For closure on their lost loved ones.

Although many of you are too young to remember the bracelets worn by some Americans to keep alive the memories of prisoners of war or missing in action during the Vietnam conflict, I remember them because I wore one. Now, decades after that war ended, many families still hope to one day be allowed to bury their lost family member. (more…)

Isn’t the same as losing your keys. I don’t usually go off on people, but in the case of missing toddler Caylee Anthony, I’d like about 10 minutes alone with the child’s mother, Casey. What a self-absorbed, immature piece of work she is. And I’m not so sure that the rest of her family is much better. Who waits a month to report a missing two–year-old? (more…)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently announced that VICAP, the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, is about to debut online. It’s about time.

Developed in 1985 to give law enforcement a vehicle for tracking and, hopefully, identifying, serial killers and murderers on the move, VICAP now functions as a central repository for information on many different types of cases, including missing persons, child abductions and unidentified recovered remains. (more…)

And Part of the Answer.

The other day I received this comment on the blog:

“I was wondering why law enforcement doesn’t reach out to different DNA databases for unidentified persons. We know to make a match the missing person has to have been reported missing and entered into that database. Many of the cold case solved cases prove to be a missing person that was never reported missing so wouldn’t be in a database for the UID to be compared to. Ancestry.com has a DNA project where a person can either order a DNA kit to submit or you can submit your own DNA values. It won’t tell you who an unidentified person is but it may give a lead to what Family the person came from. I know people that have said they used it and found cousins they never knew existed. It might at least narrow the search field.” (more…)

Into a very smart criminal justice tool.

In 1981, John Walsh was like most American dads. He went to work each day, came home, mowed his grass and spent time with his wife and six-year-old son, Adam. On July 27th of that year, Adam, a moppet with a heart-breaking grin, disappeared and was later found brutally killed. His son’s murder led John and his wife, Rev, to look for ways to better serve the cause of justice and prevent other children from meeting the same fate. (more…)

For those who’ve lost their ways home.

Ellen Leach is one of many volunteers who work with the Internet, law enforcement and families to match found and unidentified bodies to persons who have been reported missing. Her organization is called Porchlight Missing and Unidentified. The Gulfport, Mississippi, resident claims three “solves” – not a bad record for someone who has no official connection to law enforcement. (more…)

Police are human beings, too. They understand what you’re going through when a family member or friend is missing, and although they may at first come across as insensitive, they’re really not. Their first obligation is to do what’s best for the welfare of that missing person and it’s important that they keep themselves professional and focused on bringing the loved one home. (more…)

…and everyone of them is working for you. That’s what controlled release of information, a good working relationship with the community and the help of certain civilian volunteers can be when you’re working a missing person or unidentified found person case. (more…)

Aren’t we?

Here’s the deal: law enforcement is insular by nature. It’s a “them and us” kind of profession. I think some of that is good. I find few in the general public understand exactly what is out there on the streets. But by reinforcing the division between LEOs and civilians, we also lose one of our most precious assets. (more…)

“…he knows where he is.” Sound familiar? I know I heard that joke over and over when taking missing persons reports on adults. And most of the time, the missing person turned out to be a runaway or just someone who needed to put some time and distance between himself and his “real” life. But not always. (more…)