When An Adult Is Missing: A Resource Guide
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TABLE OF CONTENTS I. CHECKLIST.................................................................4 A. Gathering Evidence in the First 48 Hours............. 4 1. What to do....................................................................... 4 2. The right to go missing............................................... 5 3. How you can help law enforcement...................... 6 B. Working with NamUs Program.................................. 8 1. Overview of NamUs..................................................... 8 2. Who uses NamUs.......................................................... 9 C. Working with Law Enforcement.............................11 1. Arkansas Silver Alert System..................................12 D. Conducting Interviews with the Media...............13 1. Tips for interacting with the media......................13 E. Distributing Fliers..........................................................15 F. Working With Volunteer Searches..........................17 1. Personal items and other supplies for the search.................................17 2. Reporting procedure.................................................17 3. Search procedures.....................................................17
II. RESOURCES........................................................... 18 III. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................. 19
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Checklist: Gathering Evidence in the First 48 Hours
If you are a loved one, family member, friend, service provider or advocate of anyone who is missing, here is what you need to know and do. You are not alone. There are FREE resources for you. A list is included in this publication.
What to do 1. Make a law enforcement missing person report. 2. Enter your loved one into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs’ Missing Persons Database). 3. Assemble a list with contact information for the missing person’s blood relatives. 4. List all dentists and other physicians who have treated the missing person. 5. List all instances where the missing person may have had their fingerprints taken (e.g., arrest, military, driver’s license, or pre-employment background investigation). 6. Determine the missing person’s cellphone information (number and cellphone provider). 7. Locate photographs of the missing person that accurately depict how they look. 8. Locate photographs of marks, scars, tattoos and their locations on the missing person. 9. What clothing and jewelry was the missing person wearing when they went missing? 10. Locate photographs of the missing person wearing that clothing and jewelry. 11. Identify any medical conditions the missing person has. 12. Determine the missing person’s vehicle information (make, model, color, tag, VIN). 13. Determine the circumstances surrounding why the person went missing. 14. Who was the last person to see the person before they went missing? 15. Volunteer and advocate for the missing and unidentified.
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The Right to Go Missing It is not against the law to be missing. Law enforcement cannot arrest or detain someone based solely on the fact that the individual is missing. There are many reasons people go missing. From a law enforcement perspective, the main concern when someone goes missing is that person’s safety. Is the missing person the victim of foul play or otherwise endangered? The only way to know if there has been foul play is to locate the missing person as soon as possible and to conduct an immediate investigation. Someone must notify law enforcement immediately upon learning that the person is missing. Your first point of contact will likely be the 911 operator or police call taker/dispatcher. Tell the call taker that you wish to report a missing person. Reporting methods vary from agency to agency. Some agencies send uniformed police officers in marked police cars to your location to receive your information. Some agencies will take your information over the phone. Other reporting methods require you to report online or to hand write citizen report forms. Regardless of the reporting method your law enforcement agency uses, make a police missing person report. Insist, if you must, to report your person missing. Reporting a missing person to a law enforcement agency does several things: 1. A law enforcement investigator will be assigned to follow up on the missing person report. 2. The missing person will be entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. NCIC is a nationwide law enforcement network. When the missing person is entered into NCIC, any law enforcement agency in the country that contacts the missing person can be notified. 3. NamUs can publish the case with the NCIC and police report information. 4. Only a law enforcement officer can handle evidence/DNA involved with this case. 5. Facilitate the collection of DNA from blood relatives of the missing person. Law enforcement can use family DNA to identify your missing person. The National Institute of Justice funds laboratories to perform DNA analyses for missing and unidentified person cases across the country.
