Big Sky Country” with numerous spectacular mountain ranges, western prairie terrain, and the badlands. Best known as the “Crown of the Planet,” Montana is the home of the majestic Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Beartooth Highway, and Big Sky Resort with tourism being the fastest growing sector. Montana has changed little over time with an abundance of wildlife and breathtaking views. A place where Buffalo still roam the plains. Crow Nation Crow Nation is located in south central Montana bordering Wyoming on the south, and… Read More
The family of 63 year-old Kenneth Wayne Jimson is still waiting for answers in his mysterious disappearance from Shelby, North Carolina almost two years ago. When he was reported missing back in December of 2017, authorities issued a Silver Alert for Kenneth because they believed that he was coping with a cognitive impairment. Like many other missing individuals with cognitive impairments, case progress has been stalled because of the transient nature of missing persons with those impairments. According to the Shelby Star, the last confirmed sighting of Kenneth was in the vicinity of Care Solutions on East Grover Street in… Read More
Tragedies can affect communities and society as a whole. Sometimes it only takes one person to make a difference that impacts us all. It was 24 years ago, on June 9, 1995, that a little girl vanished at a Little League baseball game in the small town of Alma, Ark., within the River Valley at the edge of the majestic Ozark Mountains. Beautiful Morgan Chauntel Nick, age 6, with long blonde hair and blue eyes has not been seen since. Morgan Nick is the eldest of three other children. She loved cats and according to her mother Colleen Nick, she… Read More
Most of us are aware of our inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But for most American’s there is a lesser-known right . . . the right to go missing. As of April 30, 2018, there were 86,927 active missing person cases in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) at the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Of that number 14,411 are listed as endangered by authorities. While most cases will resolve quickly, others date back decades. “If you, as an adult, want to take off and need some time alone, you’re entitled to do that,” according to… Read More
The development of crowd-funding platforms such as GoFundMe has elevated an individual’s ability to see their financial goals realized. Whether the goal is retaining support for a passion project, or simply garnering a smaller sum to pull through a financial crisis or emergency, crowd-funding is making it all possible. One type of campaign that is becoming more and more vital is GoFundMe campaigns for missing persons. When a person is reported missing, law enforcement jumps on the case to follow up on hot leads, interview witnesses, and gather evidence. While these services are obviously a public service, it’s not uncommon… Read More
Suzanne “Suzi” Streeter, Stacy McCall and Sherrill Levitt Suzanne Streeter, 19, along with her mother Sherrill Levitt, 47, and best friend Stacy McCall, 18, all vanished June 7, 1992 from Springfield, Mo. The girls had planned on staying at a hotel in Branson, Mo., then visit the White-Water amusement park in the morning. Stacy called her mother to tell her they instead decided to stay at a friend’s home in Battlefield, Mo. After the police were called due to a noise complaint, the two girls head over to Sherrill’s house to spend the rest of the night. Sherill had been… Read More
(Sarah Galloway went missing March 21, 2019, from the front of her home in Picture Rocks, outside of Tucson Ariz.) Sarah Galloway, 38, has Down’s Syndrome and vanished between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., from the front porch of her rural home in Picture Rocks, Ariz., just outside of Tucson on March 21, 2019. Due to the mysterious circumstance of Sarah’s disappearance and disability, Sarah is classified an “endangered missing person” in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS), has joined the search and published a flier and alert… Read More
(With over 500,000 homeless in the United States, homeless cities are popping up at record numbers Photo courtesy Mercury News, San Jose, Calif.) The numbers are staggering. According to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD), there were approximately 554,000 homeless people living somewhere in the United States on any given night last year. Sadly, that number is rising. According to Forbes, cities with the highest rate of homelessness are in one of the five states – California (129,972), New York (91,897), Florida (31,030), Texas (25,310), and Washington (22,304). Not surprising is the problem has become much more visible in urban… Read More
Most Americans have never and will never experience the devastation that occurs in the aftermath of war on their homeland. It is hard to quantify the scale of missing persons in conflict, but available statistics reflect a vast number have gone missing due to conflict, migration and disaster. The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) reports that in Shri Lanka 20,000 people remain missing after the end of the civil war. In Columbia, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) puts the number at nearly 80,000 following decades of civil war. There are many other conflicts that report tens… Read More
Police arrest estranged husband and his girlfriend in connection with her disappearance… Jennifer Dulous, 50, was last seen on May 24, 2019. The last time anyone heard from her, she was dropping off her five children at school in her black Chevrolet Suburban. Following that last point of contact, police investigating her disappearance have been following a trail of tangible and circumstantial evidence that paints a picture of a marriage fraught with control and intimidation, followed by an ugly custody battle that may have been the motive for a grisly, violent act. On June 1st, police arrested Jennifer’s estranged husband,… Read More
(Sarah Galloway, 38, has Down Syndrome and went missing from Tucson, Ariz., on March 21, 2019.) On March 21, 2019, Sherry Galloway, 66, got out of the shower and, while sitting on her bed, “realized I didn’t hear Sarah,” she said. She ran to the door where Sarah had been sitting on the porch and looked down the road that leads away from the residence Galloway shares with her daughter in the community of Picture Rocks, outside of Tucson, Ariz. “My first thought was that she had just walked further down the road than she was allowed,” says Galloway. “I… Read More
Mackenzie “Kenzie” Lueck, 23, is a vanished Monday, June 17, 2019, from Salt Lake City, Utah. She last contacted her family during the early hours of June 17, to let them know her plane had arrived. No one has heard from her since. During an intensive investigation of Lueck’s disappearance, police made a grisly discovery Friday, June 28. On June 28, police announced they arrested Ayoola Ajayi, 31, in the kidnapping and murder of Mackenzie Lueck. Photo courtesy of Deseret News. After scouring a digital trail, Salt Lake City police have arrested Ayoola A. Ajayi, 31, in the kidnapping and… Read More
An automotive journalist took a motorcycle for a test drive, and that was the last anyone heard from him… Davey G. Johnson, 44, was on an extended test-drive of a motorcycle in California last week when he fell out of touch with his fiancé on the evening of Tuesday, June 4, 2019. He contacted his fiancé around 2AM on June 5th, apologizing for his radio silence, citing a dead cell phone and hazardous roads. “That part of the Sierra is just stupidly spectacular. Anyway, I’m so sorry I worried you. Yes, I am okay and alive, but I am WIPED.” … Read More
Logan City authorities are still searching for 5-year-old Elizabeth Shelley in Utah, following reports that the chief suspect in her disappearance is both under arrest and has been charged with murder. Despite the fact that a body has not been recovered, authorities have released statements characterizing the evidence in the case as solid. The Cache County Attorney’s Office also recently released a grateful statement from the family, “As a family, we are overwhelmed, scared and sad at the recent tragic events that have touched our lives.” The desperate and miserable circumstances of little Elizabeth’s disappearance have been further compounded by… Read More
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, 19, was a dark-haired beauty and nine months’ pregnant when she went missing April 23, 2019, in Chicago, Ill. That day Ochoa-Lopez had attended classes at Latino Youth High School in Chicago, planning to pick up her 3-year old at daycare later that day. According to police, prior to her disappearance she had appealed to other mothers on a Facebook group called “Help a Sister Out,” asking for help securing a double stroller for her toddler and new baby. A high-school student, Ochoa-Lopez wrote in a post that she was unemployed and short on cash, and willing to… Read More
Authorities and investigators in Texas have renewed vigor in their search for a four-year-old girl in Texas, following allegations the prime suspect knew of “a good place to dump a body.” After chasing down multiple leads with search teams, Texas EquuSearch announced this week they would be suspending their search for Maleah Davis until they could refocus their investigation. Surveillance footage provided investigators with an insidious picture of the hours before and after Maleah’s disappearance. On the morning of April 30, 2019, a surveillance photo shows Maleah walking with her mother’s former fiancé, Derion Vence, through the backyard of their… Read More
Their due dates have passed, but these women have still not been found… The ticking of the clock is resonating as a heavy blow in Chicago, as communities continue to demand answers in the cases of two pregnant women who have disappeared from the south side over the last year. As of today, their due dates have passed, further compounding the concern and worry of friends and family. Back in October of 2018, we shared the story of 26-year-old postal carrier, Kierra Coles. She was three months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, and her projected due date was… Read More
As of April 30, 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), reported a total of 86,927 missing persons in the United States. Though this number fluctuates month to month, the average number of 87,000 missing persons listed as active missing person cases in the National Crime Information Center at the FBI remains fairly consistent. Access to the NCIC computer database is restricted to use only by law enforcement. It’s important to know there are different kinds of missing person cases in the NCIC database. The FBI categorizes missing persons into six different categories. Juvenile Endangered Involuntary Disability Catastrophe Most missing… Read More
Americans are captivated by missing child stories, haunted by the nagging specter of “What if this happened to my child?” The year 2018 was punctuated by a handful of missing child cases that were covered by mainstream media, including Jayme Closs, Mollie Tibbetts, and Karlie Gusé. Interest in missing children cases continues to grow with the production of documentaries and docuseries about famous missing child cases, like Madeline McCann and Jan Broberg. This cultivated curiosity can only benefit the ultimate goal of keeping a missing person’s face in the public eye in the interest of unearthing unexplored leads in their… Read More
When you are in the midst of a traumatic experience, it’s hard to look beyond the immediate crisis. When a loved one goes missing, it’s hard to think about issuing a press release and why it may be so important to learn in the initial days folmlowing the missing person report. How important is a press release when some we love goes missing? Digital communication is the most used form of communication in the United States. When a person goes missing, it becomes paramount to notify as many people as possible in order to generate leads for law enforcement, and… Read More
Couple vanishes while on vacation in Dominican Republic A romantic trip to the Caribbean sounds just like what the doctor ordered as the warmer weather approaches. Unfortunately for one New York couple, a mysterious series of events on their vacation to the Dominican Republic culminated in tragedy, leaving their families searching for answers. Orlando Moore and Portia Ravenelle documented their adventure through SnapChat—photos in front of lush greenery, photos with wildlife. The gregarious couple managed to make friends with other tourists who were staying at their resort, the Grand Bahia Principe Cayacoa. The couple was last seen sharing a drink… Read More
There are many different types of missing persons—adults with mental illness, homeless individuals, children, and runaways. Each type of case deserves to be treated with a special approach, with careful regard given to the circumstances of each case. Perhaps the type of case that deserves the most particular care and approach is the case of a missing/abducted infant. In good hands The presumption behind any missing infant case, because they cannot take of themselves, is they were abducted by an adult. When an infant’s whereabouts cannot be accounted for, it leaves investigators with a very polarizing theory of the case:… Read More
The disappearance of Madeline McCann is arguably the most internationally famous missing child case since the Lindbergh baby vanished in 1932. The story received an unprecedented amount of media attention throughout the globe due to the international nature of the case and the public relations campaign that struggled to keep the child’s face out there in the public eye. Now, in 2019, Netflix has released an eight-episode docuseries, The Disappearance of Madeline McCann, about the case, taking a hard look at the investigation and media coverage surrounding the case since Madeline disappeared 11 years ago. Madeline McCann was just three… Read More
High profile missing person cases stay with us as a nation. Despite lapses in coverage, when we see their photo again, we are reminded of the details we know about the case, our personal feelings based entirely in speculation, and remember all over again that there is still a family waiting for them to come home. The more mysterious the circumstances, the more we stare in horror, watching their family’s world fall apart. Here are ten of the most fascinating and mysterious missing persons cases in recent history. 10: Karlie Gusé The night before she disappeared, Karlie Gusé was seen… Read More
When we see missing person cases in the news, we become fascinated on an exponential scale. This includes media coverage, their missing persons flyer, or podcasts about their disappearance. The farther away we are positioned from a missing person case—whether it’s geographically or inter-personally—the more fascinated we are, like those who rubberneck to see the aftermath of a terrible accident. A person in Indianapolis who reads all of the news coverage about the Jayme Closs case in Wisconsin might do so without any sense of paranoia, because it’s happening 400 miles away, and not in their own lives. Recent statistics… Read More
Last week, Tawana, Jabez Spann’s mother, received the closure she’d been chasing since September 4, 2017. That Labor Day weekend was the last time she saw her son alive. The Sarasota teen went missing from his own front yard after having attended a candlelight vigil being held two blocks from his home. After a torturous 18 months without answers, she finally received the news she dreaded. Two men were checking a fence in a pasture in Manatee County when they made a grisly discovery: A human skull. They called 911. Jabez’s remains identified from dental records. Sarasota Police Deputy Chief… Read More
For over 30 years, Lauth Investigations International has been delivering proactive and diligent solutions to help corporations, attorneys and individuals find solutions to some of life’s most troubling conflicts, such as missing persons, theft, fraud, and corporate crises. Thomas Lauth founded this firm in 1995 in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving attorneys, corporations, and private citizens throughout the United States and beyond. His success has allowed him to expand his business, with offices in Tampa, Florida and Boulder, Colorado. His experience and prowess have allowed him to bring closure to grieving families who have lost a loved one, return lost or stolen… Read More
Jayme Closs vanished October 15, 2018 and found alive 88-days later in rural Wisconsin. Photo courtesy WOKV TV. The recent disappearance of Jayme Closs, 13, and the brutal murder of her parents, gripped the nation for nearly 3 months. Jayme’s abduction, and eventual recovery, has parents now wondering how safe their own children are when traveling to and from school. On October 15, 2018, Barron Sheriff’s Department received a cell phone call from a local residence but were unable to make contact with the caller. We now know that urgent call came from Denise Closs, 46, just moments before she… Read More
The search for Savannah Spurlock is entering its 6th week, as law enforcement continue to reconstruct the events that led up to her disappearance. On January 4th, after spending some time with her mother, the 23-year-old had decided to go out with friends. It would be her first return to her social life since recently giving birth to twins. Her mother, Ellen Spurlock, was glad to see her daughter getting out to have fun again. She told the Lexington Herald-Leader, “I thought she needed a little break. She hadn’t done anything for months since she just had the twins.” The… Read More
But Jayme Closs’s story is not solitary in the true-crime world. Here are the stories of five other cases of child abduction where the child was eventually located alive, months—sometimes decades later.