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How You Can Help Law Enforcement An important aspect in the search for a missing person is the gathering of evidence that may hold clues about a person’s disappearance or whereabouts. The mishandling of evidence can adversely affect an investigation. Similarly, the collection and preservation of evidence are key to finding a missing person. Family members play a vital role in finding a missing person by providing critical information to law enforcement, by protecting evidence in and around the missing person’s home, and by gathering information about persons or situations that might hold clues. The following are some tips on what you should do to help law enforcement conduct a thorough and complete investigation. • Secure your missing person’s room. Even though your missing person may have disappeared from outside of their home, the home should be searched thoroughly by law enforcement for clues and evidence. Don’t clean the missing person’s room, wash their clothes or tidy their home. Don’t allow well-meaning family members or friends to disturb anything. Even a trash bin or a computer may contain clues that lead to the recovery of the missing person. • Do not touch or remove anything from your missing person’s room or from their home that might carry fingerprints, DNA or a scent. This includes your missing person’s hairbrush, bed linens, worn clothing, journal or address book. With a good set of fingerprints or a sample of DNA from hair, law enforcement may be able to tell whether your missing person has been in a particular car or house. With good scent material, tracking dogs may be able to help find your missing person. • Be prepared to give investigators all the facts and circumstances related to the disappearance of your missing person. This includes knowing where they were last seen, places they normally went to, what they were wearing, what personal possessions your missing person had with him or her, who they were last seen with, time and day last seen, known or suspected enemies (if any), or suspicious person/threats received (if any). • Describe in detail the clothing your missing person was wearing and any personal items in the person’s possession at the time of the disappearance. Specify color, brand and size. If possible, have someone obtain replicas of clothing, hats, purses, backpacks or other items your missing person had or wore at the time of the disappearance. Give these articles to law enforcement for them to release to the media and to show to searchers.
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Make sure you mark these items as duplicates or replicas. Provide most current, clear photo of the missing person. • Make a list of personal identification marks and specific personality traits. Describe birth marks, tattoos, missing teeth, eyeglasses, contacts, speech patterns and behavioral traits. If possible, find photographs that show these unique features. If you have fingerprints of your missing person or a DNA blood sample, also give these to law enforcement. • If possible, gather together personal items, such as baby teeth, old baseball caps or old toothbrushes. These items may contain hair or blood that may be useful as evidence. • Think about your missing person’s behavior and routine. Be prepared to discuss where your missing person liked to go, what was their usual route to and from work, and what other paths of travel might have been taken. Be specific about what your missing person did for recreation, including surfing the internet, visiting certain stores or restaurants, going for walks and other activities. Identify any changes in your missing person’s routine (new job, new group of friends). Did your missing person keep a diary or journal? • Find recent photographs of your missing person in both color and black and white. Then have someone make copies of photographs and keep the originals in a safe place. Use the most recent photos that you have of your missing person. Give law enforcement multiple photos showing different poses. Steer away from formal or posed photos that do not look like your missing person. Mark the back of each picture with your missing person’s name, address, date of birth and age when picture was taken. • Make a list of medications that your missing loved one was taking on a regular basis. If possible, it would be helpful to get the records from their pharmacy to see if they recently got any new or pre-existing prescription medications filled just prior to going missing. • Find videos of your missing person and make copies. Give law enforcement copies that show expressions and mannerisms. • Make a list of family members, friends, co-workers and other acquaintances. Write down as many phone numbers and addresses as you can. Offer information for prior significant others, in-laws and relatives as well. Include on your list anyone you feel might have something against you or your family.
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• Make a list of everyone who routinely comes to your missing person’s home. • Make a list of new, different or unusual people or circumstances in and around your missing person’s home or work in the past year. • Ask your missing person’s doctor and dentist for copies of their medical and dental records and X-rays. Give copies of all medical and dental records to law enforcement for use in the investigation.