If you watch a lot of crime dramas, either on television or on the silver screen, you might have heard a law enforcement character say something to the effect of, “You must wait 24 hours before reporting a person missing.” It surprises many Americans that this is a myth perpetuated by mainstream media to cover narrative plot-holes. In fact, waiting even a few hours can compromise a missing persons investigation, as the first 72 hours are the most important when investigators begin searching for a missing person. Close your eyes and try to remember what you had for breakfast three… Read More
Jayme Closs’s harrowing story of survival has captured the attention of the entire nation. The 13-year-old Wisconsin teen went missing almost three months ago on October 15,2018, after a cryptic phone call to 911 triggered a call from police to the Closs home where officers made a grisly discovery. Jayme’s parents, James and Denise Closs, were found shot dead and their 13-year-old daughter was nowhere to be found. The slaying of her parents and evidence of a home invasion qualified the missing teenager for an Amber Alert by authorities, and search efforts immediately began for Jayme as investigators began to… Read More
How easy would it be to kidnap a child in a crowded place? Maybe the park, walking home from school or even sleeping in their own bedroom. Over again, we see parents of missing children making pleas for the safe return of their children on the news. We see the Amber Alerts and Facebook posts and immediately picture our own children’s faces, thinking “What if it happened to me?” A common reaction to something so traumatic. A young child becoming the victim of a predator is every parent’s worst nightmare, but the fact is, it is happening every day to… Read More
When a loved one goes missing, those closest to them become law enforcement’s greatest asset. One of the tenets of any quality investigation is research and close examination of the subject’s habits. Clues to a person’s whereabouts or fate can often be found in their regular daily routine. However, when the missing person suffers from mental health issues, families and law enforcement are often without recourse. A person vanishing without a trace or without warning is terrifying enough; one day they’re there, walking, talking, laughing, doing the things they love. Then one day, they’re not. The void left by that… Read More
It is said, ambiguous loss is the most traumatic of human experiences, and when someone you love goes missing, it is a trauma unlike any other. Ambiguous loss occurs without understanding or closure, leaving a person searching for answers. Ambiguous loss confounds the process of grieving, leaving a person with prolonged unresolved grief and deep emotional trauma. Ambiguous loss can be classified in two categories, psychological and physical. Psychological and physical loss differ in terms of what and why exactly the person is grieving. Physical ambiguous loss means the body of a loved is no longer present, such as a… Read More
Today marks eight weeks since 16-year-old Karlie Gusé wandered away from her family home in Chalfant, California, without a trace, leaving her family and friends with many questions about her safety and whereabouts. Karlie’s stepmother, Melissa Gusé, told investigators she observed Karlie in bed around 5:30 in the morning on October 13, 2018. When she checked on Karlie again between 7:15 and 7:30, Karlie was nowhere to be found. She had left behind all of her personal belongings, including her cell phone, before walking away from the property. The teen had told her parents the night before, she had attended… Read More
Many individuals who lived through natural disasters in the year 2018 lost loved ones to violent forces of nature. National news has been inundated, not only with updated death totals, but also long lists of names belonging to individuals who went missing during the disaster. The initial report in a missing persons case is a springboard for many complicated processes and procedures conducted by law enforcement and private investigators. Every relevant piece of information about the missing person must be collected, their last known whereabouts searched. If law enforcement determines the person is in immediate danger, or if they’re a… Read More
For many families across North America, the holiday season has begun—a season for spending time with family and reflecting on the blessings in your life. For Hania Aguilar’s family however, this joyous time of year has already been marred by her disappearance. On November 5th, 2018, a man dressed in black with a yellow bandana abducted the 13-year-old while she was outside her home at the Rosewood Mobile Home Park in Lumberton, North Carolina The incident has caused a fresh surge of panic in a town already pockmarked by cases of other missing women, with the Aguilar’s neighbors keeping their… Read More
The FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) contains over 89,000 active missing persons cases (as of May 2018). That’s over 89,000 families who are left with a gaping hole in their lives and in their households—missing fathers who taught their children to ride bikes and were never too busy to help out with a science project—mothers who made PB&J sandwiches just right, and never forgot to leave the hall light on. Most notably, many families are left without half of their household income when a parent or guardian goes missing. The missing person may have set up a life insurance… Read More
1. Approximately 2,300 children are reported missing each day in the United States, that one child every 40 seconds. 2. Nearly 800,000 people are reported missing every year in the United States. 3. May 25 th is National Missing Children’s Day. 4. In 1983 National Missing Children’s Day was proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan and commemorates the disappearance of Etan Patz who vanished in 1979. 5. After the abduction and murder of their son Adam, John and Reve’ Walsh helped create the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 1984. 6. NCMEC’s Cyber Tipline began receiving reports in… Read More
The Mono County Sheriff’s Office is fighting an uphill battle in their search for 16-year-old Karlie Guse. The teenager disappeared from her Chalfant, California home in the early hours of Saturday, October 13th, 2018. She is 5’7” tall, approximately 110 pounds, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. At the time of her disappearance, Karlie was wearing a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants. Three weeks after her disappearance, law enforcement—including the Federal Bureau of Investigation—remain stymied in their search for Karlie. Law enforcement involved with the case have described Karlie as possibly being disoriented when she went missing around 6:30… Read More
Several federal laws in the United States are focused on the plight of unresolved missing persons and unidentified remains. Each law, the result of families of missing persons who searched every dark corner for their missing child and tirelessly worked to ensure changes would be enacted to avoid the pitfalls they experienced in search of their missing or murdered child. Each law represents a victim, who in their name, would ensure another child would have a better chance. As of May 31,2018, there were 87,608 active missing person cases in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC)…. Read More
Near the intersection of 81st and Vernon in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Joseph Coles is waiting. Despite the days growing colder in the windy city, Coles has been living out of his car, a tan sedan, in front of his daughter’s apartment building since October 2nd, 2018. That was the day that his daughter, 26-year-old postal carrier, Kierra Coles, was last seen. Now the desperate father keeps vigil in front of her building, thirsty for news of any developments in her case. The family’s worry and confusion are only compounded by the fact that Kierra was three months pregnant… Read More
The news cycles this week have been dominated by another missing persons case in middle America, where a familiar refrain is ringing out across the media: “This does not happen here.” It’s a repeated sound byte from law enforcement and Barron, Wisconsin citizens alike as search efforts continue for 13-year-old Jayme Closs, who remains missing following the murder of her parents in their home on October 15th, 2018. A mysterious 911 call led law enforcement to the Closs home that evening. The dispatcher could not reach the person on the end of the line; however, a commotion could be heard… Read More
When we think of missing persons, we often think of victims who have likely befallen violence at the hands of another. Either they have been killed and their remains concealed, or they were abducted and are being held against their will somewhere. While there are many circumstances under which a person can go missing, those who go missing with mental illness can be some of the most difficult to find. The intricate layered mesh of mental health issues combined with the complexities of a missing persons investigation make for a maddening puzzle that plagues both the heart and the mind…. Read More
Indigenous women in this country are more likely than any other group to be raped or murdered. The salt in this gaping wound is they are also least likely to see justice. These are very passive terms, but there are no others, because the amount of data available about violent crimes against indigenous women is dwarfed in comparison to those of other groups. Last year, there were 5,646 Native American women entered into the National Crime Information Centre (NCIC) as missing. As of June 2018, there had been 2,758 reported missing. Many of their families have claimed no one bothered… Read More
What does it mean for a child to fall through the cracks? It’s a phrase we often hear following a tragedy involving children, like the one that killed six members of the Hart family in March of this year. Their family SUV was found in the water after having plummeted from a cliff’s edge in Northern California. While the remains of the parents, Jennifer and Sarah Hart, and four of their six children were pulled from the wreckage, two of the children, Hannah Hart, 16, and Devonte Hart, 15, are still missing, yet presumed deceased. In the weeks following, the… Read More
In Western media coverage, she’s denoted as “the Chinese Angelina Jolie,” with an adoring fan-base that knows no borders. Last year, there were only four other actresses in the world who made more money per project than she. She’s considered one of the most influential public figures in China, who is also speculated to be an enemy of their government. Her name is Fan BingBing, and she has not been seen in public since June of 2018. Western filmgoers will recognize her from popular film franchises from the Marvel Studios universe, such as X-Men: Days of Future Past in which… Read More
Investigators in Tennessee have tied a missing Indiana woman to their murder investigation 33 years after her disappearance. New Year’s Day in 1985, a young woman was found dead near Jellico, along Interstate 75, in Campbell County, Tenn. Police believed the woman had been murdered several days prior to being located along the highway. Campbell County is on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky. In 1985, investigators were unable to identify the young woman until decades later Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) agents saw a post about 21-year old Tina Marie McKenney Farmer’s 1984 disappearance posted on a missing person’s… Read More
In central Iowa, off of Interstate 80, there is a little town called Brooklyn. Eight weeks ago, if you googled, ‘Brooklyn, Iowa,’ you would probably get results from the regional newspapers, a community Facebook page not updated since 2016, and a few Google Maps results. Now the results are very different as the town name dominates news coverage of the man charged with the first-degree murder of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts. The month-long search came to a grisly end when law enforcement discovered remains they believed to be the missing University of Iowa sophomore. Reports from the autopsy indicate she died… Read More
It’s every parent’s worst fear their child may be harmed while venturing into the world on their own. But, what parent could imagine “not knowing” where her only child is for nearly two years. That is the nightmare, Susan Park, the mother of missing actress Elaine Park is living. Elaine Park, now 22, vanished on January 28, 2017, after she was last seen leaving her boyfriend’s home in Calabasas, Calif. Her unlocked charcoal-gray 2015 Honda Civic was found at Corral Beach in Malibu, parked on the shoulder of Pacific Coast Highway, with keys still in the ignition. Inside the car… Read More
When we hear of a person going missing without a trace, it’s often in municipalities, such as cities. The moment a loved one has realized the person is missing, they contact their local police department to file a missing persons report. From there, search and/or rescue efforts are launched by the local law enforcement. Hundreds of labor-hours are spent canvassing the area where the missing persons were last seen, speaking to witnesses who knew the missing person, and gathering information that could unearth plausible leads. According to the NCIC, as of May 31, 2018, there were 87,608 active missing person… Read More
A new website was launched Monday that has generated over 1,500 new tips received from people trying to help find missing University of Iowa student Molly Tibbetts. A spokesperson for Crimestoppers Greg Willey announced the reward fund has also climbed to nearly $400,000 which is a record for the 36-year old organization. The amount of the reward is likely to continue climbing a spokesperson for Crime Stoppers told the press. News outlets nationwide are continuously providing the public with updates, and the non-stop coverage is also breaking national records. The case is being compared to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway… Read More
(Kiera Bergman has been missing from Glendale, Ariz., since August 4, 2018.) Kiera Lanae Bergman, 19, was last seen by her best friend and roommate, Destiny Hall-Chand. The two young women worked together at a Glendale furniture store, just west of Phoenix, Arizona. Hall-Chand told the Arizona Republic that she and Bergman were at work on August 4, when Bergman became upset and asked to leave work early. According to Hall-Chand, Bergman’s ex-boyfriend picked her up. When Hall-Chand returned to their Glendale apartment near 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road, Bergman was not there but her car, keys, wallet, and purse… Read More
In May 2009, New Jersey resident Joe Dunsavage vanished during his international trip to Honduras. He left his wallet, passport, and luggage in his hotel room and set sail on his Catamaran to go fishing – never to be heard from again. The 49-year old mortgage company manager also had a business in the Central American country, so he was familiar with Honduras and its culture. His family searched for him for months in Honduras. His brother Jeff Dunsavage maxed out his credit cards and even mortgaged his home paying for planes and helicopters to search Honduran waters and other… Read More
Americans across the country have a bizarre fascination with all things foreign. When it comes to international travel and foreign countries, attitudes can range from a wanton Western wanderlust to a macabre fascination with the fear of the unknown. Young people nearing a graduation often make plans to go backpacking through Europe in the hopes of broadening their horizons before taking the next step on life’s path. Many volunteer to assist in relief efforts overseas following a natural disaster. Others travel overseas to visit with family they might not have seen in decades. On the reverse side of the coin,… Read More
Dalton Jack was at his construction job in Dubuque, Montana on the night of July 18th, 2018. He was working almost 100 miles away from his home in Brooklyn, Iowa. There, he had a sweetheart who was missing him—anxiously waiting for him to return so they could soon travel to the Dominican Republic to watch Jack’s older brother get married. Her name is Mollie, and Jack is just one of many who love and adore her for being “the sweetest, kindest, most caring person.” Now Jack, along with family and friends, police, and even the FBI, are conducting a furious… Read More
If you are a missing person, it helps to be white Jasmine Moody, a 22-year old Texas Women’s University student mysteriously vanished on December 4, 2014, while visiting a friend in Detroit, Michigan. Nearly four years later, police are no closer to figuring out what happened to her. News coverage of her disappearance has long since vanished from the scene too, folding into the phenomenon of what is known as Missing White Woman Syndrome. Approximately 7:30 p.m., the evening of December 4th, Jasmine was last seen leaving her friend’s home in the vicinity of the 3700 block of Baldwin, in… Read More
Every week there are new stories in the news about children and teenagers who have either run away or been kidnapped. When parents see these tragedies play out through media coverage, there’s usually one common thread running through their minds, “This could not happen to my child.” Despite statistics on the demographics most often affected by missing or runaway teens, no family is immune. Parents of a missing child or teen will most certainly have never found themselves in these frightful circumstances before and be at a loss for how to proceed. In addition to filing a report with police,… Read More
Police in Virginia Beach, Virginia have spent the last week searching for a mother of four. Bellamy Malaki Gamboa, 39, was last seen at her apartment in Virginia Beach on the night of July 1st. She was listed as a “critically missing adult” by police after they suspected she may have been abducted. Her 2005 gold Ford Focus was recovered about four miles from her apartment, parked next to a dumpster in a small parking lot on Pickering Street in Lake Edward. Her family is perplexed and extremely concerned about her disappearance, with several witnesses claiming it was “uncharacteristic” for… Read More
Tara Calico’s disappearance has baffled investigators for decades. In July 1989, a color Polaroid of an unidentified young woman and a little boy was found by a woman in a convenience store parking lot in Port St. Joe, a beach town approximately one hour south of Panama City, Florida. The woman who found the photograph in a vacant parking space said she saw a man driving a windowless Toyota cargo van parked there when she arrived at the store. The man was described as being in his 30’s with a mustache. The photograph had recently been taken. Officials at Polaroid said… Read More
For the last two weeks, the family of a missing Norristown mother have been fearing the worst. Jessica Guidici, 32, had been missing for eight days when authorities finally listed her as missing. In her absence, four children were left without a mother. The longer family went without hearing from her, the more concerned they grew, as no one in the family who has spoken out about Guidici’s disappearance made any indication she would leave her children of her own free will. Their concern was only compounded by the circumstances surrounding the last confirmed sighting of Guidici. She was last… Read More
When we hear the word “missing” we often think of missing children. When we walk into Walmart the faces of missing children stare back at us and the missing child cases that receive public and media attention are often the most extreme examples, such as the case of Ayla Reynolds. One-year-old Ayla Reynolds vanished from her home on December 16, 2011, in Waterville, Maine. Her arm in a sling, Ayla was last seen wearing green pajamas with “Daddy’s Princess” on the front. Six years later, Ayla’s disappearance remains a mystery. It is quite common there is less concern for adult… Read More
When 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez was reported missing on February 17th, 2018, there was a great deal of speculation surrounding the circumstances of his disappearance. On that fateful afternoon, his father’s live-in girlfriend Emily Glass, 26, reported she checked on him before showering, then took a nap. She claimed she awoke to find Lucas missing, and called the authorities. Lucas’s father was working out-of-state and had left his son in Glass’s care. Fruitless months passed in the search for Lucas with investigators unable to uncover any credible leads to his whereabouts. In a shocking twist, on May 24th, law enforcement received a… Read More
For months, the family of 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez wondered if they would ever have answers in his mysterious disappearance. On the day he disappeared, he was left in the care of his father’s girlfriend, Emily Glass. In the missing persons report Glass gave to investigators, she said she saw Lucas playing in his room around three in the afternoon. She then took a shower and fell asleep. When she awoke around six in the evening, Lucas was nowhere to be found. Law enforcement in Wichita investigated for months, unearthing no credible leads into Lucas’ disappearance. Months later, on May 24th, locals… Read More
At Lauth Missing Person Investigations, we specialize in complex missing person investigations of endangered missing children and adults. The investigative team at Lauth Investigations has over 40 years combined experience working closely with the families of missing persons, local, state and federal law enforcement, along with national media and missing persons organizations throughout the country and internationally. Founded in 1995, Thomas Lauth is a nationally recognized Missing Persons and Human Trafficking Investigator and graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, who initially served as Senior Criminal Investigator for Marion County Public Defender Agency located in Indiana. Lauth has served as… Read More
It has been over a decade since Facebook first broke ground in social media. Since its inception in 2004, Facebook has gone from connecting people in close proximity—students on college campuses—to closing the gaps of space and time as old high school flames reignite their old love through the lines of Facebook Messenger. However, not even Mark Zuckerburg could have predicted Facebook would be used to connect family members and amateur investigators in order to uncover new leads in unsolved or cold cases. The social media platform hosts hundreds of discussion pages, like Cold Case Discussion Group and Missing Leads,… Read More
According to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), there are 86,927 active missing persons cases as of April 30, 2018. These cases include juvenile disappearances, endangered missing, involuntary or “non-family” abductions, those with disabilities, catastrophe victims and those entered into NCIC as “other.” When a person we love goes missing, a time of great emotional turmoil and intense ambiguity follows. Dr. Pauline Boss said decades ago, having a loved one go missing is one of the most traumatic of human experiences. Not only are families trying to manage the trauma of “not knowing”… Read More
The month of May is a time to celebrate the women in our lives who brought us up. During this time, when they should have been talking of treasured childhood memories while visiting with family, one Baltimore family was in the grip of fear and uncertainty following the disappearance of a mother in their lives. Akia Eggleston, 22, was reported missing on May 7, 2017, and since then, both family and law enforcement have been trying to make sense of her disappearance. Was she a victim of intimate partner violence, or did she simply vanish without a trace? As… Read More
From the desk of Kym Pasqualini, Feature Crime Writer for Lauth Investigations Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is where you will find nightclubs on the same street as mosques. Some describe residing in Dubai as “living in a bubble” where there as is an attitude of “live and let live.” Dubai is one of the main and most populous cities in the UAE where islands have been built with beautiful luxury hotels and extravagant shopping centers that are attractive tourist destinations. Located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf, Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai and… Read More
In the aftermath of a tragedy, law enforcement, media, and families of the victims can have difficulty rationalizing how something so horrible could have transpired. This is certainly the case surrounding the Hart family from California. Strange circumstances surround the plunge of their family’s SUV off a 100-foot cliff in Mendocino County, California. Six members of the family were declared deceased after being pulled from the wreckage. Hannah and Devonte Hart still remain missing. The FBI press release following the investigation of the March 26th crash reads as follows: “The bodies of a Washington couple and four of their six… Read More
In the weeks following the capture of the infamous Golden State Killer, in which the survivors of the victims were finally given some closure, the family of a missing Florida man may finally have some answers as well after seventeen years of silence. Denise Williams, 48, was arrested on May 8th, 2018 for the first-degree murder of her first husband, Mike Williams. Her ex-husband, Brian Winchester, who is currently serving time for kidnapping her at gunpoint in 2016, was also identified in the court documents released on Tuesday as the person who shot his best friend, Mike Williams, on… Read More
California law enforcement are celebrating a break in a thirty year old cold case this week, as an an arrest has been made in the case of the Golden State Killer. DNA has been used to identify criminals for decades. However, the methods investigators used to identify the suspect have civilians debating whether or not the suspect’s civil liberties were violated. Investigators used DNA obtained from ancestry and genealogy platforms to locate a suspect matching the profile of the perpetrator. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested Tuesday morning, officially charged with 8 counts of Homicide committed in a decade span,… Read More
Rarely do you hear on the news of an American missing in Jamaica. Most missing person cases usually involve tourists who come to visit the island on a cruise, typically docked in Ocho Rios or Montego Bay, and never make it back to the ship once it’s time to depart. Typically, at the end of the investigation, the missing persons are normally found visiting a relative or staying in a nearby resort, claiming they simply wanted to spend more time on the island. A recent example of such a case happened this past February. Three U.S. nationals, 24-year-old Tricia Forrester, 35-year-old Glen Triston,… Read More
Near the southern tip of North Carolina, where I-74 and I-95 meet, there’s a town called Lumberton. In 1995, the town became the two-time winner of the National Civic Leagues All-America City Award, which aims to recognize communities “whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon results.” Unfortunately, in a matter of decades, Lumberton has fallen from recipient of the All-America City Award to the number one spot on the FBI’s list of the top ten most dangerous cities in North Carolina. According to a 2016 FBI report, there were 393 violent crimes in Lumberton and analysts estimate an individual… Read More
You receive a phone call and hear the voice of someone you don’t recognize. They tell you they have your child and will kill them unless you pay a ransom. They direct you not to call police or you will never see your child again. What would you do? You tell the person on the other end of the phone not to hang up. You don’t want to disconnect with the one person that can reunite you with your child. You plead for your child’s safe return. “Please don’t hurt her. I will do whatever you want,” you cry. They… Read More
In a few short weeks, it will have been two months since five-year-old Lucas Hernandez was last seen in his Wichita home. The search following his disappearance has been frustrating and fruitless, as investigators involved with the case remain stymied, leaving friends, family, and even strangers on the internet to provide their own armchair detective theories about what happened to the missing boy. Lucas was last seen on February 17th, 2018 in his bedroom in the home of his father, Johnathan Hernandez. On the day Lucas disappeared, Hernandez left him in the care of his stepmother, Emily Glass, 26. According… Read More
It was St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2018, a mother of three boys vanished into thin air in Longmont, Colorado. Rita Gutierrez-Garcia went out to celebrate with friends and family in the evening. The group went bar hopping to the Speakeasy located at 301 West Main Street and the Breaker’s Grill located at 380 Main Street. Rita was last seen in an alley behind 3’s bar talking on her phone at approximately 2:30 a.m. Deputy Chief Jeff Satur of Longmont Police Department said Rita was overheard telling someone on the phone she would get a ride from “someone else.” Authorities… Read More
Millions of people are visiting our beautiful national parks each year. They travel from one side of the continent to the other to see the breathtaking tall Sequoia trees on the west coast to the pristine beaches of South Carolina on the east coast. Attendance numbers at national parks have set record highs in the last few years. According to Los Angeles Times, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks reported setting attendance records during 2016, with all parks reporting a 330.97 million people visiting our recreational parks – and hundreds, maybe thousands, of those people are now missing…. Read More
Missing persons and runaway cases are among the most challenging issues facing law enforcement today. A detective must consider a number of variables when there is no explanation for a person’s disappearance. Was the missing person a victim of foul play? Did they suffer an accident? Was a child kidnapped by another parent and in danger? Do they have diminished mental capacity or other high-risk health risks? Was a child abducted by a stranger? Has the runaway been lured into sex-trafficking? According the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Crime Information Center (NCIC), on average, more than 800,000 people are reported missing… Read More
On February 13, 2017, best friends Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14, planned to go hiking near the beautiful area of Monon High Bridge Trail, east of their small town of Delphi, Indiana. At approximately 1:45 p.m. that afternoon, a family member dropped them off at the abandoned bridge where they planned to hike. It was agreed they would meet their family back in the same location later in the afternoon. They both had the day off school, it was an unseasonably warm winter day, and Abby Abby and Libby shared a special friendship. They both loved… Read More
An arrest has been made in the murder of Natalie Bollinger, 19, who was found shot to death in a wooded area of Adams County, Colorado, on December 29, 2017, approximately 26 hours after she had been reported missing. Joseph Lopez, 22 was arraigned and formally charged on Wednesday, February 13, 2018. Lopez was charged with first degree murder after deliberation. Lopez, a resident of Northglenn, Colorado, was arrested on the evening of the February 8, 2018 after an interview with Adams County Sheriff’s investigators. His claims regarding the alleged motive are described as shocking. Investigators stated Lopez claims he… Read More
MISSING PERSONS What Happened to Jasmine Moody? In late November 2014, Jasmine Moody, a Texas Woman’s University honor roll student, went to visit a friend in Detroit, Michigan. She disappeared, December 4, 2014, at approximately 7:30 p.m. leaving her friend’s home, around the 3700 block of Baldwin. This location is situated in the Van Dyke and Mack area of Detroit. Her disappearance has baffled police and her family is convinced foul play is involved. According to a Detroit Fox 2 report, “Mystery of what happened to Jasmine Moody continues 1 year later,” private investigator Scott Lewis said, “It was a December night,… Read More
Corinna Slusser, 19, was last seen at the Haven Motel in Queens, New York the morning of September 20, 2017. New York Police Department (NYPD) fears she was kidnapped by a sex trafficking ring and friends and family fear the worst. According to relatives, in early 2017, Slusser had dropped out of her Bloomberg, Pennsylvania high school and moved to New York City with a 32-year old man she had hoped was giving her a “fresh start.” According to Marnie O’Neill’s article “Missing teen feared kidnapped by sex-trafficking ring left cryptic Instagram clue,” Slusser’s aunt Julie Anne Becker-Calfa told Dateline,… Read More
Disappearance of Relisha Rudd Is She Still Alive? Relisha Rudd, age 8, has been missing since February 26, 2014, from Washington, D.C. The strange circumstances regarding her disappearance prompted a nationwide search during 2014 only creating more mystery. Rudd was last seen at D.C. General Family Shelter, a homeless shelter in southeast Washington. The official search for Rudd began on March 19, 2014. Six days before, a counselor from Payne Elementary School had alerted D.C. Child and Family Services (DCFS) that Rudd had been absent several days from school and they were concerned about educational neglect. Officials told the counselor… Read More
Canadian Pharma Billionaire and Wife Murders Unsolved Family Hires Team of Private Investigators “Big Pharma Tycoon” Dr. Barry Sherman, Ph.D., 75, and his wife Honey, 70, were found dead in their Toronto, Canada home on December 15, 2017. Media initially reported their deaths as a “murder-suicide,” but Sherman’s children all emphatically disagree with the initial police assessment. Apotex Pharmaceutical Holdings, Inc. is Canada’s largest maker of generic drugs, earning the Shermans a fortune estimated at $4.7 billion, placing Barry Sherman as the 12th wealthiest person in Canada, according to Forbes Magazine. Apotex was founded by Sherman in 1974 and grew… Read More
Murder of Natalie Bollinger, Leaves Clues on Facebook Natalie Marie Bollinger, 19, was reported missing on Thursday, December 28, 2017. She had last been seen leaving her Broomfield, Colorado residence and reported missing when her family had not heard from her later in the day. On Friday, December 29, 2017, a body was discovered in a wooded area located at 11600 Riverdale Road on the property of McIntosh Dairy farm in Adams County. By Tuesday, January 2, 2018, authorities identified the body as Bollinger. Cause of death has not been released due to the ongoing investigation. About two weeks prior… Read More
Elaine Park vanished into thin air on Jan. 28, 2017, from Calabasas, the gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains located in Los Angeles County, Calif. Elaine is a beautiful 21-year-old Korean-American young woman who is described as spunky, outgoing by those who know her. Before her disappearance, she had been looking forward to attending Pierce College. A young lady who loves performing in musical theater and dance companies. She has also worked hard to pursue her dreams as an actress. Elaine has appeared in several roles in TV shows and some movies including Crazy Stupid Love, Role Models, E.R…. Read More
Humboldt County, in picturesque northern California, is the home of the majestic Coastal Redwood forests with about 110 miles of breathtaking coastline along Pacific Coast Highway 101. Approximately 250 miles north of San Francisco, Humboldt is approximately 2.3 million acres of combined dense forests and public land with a population of only 134,623 people according to the 2010 census. Formed in 1853, rural Humboldt County has a rich pioneer history and once solely inhabited by the Wiyot Indian tribe dating back to around 900 BCE. It borders the scarcely populated and heavily forested Trinity County with the rugged Klamath Mountains… Read More
People go missing every day, and because of the complexity of a missing persons’ case under the eyes of the law sometimes it may be necessary to hire an independent missing persons investigator to get the job done. At times an independent missing persons investigator can step in on a case when law enforcement can help no further, since missing persons’ cases are often considered ‘cold’ by and sometimes not even classified as ‘missing’ by the police. According to Todd Matthews from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems (NamUs), a national database for missing persons, on average, about 90,000 persons are missing in… Read More
Facts of the Case Ryder Johnson was 20 years old when he disappearance on January 17, 2016. Johnson was last seen leaving his job at Eldora Mountain Resort at about three in the afternoon. After several weeks of searching for the young man, search crews and rescue teams have only been able to locate Johnson’s car. The car was found the night of January 17 parked at Gross Dam Road in Southwest Boulder County. Ryder’s cell phone and Identification for the Eldora Ski Resort were found near the vehicle. Rescue crews searched Gross Reservoir and Walker Ranch immediately after Johnson… Read More
On Tuesday, September 16, 15-year-old Nisa Mickens and 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas were beaten to death in the streets of Brentwood, Long Island. Police believe Kayla was targeted for kidnapping by gang members planning to use her for sex trafficking. Rob Mickens, Nisa’s father, had dropped Nisa off at Kayla’s house to hang out at 6:30 p.m. and that was the last time he’d see his daughter alive. When Nisa’s father returned to pick her up a few hours later, the girls were nowhere to be found. The family began searching the area for their missing children, but it was a passing… Read More
Joseph Spears, 1973. A teen from Mississippi escaped from the Harrison County Youth Detention Center on July 31, 1973 at the age of 17 according to Associated Press. The young man, Joseph Spears, was never seen or heard from again by his family. A month later, an unidentified teenager was killed in Texas City, Texas while trying to cross a freeway on August 23, 1973. The community of Texas City raised money to give the unidentified teenager a funeral and grave. Cemetery worker, Chelsea Davidson, began to search for the young man’s family. Chelsea Davidson is an employee of Hayes… Read More
Hundreds of thousands of Americans choose to run in order to stay active and healthy. However, for many women this average, daily routine can be deadly. Over the past few weeks, several women have disappeared while on a run and have been found dead hours later. These incidents remind us that we can be vulnerable even while doing the simplest of activities. Karina Vetrano. August 2, 2016. Karina left her house for her usual jog at about 5:30pm on August 2nd. Vetrano was jogging in a popular running destination in Queens, New York, known as Spring Creek Park when… Read More
The Facts of the Case Molly Miller was last seen on July 8, 2013, from Wilson, Oklahoma. Molly’s disappearance has been classified as endangered missing. Molly is currently twenty years old, but at the time of her disappearance she was seventeen years old. Molly is five feet five inches, with brown hair and blue eyes. She has a piercing on her lower lip on the right side as well as a tattoo of a star on her hip . Early on July 8, 2013 Molly Miller and Colt Haynes disappeared from Wilson, Oklahoma. The night of the disappearance, both Molly and… Read More
Kimberly Ching Sullivan and her daughter, Kira Gusman, went missing after making a trip to the grocery store in Burlington, North Carolina. The pair never returned to their car. They were reported missing at 3:30am last Saturday morning by Kimberly’s wife Sherri Sullivan. Police have stated that they do not believe foul play was involved; the pair is believed to be together and not in danger. The police have given no further updates about the mother and daughter’s whereabouts. Parental Abductions: Stranger abductions make up the smallest portion of all reported abductions. The majority of child disappearances fall under the… Read More
Jordan Krolak and Casey Louise Danielson are both 17 years old, and both have disappeared. The girls were last seen on June 5th, almost three weeks ago. Jordan, according to her family, has had a history of running away. However, this time Jordan has been gone far longer than usual. Authorities have speculated that the two girls ran away together while working at a community event. The police department in Bemidji, Minnesota has few leads in where the girls could have gone. The surrounding counties’ police departments have been assisting with the investigation. The family has voiced fears about human trafficking;… Read More
The Ashley Doolittle Case 18-year old Colorado teen, Ashley Doolittle, was reported missing Thursday, June 9 after she never returned home at her expected 7:30 p.m. time. Her mother called the sheriff’s office in Larimer County just before 8:00 p.m. after she found her daughters car abandoned near Lon Hagler Reservoir, near the family’s home. Doolittle’s ex-boyfriend, Tanner George Flores, 18, was taken into custody shortly after she went missing. Authorities gathered through interviews that Flores was distraught over the young couple’s recent breakup. Flores’ father also reported to investigators that his .22-caliber revolver had been missing from his gun… Read More
Every 40 seconds in the United States, a child becomes missing or is abducted. Scary, huh? However, contrary to popular belief, many child abductions are not carried out by strangers. The reality is most children who are kidnapped are taken by their own parents. Parental Abductions: Why Do They Happen According to the latest stats, nearly 204,000 were victims of family abduction in 2014. This is done for a wide variety of reasons, but usually occurs when a custodial order is not viewed as being “fair” by one of the parents. When this parent is allowed their court-appointed time with… Read More
The alarming rate at which people disappear in this country is without a doubt troubling, and the numbers don’t appear to be improving. During 2014, 635,155 missing person records were entered into NCIC, an increase of 1.2% from the 627,911 records entered in 2013—according to the most recent FBI stats. What’s perhaps is even more troubling is when scammers try to take advantage of the family of a missing person. However, that’s exactly what happened recently to an Alabama mother, Vickie Metcalf. On her daughter’s 18th birthday, she disappeared while taking out the trash. That was December 13th, 2015. Nearly… Read More
It’s a rather startling number. At any given time, there are between 100,000 and 300,000 children in the U.S. alone at risk for child sex trafficking. While many people tend to think this horrific crime is something that only occurs in third world countries, they are sadly mistaken. This modern day form of slavery is alive and well in our own backyards. Girls are not the only targets either—so are boys. “These are not children living in some faraway place, far from everyday life,” FBI Director James Comey stated. “These are our children. On our streets. Our truck stops. Our… Read More
Mental illness is a much bigger problem than many people realize. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four adults experiences mental illness in a given year. This equates to approximately 61.5 million Americans. Here’s how the other numbers break down: 2.4 million people live with Schizophrenia 14.8 million people live with major depression 42 million people live with anxiety disorders 6.1 million people live with bipolar disorder 9.2 million people live with co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders One Women’s Personal Encounter with Mental Illness Those statistics hit very close to home for Diana Kim, a Hawaii-based… Read More
More than three months after Peggy McGuire, a nurse, vanished, investigators still don’t know what happened to the young mother. However, family members are not keeping silent. They’ve been very active on the Bring Peggy Home!!! Facebook page–including the missing woman’s own mother who, based on her recent post, believes something bad has happened to her daughter: The person(s) responsible are not coming forward! I don’t know how you can live with yourself knowing you got rid of my daughter! Pray nothing like this ever happens to one of your loved ones! It’s a feeling of hurt and emptiness wondering… Read More
16-year-old Detra Yvonne Duncan was last seen on Dec. 23 at about 10:30pm near the 200 block of Nacogdoches Road in San Antonio. The area where Duncan disappeared is just blocks away from her school—Alamo Heights High School. According to the San Antonio Police Department, several facts lead investigators to believe that the Texas teen may have been a victim of human trafficking. Duncan’s father, Juan Armenta, told reporters from San Antonio’s KSAT 12 News that sheriff’s deputies had found his daughter, on multiple occasions, at the home of an individual that Armenta says has been rumored to participate in… Read More
Rochelle Thomas Stubblefield of Merrillville, In. was supposed to celebrate her 21st birthday on December 25 with friends and family. She was also supposed deliver her first child on Dec. 15—a boy, who she had already decided to name “Amir”. However, the 21-year-old went missing on Nov. 10 after attending classes early in the day and going a girls basketball game later on. Her family reported her missing on Nov. 12. Almost three months later, investigators are still unable to locate Stubblefield. The Calumet College student was attending school on a track scholarship. Calumet College of St. Joseph is a… Read More
Jim Will, the father of a missing man from Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, offered a $10,000 reward earlier this month (Jan 5) for any information leading to the arrest or conviction of persons involved in the disappearance of his son, Judge Will. Jim told reporters at Oklahoma’s KFSM-TV that he does not believe his son is still alive, but is still desperately looking for answers. Will was 39-years-old when he went missing in March of 2014. “He was at his residence with two individuals and during the interview with those individuals, they say he went outside on the back porch to… Read More
29-year-old Chansotheavy Young, a Cambodian national currently on a music tour in the United States, has been returned safely to her manager in San Diego after having been missing for nearly a week. According to a statement released by Young’s employer, Khmer Entertainment of America, she returned to San Diego on Sunday. “She is well, safe and under our care as her U.S. sponsor and employer,” Khmer Entertainment of America wrote on their Facebook page. KEA thanked the San Diego Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit for their dedication and diligence while working on the case, and for helping to return… Read More
It’s a disturbing statistic. According to the FBI, there are some 84,000 reported missing people on any given day in the United States. At the same time, there are currently over 12,000 unidentified bodies. Unfortunately, there is no national law requiring agencies to share this information, leaving many families in the dark about their loved one’s fate. Currently, law enforcement has only had to report to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). First launched in 1967, the NCIC is a database primarily used in criminal investigations— not the missing or unidentified persons. “We now have the National Missing and Unidentified… Read More
According to the U.S. Department of State, more than 150,000 U.S. citizens cross into the Mexican border every day. While millions of Americans SAFELY visit Mexico each year for study, tourism and business—government authorities still warn people to practice caution when visiting our neighbors to the south. U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, such as kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery by organized criminal groups in various Mexican states—U.S. Department of State Several years ago, Mexico’s attorney general compiled a list showing that more than 25,000 adults and children have gone missing in Mexico in the past six years, according to… Read More
It’s an alarming statistic. Approximately 2,300 Americans go missing every single day. This includes both children and adults. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that every 40 seconds, a child goes missing in the United States. For families with missing relatives, the pain of a lost loved one is indescribably hard. Their world is forever changed—especially when there’s no closure or explanation as to what led to the disappearance in the first place. However, the search for missing people has been revolutionized thanks to the rise in social media. Now shares and retweets can help bring missing people home. Hundreds of… Read More
When people think of human trafficking, they often associate it with distant locales like Thailand or Eastern Europe, notes Elena Fesiuk, the director of Tears of Color, an organization working to educate the community about human trafficking. Unfortunately, however, victims of human trafficking — which the organization calls “the modern version of slavery” — are found across the country, closer to home than anyone would wish to acknowledge. Tears of Color “North Carolina is a primary destination state,” says Fesiuk: Victims (mostly teen girls) are brought to the state and used for labor and, most often, forced into prostitution, she… Read More
Accra, May 4, GNA – The government would soon build two shelters in Accra and Kumasi to accommodate victims of human trafficking, Madam Hawawu Boya Gariba, Deputy Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) disclosed on Tuesday. She said this in a speech read for her at a three-day workshop in Accra organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Ghana, with the theme; “Protecting People on the Move in the ECOWAS Space.” The workshop was organised by International Labour Organisation in partnership with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, High Commissioner for Human Rights and Economic Community of West… Read More
Women and children sold for sex and labor and some of them end up dead. An Oklahoma native says she was she was smuggled to Las Vegas and sold for sex in California, Florida, North Caroline, New York and many other states across the country. This week advocates from Oklahomans Against Trafficking Humans (OATH) and Stop Child Trafficking Now are meeting for a conference in Norman, Oklahoma to better educate parents, law enforcement and advocates against human trafficking. Sex slaves trapped in a tragic reality with their captors selling their bodies. “I thought I was going to die. I thought… Read More
Luis CdeBaca Ambassador-at-Large, Office To Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Department of Justice’s National Human Trafficking Conference Washington, DC May 3, 2010 As prepared for delivery Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to be here today to discuss the Trafficking Victims Protection Act: Progress and Promise. Thank you James Burch for that kind introduction. The last time I attended the Department of Justice’s National Human Trafficking Conference it was as a federal prosecutor. Today, I’m humbled to be here with all of you, my friends and former colleagues, in a new capacity as an inter-agency partner in… Read More
For the past few months, I ran into too many people who are not familiar with what human trafficking is. And even if they are, they think that it only happens somewhere in Thailand or Eastern Europe. Sadly, human trafficking happens in the U.S. just as often as it does in Thailand. If not, it could be worse in the U.S. than Thailand because of its market size and influx of trafficking victims into the U.S. In fact, today’s news report on Oklahoma’s human trafficking victim is a classic example evidencing that human trafficking is happening right around the corner… Read More
ELYRIA — The 15th annual Hispanic Leadership Conference will be Saturday, featuring a Mexican-American human rights activist talking about human trafficking. Presented by the Coalition of Hispanic/Latino Issues and Progress, the annual celebration will be at the Spitzer Conference Center, Lorain County Community College. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served, and registration is still available by calling Michael Ferrer, conference co-director, at 989-1178. Enrique Morones, founder and president of Border Angels, is the keynote speaker. He was born in San Diego, Calif., to Mexican parents and has citizenship in both Mexico and the United States. The Border Angels is… Read More
House Bill 432, Alabama’s first anti-human trafficking legislation, passed in both houses of the Alabama State Legislature merely hours before the 2010 legislative session ended on Thursday, April 22. The bill, which provides extensive protection for victims of labor and sex trade, will add Alabama to the list of 44 states that have strictly criminalized human trafficking under state law, according to the Polaris project. The passage of the bill will create new human trafficking crimes and penalties, provide mandatory restitution for victims, allow victims to sue their traffickers and provide for asset forfeiture. Along with the Polaris Project and… Read More
Rescues that punish those they’re meant to save: Cambodia again More evidence of how police raids to save people are unwanted and counter-productive, this time with statements from UNAIDS and a Cambodian sexworker group. Those suffering under the crackdown are not traffickers and arrested sex workers were not trafficked. The rhetorical move to call completely old-fashioned raids anti-trafficking strategies is orwellian double-speak creating confusion amongst those who don’t know what’s going on. Cambodia cracks down on the sex industry, Robert Carmichael, 12 April 2010, Deutsche Welle . . . In Cambodia, the government recently decided to target the sex industry… Read More
Kathleen Haley, a 37 year old woman missing from Newport, Virginia, has not been seen since August 22nd. Kathleen’s sister, Diane Roman, was the last person to hear from Ms. Haley, speaking with her on the phone on September 1st. This is very unusual according to their mother, who said that she typically talked to Kathleen at least twice a week. In fact, they had plans for Kathleen to help her mother get her car inspected, but Kathleen never showed up. After Kathleen’s mother couldn’t locate her at her apartment on the 7th of September, combined with the fact that… Read More
An 18 year old woman went missing from Kosciusko County in Warsaw, Indiana a week ago today, by the name of Aurora Shoemaker. There is not an abundance of information on this case, due to her abrupt disappearance. The young adult is described as being 5-foot-6, a slender build, short blonde hair, green eyes, and piercings in her lip. She was seen last Thursday at approximately 4:00 P.M. leaving her mobile home at the Acres Mobile Home Park going out for a walk, however, she never returned. The sudden disappearance, coupled with her cell phone going unanswered caused her family… Read More
Law enforcement continues searching for Alpha Sabbithi, 27, of Oak Lawn, Illinois after discovering his locked car at 4:00 A.M. Sunday morning. The vehicle was located near Maple Lake forest preserve, and his cell phone, car keys, and wallet was sitting on the seat inside. Alpha Sabbithi is described as being 5’11, 160 pounds, and having brown eyes with matching colored hair. When he was last seen, according to the alert, he was wearing a black T-shirt and brown cargo pants. His shirt reportedly had “Hollywood” written on the front in white letters. The division chief of the Oak Lawn… Read More
Elizabeth Gill was only 2 ½ years old when she vanished from her family’s home, in the area of the 300 block of south Larimer Street in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The little blonde haired toddler had been playing in the front yard with a sand pail on June 13, 1965, at approximately 4PM. Decades later, the family has never given up the faith that they will find her alive.The family has long believed a group of drifters that had been staying at a hotel in the area of Elizabeth’s residence may have kidnapped her. A witness reported seeing the individuals… Read More
According to the FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC) as of May 1, 2012, there are 47,673 active missing adult cases in the United States. Many of these cases date back decades. Madeline Anna Babcock was 35 years old when she vanished from Venice, CA. The beautiful young woman who went by the nickname Lynn, had been employed as a barmaid at Fred’s Tavern and worked a second job on an assembly line at a local factory, in Santa Monica. According to Patricia Foy, Madeline’s sister, the last time anyone heard from Madeline was the afternoon of June 11, 1968… Read More
On April 5, 2012 the Alaska state medical examiner confirmed that human remains found in the frozen Matanuska Lake, were that of missing barista and abduction victim, Samantha Koenig. Her cause of death has not yet been released, but investigators did state that they believed that Samantha was murdered within the first few hours of her abduction Matanuska Lake is located about 35 miles northeast of Anchorage, where Koenig was last seen on video surveillance being abducted by an armed and masked man on February 1, 2012. Law enforcement officials, including a FBI search team, used snowmobiles and ATVs to… Read More
Roxanne Paltauf Summary of Disappearance Nearly 6 years ago, Roxanne Paltauf went missing on July 11, 2006, from a Budget Inn motel in Austin, TX. She was staying at the hotel with her boyfriend Lewis Walls. The hotel was located near Interstate 35 and Rundberg. Walls reported that Roxanne had left the hotel after they had been arguing and that she never came back. He claims the last time he had seen her was around 8:30pm that evening. Being close with her daughter, Roxanne’s mother, Elizabeth Harris, says they talked frequently at least every other day, and to not hear… Read More
Michael Taus Summary of Disappearance Michael Taus, a 25 year old man from West Islip, NY, and his dog Romeo were reported missing on the night of June 18, 2010. Michael’s father, Russell, reported that Michael had mentioned going on a blind date with a woman he met on an internet dating site. What’s odd is that authorities say Michael’s dog, Romeo, and his food and water bowls were also missing from his home.Michael Taus, a 25 year old man from West Islip, NY, and his dog Romeo were reported missing on the night of June 18, 2010. Michael’s father,… Read More
Ashley Carroll Summary of Disappearance Ashley Carroll, 24, was reported missing on May 6, 2010, from Albany, NY. Ashley was allegedly supposed to be traveling to New York City that weekend to meet some friends. She was last seen at 1st Street and Quail Street in Albany, where she was dropped off by her friend Courtney Deaton. It was reported that Ashley had been fighting with her boyfriend, Jermon McLean, the morning of her disappearance. The area where Ashley was dropped off is a neighborhood known to be frequented by her boyfriend. It was believed that Ashley’s plan was to… Read More
Unique Harris Summary of Disappearance Unique Harris, a 24 year old mother of two, was reported missing from her home in Southeast D.C. on October 9, 2010. Unique’s home was located at the 2400 block of Hartford St, SE. Police say Unique was abducted from her home, while her sons and niece were asleep in the next room. Authorities believe that whoever is responsible for Unique’s disappearance, was likely someone she knew. The only items missing from Unique’s home were her keys and her cell phone. She allegedly had not been wearing her glasses the evening of her disappearance. Description… Read More
Noah Pippin Summary of Disappearance Noah Pippin, an Army National Guard soldier, has been missing since August 2010. It was reported that Noah was traveling back to California, from his parent’s home in Michigan, and was allegedly last seen in Flathead Valley, Montana. After an analysis of his cell phone records, police say the last couple calls were for a pizza delivery, as well as a call to the rental car company which he had rented a car for his trip. He later returned his rental car at the Glacier Park International Airport. After August 31st, 2010 all of Noah… Read More
KELLY ARMSTRONG INCLUDED ON LIST OF MISSING MOMS A 28 year-old mother of four children, Kelly Armstrong from Kokomo, Indiana joined a seemingly ever growing list of missing mothers throughout the United States last September 2011. Though there are no official statistics that reveal the true number of missing young women with dependents, as of January 31, 2012, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Crime Information Center (NCIC) reports there are 3,699 active missing person cases of women between the ages of 22-29. NCIC reports a total of 83,743 active missing person cases to include men and women of all… Read More
Originally from Richmond, VA, Ian Burnett, 22, was traveling to NYC to visit some friends on December 27, 2011 right before he went missing. Ian was staying at an apartment on 139th St. and Riverside Avenue, and was believed to last be seen on December 30, 2011. Ian’s father, Mike Burnet, stated his last contact with his son was via text message on December 27. Ian’s last known contact was with his roommate on December 30 around 4pm, right before he went missing. Authorities reported that Ian had left his cell phone before he disappeared, so he had no way… Read More
Tracy Winslow Disappearance Tracy Winslow, 30, was reported missing by her family the morning of January 23, 2011 in Oil City, LA. Tracy’s family acknowledges that she did go out with friends, but believe that she returned home no later than midnight that same night. Tracy’s ex boyfriend, 40 year old Eddie Lee Jackson, is said to be a suspect and is believed to have abducted her from outside her apartment after she returned home that night. At 6am, with no sign of Tracy, her family reported her missing. Police recovered Tracy’s vehicle, a 2006 Silver Dodge Charger, approximately 18… Read More
Holly Bobo Summary of Disappearance Holly Bobo, a 20 year old student from Darden, TN was reported missing on the night of April 13, 2011. Police believe that Holly may have been abducted from her home in Decatur County, TN around 7:30 that morning by a man wearing camouflage. Holly’s neighbor, as well as her brother who was inside her house at the time, both called 911 when they heard Holly outside screaming early that morning. Bobo’s brother saw the man drag Holly through a carport beside the house and into the woods not too far off behind the home…. Read More
Samantha Koenig Disappearance Police say Samantha Koenig, 18 year old from Anchorage, AK disappeared from her place of business around 8pm Wednesday, February 1, 2012. Samantha worked as a barista at a popular coffee shop at a busy intersection. Police say Samantha was on camera being forced to leave the coffee shop by a man dressed in all black, but are unsure if this was the same man Samantha had filed for a restraining order against earlier this year. It is believed that the man was armed, and headed toward the Old Seward Highway. Samantha’s boyfriend, Dwayne, had planned on… Read More
Morgan Johnson Summary of Disappearance Morgan Johnson, a 27 year-old African American male, was last seen at the Value Place Hotel off of Gateway Drive in Plainfield, IN. Mr. Johnson’s previous history of seizures has created much concern for his family because his medication was not on his person, and without it he would require immediate medical attention. Further, Johnson disappeared on the same day his grandfather died, but his family believes although very distraught, Johnson would never miss his grandfather’s funeral Background on Morgan Johnson Morgan Johnson is originally from Terre Haute where his mother still resides and had… Read More
The Disappearance of Miguel Scott 19 year old Miguel Scott went missing from Evergreen Park in Bremerton, WA at approximately 10pm on the night of October 27, 2011. Scott had allegedly been at the park with some friends, who report the last time they saw him was around 10pm that night. Scott’s mother, Rosemarie Herrera, stated that Miguel had never run away before and she doesn’t think he would, as he had plans to finish school and enter into the Navy. Miguel’s mother also said she had heard rumors that Miguel might be in debt to some people, but that… Read More
Background on Kevin King Kevin King, a 58 year old man suffering from multiple mental and medical issues, disappeared from his residence in Gilford, NH on June 9, 2011. King suffers from confusion and dementia, as well as hearing loss and also diabetes. King’s niece, a resident of Manchester, NH, reported him missing and noted that his vehicle and wallet are accounted for. King is believed to have left his residence on foot, and is thought to be near Old Lakeshore Road in Gilford, NH. If you have any information, please contact the Gilford Police Department at (603) 527-4737 Description… Read More
Christian Hall vanished at age 15 from his home in Corpus Christi, TX on November 4, 2005. Six years have passed without any word from the teen classified as an Endangered Runaway in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database and profiled an age progression of what he might look like now on the website of the National Center for Missing Exploited Children. Christian Glen Hall Christian was sighted in the company of an adult David Todd Andrews, who also went by the name Captain Dusty. They were last seen on Andrew’s 54-foot yacht Gypsy… Read More
The Dumping Ground On December 5, 2011, personal possessions of Shannan Gilbert, a young woman missing since April 2010, were located in thick undergrowth of a swampy area on the shore in Long Island, NY. Suffolk County Police announced they had recovered a purse containing Shannan’s identification, a cell phone, a pair of shoes and clothing believed to have belonged to the missing woman. The discovery of personal belongings prompted intensive searches of the area that included investigators with machetes, dive teams, canine searches, a bulldozer, an amphibious vehicle, even ground penetrating photography equipment provided by the FBI assisting Suffolk… Read More
It has been reported, 5-year old Jhessye Shockley wandered out of her Glendale residence on October 11, 2011 and vanished. She had been with her siblings, ages 13, 9. and 6 who had been watching her. Jhessye’s mother, Jerice Hunter, reported her child missing to Glendale Police Department after she said she had returned home from running an errand and could not find Jhessye. She reported she had left to run to a local check cashing business locking the door behind her and returned to find the door unsecured. A beautiful little girl who dreamed of being a ballerina seemingly… Read More
Michael Sean Grenley, 41 years old, left his home near 75th Ave and Deer Valley in north Glendale, at 1pm on July 19th. His wife had thought he had simply gone to get lunch, but concerned, reported him missing later that day after he did not return. Michael enjoyed driving his Jeep Rubicon to remote areas north of Phoenix, and quickly there was speculation he may have simply gone for a ride in the desert. On August 6, 2011, a motorcyclist discovered Michael’s remains near his Jeep approximately 10 miles north of Lake Pleasant and notified Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office…. Read More
Stunning beauty vanishes in Aruba. Family of Robyn Gardner, missing since August 2, 2011 refuse to lose focus and remind public she is a friend, sister, and daughter and they need the public’s help to bring her home safe. Robyn Lynn Gardner Robyn Lynn Gardner Oranjestad, Aruba – Robyn Lynn Gardner, a 35 year-old resident of Fredericksburg, Maryland, vanished August 2, 2011. It is known she had traveled with Gary V. Giordano, to Aruba on July 31, 2011. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, now assisting Aruban authorities, Robyn was last seen in the vicinity of Baby Beach, Sint… Read More
Several months after Amy Lynn Bradley’s disappearance while vacationing with her family on Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, Iva and Ron Bradley receive an email from Frank Jones. Jones proclaimed himself to be a former U.S. Army Special Forces officer working with a team of ex-Army Rangers and ex-Navy Seals under his command in special ops missions. Jones assured the Bradleys his team had the experience and credentials to rescue Amy. With information Amy had been kidnapped and held on the Dutch island of Curacao and little progress made in the federal investigation, Jones offered a glimmer… Read More
My mother, Diana Lynn Harris, 27, disappeared from Big Pine Key, Florida, in October 1981. I was ten years old at the time. My brother and I were in Michigan, visiting our father. After our mother’s disappearance, our grandmother raised us. Diana Harris Daina Harris When I turned 17, I returned to Florida to begin my personal investigation of Mom’s disappearance. I’ve been at it ever since. Information I’ve recently uncovered leads me to suspect that my mother may have become a threat to an ongoing, major drug operation and that she might not have been the only person to… Read More
Arizona is one of the most rugged terrains in the United States. With the Sonoran desert’s extraordinary scenery; deep canyons and Saguaro cactus scattered across the desert, breathtaking sunsets, the majestic red rocks of Sedona, to the pines of Flagstaff, outdoor enthusiasts revel in exploring the beautiful landscape. Arizona’s countryside is also one of the most unforgiving with triple digit temperatures in summer months. July through August temperatures can range from 90-128 degrees. Arizona’s monsoon season also brings perilous flash floods consuming everything in their path. In a matter of minutes, 10-30 foot walls of water can fill canyon streams… Read More
VA – On March 24, 1998, Amy Lynn Bradley, mysteriously vanished while vacationing with her family aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Rhapsody of the Seas. The ship had left Oranjestad, Aruba, to sail to Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles. The, 23-year-old trained lifeguard, had been awarded a full basketball scholarship and graduated from Longwood University in VA with a degree in Physical Education. Amy also had a teaching certificate from K -12. Amy was looking forward to a future bright with possibilities prior to her disappearance. She had lots of plans upon her return. She adopted an English bulldog… Read More
GLENDALE, AZ – Glendale police are asking for help finding for a man who has been missing for a week. Michael Sean Grenley Michael Sean Grenley, 41, has not been seen or heard from since he left his home near 75th Avenue and Deer Valley Road around 1 p.m. last Tuesday, Sgt. Brent Coombs with Glendale Police said. Grenley has an ongoing medical condition that requires medication, Coombs said. Coombs said Grenley was driving his Red Jeep Rubicon with Arizona License Plate 797-VZS. Grenley is an avid off-road enthusiast, and may have driven to a remote area in his Jeep,… Read More
A city ordinance means a grandmother has been ordered to stop posting fliers about her missing 17-year-old granddaughter. It’s been almost a year since 17-year-old Paige Johnson went missing and her family is not giving up hope that she will be found. Paiger Johnson Paige’s grandmother, Jenny Roderick, has posters all over her car and has been putting them all over Covington, including on utility poles. But after a complaint, the city took action and asked her to take them down. Roderick says putting up the posters help her hold onto hope her granddaughter will be found. “We miss Paige… Read More
Allowing access to bank, cellphone records alarms critics The Alberta government has tabled new legislation to help police find missing people by accessing personal information. The Missing Persons Act, or Bill 8, would allow police working on a missing-person case to search personal information -such as cellphone and financial records -even when there is no reason to suspect a crime has been committed. The legislation requires police to apply for the personal information through the courts. When police believe there is a risk of harm or death, they can demand specific records needed to find the missing person. The bill… Read More
The father of missing York chef Claudia Lawrence has asked MPs for more legal rights for families of missing people. Peter Lawrence, 63, was speaking at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Runaway and Missing Children and Adults. He said families currently have no way to deal with a missing person’s property and finances. Group chairwoman MP Anne Coffey said a Parliamentary inquiry will be held into potential changes to legislation. The meeting in the House of Commons was attended by MPs as well as representatives of the police, banking and legal sectors. Families ‘in limbo’ Labour… Read More
Missing Nepal Hiker’s Parents Speak Out DENVER — The FBI, which has joined the search for a Greeley woman missing in Nepal, said there are 10 to 12 “persons of interest” in her disappearance, her family said. Aubrey Sacco, 23, went hiking in the Langtang National Park in April and has not been heard from since. Her father, Paul Sacco, went to Nepal in May to search for Aubrey. He found her laptop, video camera and journal in her hotel room, but little else. “The problem is that the people in the villages that we need to hear from are… Read More
LANSING — Lansing police have issued a missing person alert for a 31-year-old Lansing woman. Police said Shannon Kay Hoppe, who has been missing from her residence in the 1200 block of N. Washington Avenue since Sunday, is believed to be having an episode from a medical condition and is most likely disoriented and in a confused state of mind. Hoppe is believed to be on foot as her vehicle was left at her residence. She is described as 5’7” tall, weighing approximately 120 pounds, with dark hair, a medium complexion and was last seen wearing a yellow and blue… Read More
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland School Superintendent Carol Smith spoke publicly for the first time since the disappearance of a Skyline Elementary School student at a scheduled 3:30 p.m. press conference Sunday. “The reported disappearance from one of our schools is unprecedented,” she said, “and deeply troubling.” As such, changes are being made in how the school treats visitors. Beginning Monday, everyone entering Skyline Elementary School will be asked to sign in. A team composed of school security services, members of the teacher’s association and other related parties also will look into safety procedures for releasing children as they leave school…. Read More
An 11-year-old boy who went missing in Southwest Washington on Saturday afternoon is now considered a critical missing person, and District police are asking for assistance in locating him. Anthony Thomas Police said was last seen in the 100 block of Ivanoe Street, SW, on Saturday at about 3 p.m. He is described as black, with a very light complexion, 5’1″ tall, weighing approximately 110 pounds. He has brown eyes, black hair fashioned into a Mohawk, and a thin build. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and pants. Anyone with information about the boy is urged to call… Read More
MONTPELIER – Stephen Perry’s life wasn’t easy, but it had gotten better in recent months. Perry, a former Vermonter, went from being homeless in his car to living in a suburban Florida home. A charity began helping him pay for the treatment of his terminal bladder cancer. Then he went missing May 9. Friends and family stopped receiving e-mails and phone calls from the 56-year-old writer, who was divorced. Police discovered his van – soaked in blood and abandoned – in a parking lot. A severed human arm was found near the vehicle, police said. When they went to Perry’s… Read More
Updtae : Chicago police announced this evening that King Drakeford was located in Jefferson County, Wis., when he ran out of gas and was assisted by the Jefferson County Police. Drakeford has been reunited with his family. Further details were not released. King Drakford Chicago police issued a missing person alert this morning for a 71-year-old man who failed to pick up his wife from work Wednesday. King Drakeford, of the 1400 block of West 73rd Street, is believed to have left his home in his 2001 burgundy Buick LeSabre 4-door with whitewall tires, silver trim on the doors, and… Read More
GREELEY, Colo. — Police retrieved a decomposed body from an irrigation ditch in northern Colorado on Wednesday, about a half-mile from the home of a missing sixth-grader. There was no immediate indication of whether it was the body of 12-year-old Kayleah Wilson, who was last seen walking March 28 to a friend’s house for a birthday party. “We are unable to make an identification at this time,” Sgt. Joe Tymkowych said. “The decomposition is to the point where it’s difficult to say whether it’s a male or a female.” Tymkowych said investigators couldn’t rule out that the body was the… Read More
Suzanne Pilley was just yards from her work in a city centre street in broad daylight, when she simply vanished. Richard Bath investigates ‘EXCUSE me sir, would you be interested in a copy of the Big Issue?” asks a young homeless man in a neat jacket and suspiciously clean trousers. He’s outside the branch of Sainsbury’s on the corner of St Andrew Square and Rose Street, and his exaggerated politeness plays well with the thousands of buttoned-up commuters who walk past him every day. His prize pitch, right in the commercial centre of Edinburgh, is strategically placed within two minutes’… Read More
LAKELAND, Fla. — Alma Martinez picked up her three-year-old granddaughter, Analise, at the girl’s bus stop Wednesday afternoon. It’s normally her son’s favorite thing to do, but 16-year-old Marco Martinez disappeared on April 5th. Kevin Martinez, Marco’s younger brother, remembers coming home to the bizarre scene: “So I came in the backyard. She was on the steps just crying and shaking. So I went inside and he wasn’t in there.” No sign of struggle, or even evidence that he ran away. His bedroom is as he had left it. He didn’t even take his cash savings from his part-time busboy… Read More
Concern Shifts to Whether Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station Violated Mitrice Richardson’s Civil Rights Congress member Maxine Waters continues her steadfast efforts to assist the family of Mitrice Richardson, who vanished eight months ago, following an incident in a Malibu restaurant that led to her being transported to the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station for booking. Rep. Waters is awaiting a response to a letter she wrote last week to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, requesting a federal investigation of the puzzling case. Waters is adamant that she is deeply concerned that Richardson’s civil rights have been… Read More
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Two men accused of holding a woman against her will and possibly forcing her into prostitution now face human trafficking and kidnapping charges. Guilford County sheriff’s deputies arrested Reyna Caballero on Saturday after raiding his house. On Tuesday, a second man, Vincio Caulderon, was also arrested. Investigators said they found a woman being held against her will in Caballero’s house. Both men face one count of human trafficking and one count of first-degree kidnapping. Both are being held under million-dollar bonds.
Kolkata, May 12 (PTI) Leading a life of dignity, 15 women rescued from human traffickers have been using their culinary skills to earn a living at canteen run by an NGO at the Kolkata Police headquarters. The women, aged between 18-24, got a new lease of life thanks to a unique rehabilitation initiative by the 155-year-old police force in association with CII and the NGO. Explaining how difficult it becomes for such a woman to head back to the mainstream due to the social stigma involved, city police commissioner Goutam Mohan Chakraborty told PTI, “We along with the Confederation of… Read More
SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose police are investigating the disappearance of a 46-year-old man reported missing last week when he failed to show up for work. Virdell Green Jr. was last heard from on April 30 at 5:13 p.m. when he left his current girlfriend a voicemail message, police said. His car, a black 2002 Jeep Liberty sports utility vehicle, along with his keys and personal items, was found around 8 p.m. at his ex-girlfriend’s house in San Jose, police said. Witnesses reported they didn’t see Green parking the Jeep, police said. He kept in touch with his ex-girlfriend… Read More
Authorities are looking for a 12-year-old boy who was last seen Monday and may have run away from home. Nickolai Whelpley was wearing a navy polo style shirt, khaki shorts, white socks and hiking boots when last seen. He is 4-6, weighing about 70 pounds with a buzz cut and brown eyes. Nickolai wears glasses and looks younger than his age. He may be in the Chenal neighborhood around the Promenade at Chenal, according to police. According to the missing persons notice, Nickolai has left home before for extended periods of time and reportedly has eaten out of trash bins… Read More
Hours before his wife would call police to report her husband and son missing, Chandler lawyer Conrad Hernandez told a Yavapai County dispatcher Friday he had run off Interstate 17 in the mountains north of Phoenix. He said during the 911 call that he was severely injured, according to a Chandler police report. He told the dispatcher he couldn’t move and was stranded with his 7-year-old son, Max, outside his wrecked Mazda 3, five miles south of the Sunset Point Rest Area. But help did not come until Sunday afternoon. On Sunday, Chandler Officer Michael Sippitka was investigating the disappearance… Read More
Little Falls, N.Y. – A child is reported missing every 40 seconds in the United States. That translates into over 2,100 children per day, in excess of 800,000 children each year. And according to the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, another 500,000 children go missing in this country without ever being reported. It is a parent’s worst nightmare and it can become a community tragedy. That is why the Little Falls Police Department is stepping up its efforts to bring people home safely by utilizing a high-tech tool that can reach 1,000 people a minute. Called A… Read More
Outer gate left unlocked; woman froze A Minneapolis assisted-living facility and one of its maintenance workers are being blamed for poor supervision of a resident with Alzheimer’s disease who wandered outside and died of hypothermia in November. The Minnesota Department of Health determined the woman left through an external gate at the Jones-Harrison Residence that was supposed to be locked, and her caregivers waited too long to initiate a missing-person search, according to a state investigative report released Tuesday. The woman, who was not named in the report, was found dead in a wooded area near the facility, which is… Read More
BERKELEY — After the family of a teenager who has been missing for the past 14 years contacted Berkeley police, detectives are calling on the community for solid leads they hope will allow them to investigate further. Patrick McColl Patrick McColl, missing for 14 years, in a computer rendering showing how he could look today. On Aug. 28, 1995, Berkeley High School student Peter John McColl, then 16, disappeared after telling his brother he was going to a bookstore on Telegraph Avenue. He last was seen about 10:30 a.m. that day by family members at their home in the 700… Read More
STOCKTON – Stockton Police are searching for a 14-year-old McNair High student who has been reported missing since Friday. Missing Teens Marija Mikalonis is described as white, between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 6 inches tall, 140 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair. Family members said Makalonis is a freshman at McNair High who has few friends and usually comes straight home after school. The family does not believe she would run away. She did not come home from school Friday and has not been seen or heard from since, her uncle, Justin Kerlin, said. Officer Pete… Read More
SALINAS, Calif- Police are looking for Ruben Acosta. Acosta disappeared last Thursday after leaving the HOPE Rehabilitation Center on Brunken Avenue. Police say he’s mentally handicapped and has trouble speaking. Missing Persosn “At this point we are concerned because its Monday and he still hasn’t returned. He was sighted last Thursday afternoon and hasn’t been seen since,” said home care center director Gina Perata Fiallos. Acosta left work, but he never returned to the home care facility for people with disabilities. The home’s director, Perata Fiallos says that’s rare. “This is out of his routine and we are extremely concerned,… Read More
FAIRFIELD, Calif. (KCBS/AP) — Detectives in Fairfield and neighboring Suisun City are looking for leads, as the search for a woman who would have been celebrating her 25th birthday Friday continues. Police said Phuong Le disappeared sometime after leaving her home in Suisun City Sunday afternoon. Her car, along with some personal items, were found outside a Barnes and Nobles bookstore Monday morning. Investigators have determined she was in the store around 8:30 p.m. Sunday night. Her family said she recently passed a nurses licensing exam and often went to the bookstore to study. Meanwhile, hundreds of people turned out… Read More
Mother of three disappeared after going for night walk in 2002 Almost eight years ago, Rhonda Wilson — a petite, black-haired, mother of three — left her North Kentville home on a hot summer night to go for a walk. She’s never been seen since. Now, RCMP hope that a reward of up to $150,000 might finally solve the mystery of what happened to the 31-year-old whose boyfriend reported her missing Aug. 10, 2002, three days after he said he last saw her. “Our whole goal is to bring attention to this file, to say it’s still unsolved and to… Read More
DELAWARE : A father and son are missing after their boat overturned off the Delaware Coast. David Whitehair Sr. who is 40 years old and David Whitehair Jr. who is 17 were supposed to go on a chartered fishing trip Friday however, the trip was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. Mr. Whitehair decided to go anyway. If you spot Mr. Whitehair and his son, contact State Police Troop 3. They have not been heard from since Friday. 3 p.m. after they left Woodland Beach aboard their boat DSP News Release: Saturday, April 24, 2010- Report of Overturned Vessel Results… Read More
Miramar Police Arrest Boyfriend In Woman’s Gruesome Homicide MIRAMAR (CBS4) ― It started out as a missing person’s case, and it ended with the woman’s body stuffed inside a barrel. But now police in Miramar say they arrested the man who did it. Miramar Police arrested that man Wednesday and charged him with the murder and decapitation of his live-in girlfriend. Detectives say Paul Edwards stabbed Lisa Spence at least 33 times, stuffed her body into a barrel, dumped the barrel near a canal and tried to cover up the crime with phony text messages to Spence’s family. “We have… Read More
Police hope to generate new tips on open missing-person cases. Melanie Drury yearns for the day when she’ll be able to bring her missing sister home. It’s been almost 16 years since anyone has heard from Melisa Brady Sloan — a pretty, 23-year-old newlywed who disappeared in Orlando in May 1994. Her husband, Gulf War veteran John Sloan, was the last person to see her alive. Melisa Sloan’s unsolved disappearance is one of Orlando Police Department’s 16 open, missing-person cases that date back as far as 1982. Half of the missing people are thought to be dead, or foul play… Read More
Chicago police this morning are hoping the public can help find a 15-year-old girl who went missing on St. Patrick’s Day on the Southwest Side. Cynthia Sanchez, who has never previously been reported missing, was last seen leaving for school about 7:40 a.m. March 17 from 2724 W. 22nd Place, police said. She was en route to Curie Metro High School, 4959 S. Archer Ave., but never showed up. She was last seen wearing a pink sweater and gray jogging pants. Police said she also frequents the area of the 2300 and 2400 blocks of South Washtenaw Avenue. Anyone with… Read More
NEWARK — The year was 1978 and Newark was burning. It was an urban, inner-city plague that year. From Oakland to East St. Louis to Boston to New York, the pervasive smell was of ash and scorched timber. In Newark, the fires were extra body blows to a cash-strapped, jobless city still staggering from the riots a decade before. “It was Newark’s long nadir, a decade when no one was sure the city was salvageable,” remembered Rutgers University professor Clement Price. “When I think of that time, I remember the sound of fire sirens.” Five Newark teenage boys disappeared on… Read More
Two men charged in the 1978 disappearance of five teenagers in Newark, New Jersey, pleaded not guilty to five counts of murder Wednesday morning as about 40 family members of the victims looked on. Tonight, in our crime and punishment report, we’ll look into the case. The story got us thinking about cold cases and missing persons cases around the country. Check out the National Missing Persons Database. It allows you to search nationwide for missing persons using a variety of search features. Anyone may search the database, but by registering in the system both law enforcement professionals and the… Read More
Dallas police have stepped up the search for a 16-year-old Molina High School girl who disappeared two months ago after texting her mother saying she was spending the night with a friend. Missing persons detectives have exhausted all leads in the search for Angela Jaramillo, who did not have a history of running away before she was last heard from in late January, police said Thursday. “We believe there might be more to this,” said Sgt. Eugene Reyes, who supervises the department’s Special Investigations Unit, which handles missing persons cases generally when foul play is suspected. “It’s out of character… Read More
Mar 18 (THAINDIAN NEWS) In an epic cleaning fail, not to mention a major investigation fail, the body of Sony Millbrook, who has been missing from a Memphis hotel room since January, was found yesterday, March 17-almost 2 months later, stuffed under the bed in her hotel room 222 of the Budget Inn Motel. The room had been rented out approximately five times in the the month and a half that the body was hidden beneath the bed, which has a metal frame bottom that sits on the floor. The mattress, box springs, and her body apparently were all fitted… Read More
The body of a Purdue student missing since early Sunday was found today submerged in his car in a Fishers neighborhood retention pond, police say. The vehicle driven by Patrick Trainor, 19, Indianapolis, was identified by family members gathered in the Fishers neighborhood of Breakwater, near 116th Street and Brooks School Road. Fishers Fire Department spokesman Ron Lipps said authorities pulled the car from the pond about 3 p.m. Police said they found no tire tracks leading from the road into the pond, which is about 20 feet from the road. Trainor’s family identified the body. They declined comment. In… Read More
NEWARK, N.J. — One night in 1978, five teenage boys disappeared without a trace in what would become one of the longest and most baffling missing-persons cases New Jersey has ever seen. Thirty-two years later, prosecutors announced the arrests of two men and disclosed the victims’ gruesome fate: They were herded at gunpoint into an abandoned building in a dispute over missing drugs and burned to death in a blaze that obliterated nearly all evidence. “For years, their families have wondered what happened on that August day,” acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino said Tuesday. “Today, we believe that question… Read More
The 24-year-old woman disappeared Sept. 17 after being released from the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s Station. Her parents have filed negligence claims against L.A. County. In the six months since Mitrice Richardson vanished in rugged Malibu Canyon, detectives have tracked reported sightings of her. Searchers have combed a total of 40 square miles looking for any sign of her — alive or dead. U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D- Los Angeles) called for the FBI’s involvement, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas asked the Sheriff’s Department to review the policies that led to the release of the Cal State Fullerton graduate… Read More
MINNEAPOLIS — A new online database promises to crack some of the nation’s 100,000 missing persons cases and provide answers to desperate families, but only a fraction of law enforcement agencies are using it. The clearinghouse, dubbed NamUs (Name Us), offers a quick way to check whether a missing loved one might be among the 40,000 sets of unidentified remains that languish at any given time with medical examiners across the country. NamUs is free, yet many law enforcement agencies still aren’t aware of it, and others aren’t convinced they should use their limited staff resources to participate. Janice Smolinski… Read More
When Morgan D. Harrington’s bones were found in an Albemarle County pasture, they had been shattered and broken into jagged pieces, her parents said Wednesday. “When you view … not just a skeleton, but brutal damage to a skeleton, you can imagine what [her mother] must have gone through,” the victim’s father, Dan Harrington, said. He and Gil Harrington, Morgan’s mother, addressed the media Wednesday, marking five months since their daughter disappeared. They came from their home in Roanoke to the University of Virginia for the event. Harrington, 20 and a Virginia Tech student, was killed after leaving an Oct…. Read More
SEARCH FOR MICKEY JAMES GUIDRY, 16, AT ANZA BORREGO STATE PARK TO CONTINUE SUNDAY The family of missing San Marcos teenager Mickey James Guidry harnessed a recent surge of community support this weekend to renew their search for the 16-year-old boy in the desert where he was last seen in November. Mickey’s family and friends joined about 80 volunteers Saturday to scour the Anza Borrego desert where the family’s jeep was found Nov. 28, undrivable with his wallet and other belongings inside, according to a Facebook page devoted to finding Mickey. A smaller group planned to continue the search Sunday,… Read More
Sebastian Smith, 21 years old Location, Dallas, TX Height : 5 feet, 8 inches Weight : 250 pounds If you have information about Smith or have seen his vehicle, please contact the SMU Police Department at 214-768-3388. His mother is making a tearful plea for help to find her missing son. Sebastian Smith has been gone for three weeks, and his mother is worried he might be in danger. Smith’s mother, Clarissa Smith, said Sebastian is always reliable and always told her where he was going. On December 22, the 21-year-old told his mother he was going to the SMU… Read More