Checklist: Working with NamUs Program Overview of NamUs NamUs is a national information clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases across the United States. Funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice and managed through a cooperative agreement with the University of North Texas (UNT) Health Science Center, all NamUs resources are provided at no cost. The NamUs program includes the following resources and services: • The NamUs 2.0 database application fills an overwhelming need for a central repository of information related to missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases. The database is searchable by all, with biometric and other secure case information accessible only to appropriate, vetted criminal justice users. o Missing person records can be entered into NamUs by anyone, including the general public; however, all cases are verified with the appropriate law enforcement agency prior to publication in NamUs. o Unidentified and unclaimed person records are entered into the NamUs database by medical examiners, coroners and other criminal justice designees. o Missing and unidentified person cases in NamUs are automatically compared to locate potential matches based on dates, geography, and core demographic information. Advanced searches can be performed to locate matches based on additional unique descriptors such as scars, marks, tattoos, clothing, jewelry, etc. • Free forensic services to include: o Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses through the UNT Center for Human Identification to assist with the identification of missing and unidentified persons. DNA collection kits are also provided at no cost. o Fingerprint examination to include the acquisition, classification, upload and comparison of fingerprint information in NamUs. Fingerprints are a widely recognized
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and cost-effective biometric marker. They are a reliable means of personal identification that enable rapid comparisons – when submitted to NamUs, fingerprints are immediately available for comparisons that can result in positive identifications or exclusions. o Forensic odontology to include the acquisition, coding, upload, and comparison of dental information in NamUs. Law enforcement, medical examiners and coroners rely on dental records to establish legal and verifiable identifications of missing and unidentified persons. Dental records provide an opportunity to make rapid, costeffective, detailed comparison between individuals for inclusions or exclusions of potential matches. o Investigative support from NamUs’ seasoned Regional Program Specialists, who provide case consultations and technical support, and facilitate forensic services to drive case resolutions. o Analytical services to locate missing persons and family members of missing persons for DNA collections and next of kin death notifications. o Training and outreach by NamUs subject matter experts who develop and administer missing and unidentified person training, and coordinate Missing Person Day events with agencies across the country, including the Never Forgotten initiative in Arkansas. o Assistance from the communications division which responds to media inquiries, performs outreach to media, coordinates social networking efforts, and collaborates with victim advocate groups across the country to increase awareness and use of the NamUs program to resolve cases.
Who Uses NamUs? • Medical examiners and coroners. NamUs provides technology and resources to resolve unidentified decedent cases across the country. • Law enforcement. NamUs connects law enforcement with tools and resources to resolve missing person cases, including state-of-the-art technology to securely store, share and compare case information with other criminal justice professionals. • Allied forensic professionals upload and compare biometric information in NamUs, including dental information and fingerprints. • Families of missing persons. NamUs provides tools that empower family members of missing persons to enter and search case information, and connects families with criminal justice professionals to assist in the search for their missing loved ones.
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DNA
Providing DNA is free and painless. DNA kits, called “Family Reference Sample Collection Kits,” are provided by the UNT Center For Human Identification (UNTCHI). The kit contains everything your law enforcement investigator needs to collect DNA samples from family members. DNA is collected from “buccal swabs,” which are cotton swabs that are rubbed against the inside of your cheek (buccal surface) to collect skin cells. These skin cells contain your DNA from which the UNTCHI will develop your DNA profiles. Your completed DNA profiles will then be entered into the Combined DNA Index System, also known as CODIS. Your DNA submission is voluntary, and DNA profiles developed for family members of missing persons can – and will – only be compared with the DNA profiles of unidentified persons in CODIS.
Dental Records
NamUs odontologists work with dentists across the country to obtain missing person dental records and x-rays. Your investigator must know who the dentist is and how to contact him or her. Provide your investigator with the name and contact information for dentists and medical doctors who have treated the missing person. A forensic odontologist can compare those records to a body to quickly make an identification. A forensic odontologist is specially trained to make identifications based upon dental records and X-rays/radiographs.
Other Medical Records
Surgeries or broken bones your missing person has had can help identify them. X-rays of broken bones act like dental X-rays to identify. Knee or hip replacements, rods, screws, plates used to treat your missing person can also be used to identify. This is where the family can help to find this important information law enforcement will use to make the identification.
Fingerprints
Fingerprint examiners can often use fingerprint cards to identify missing persons. They just need to know that fingerprints exist and where to find them. Fingerprints may be available for many reasons. All law enforcement officers and military personnel are fingerprinted. Many professions require personnel to be fingerprinted for employment and/or licensure. Information Required to Complete a NamUs Missing Person Entry: • First Name • Weight • Hair color • Last Name • City • Eye color • Age • State • Your relationship to the missing • Sex • Date last person known alive • Race • Circumstances • Height
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Strongly Recommended Information: • Availability of a direct DNA sample for the missing person (e.g., toothbrush) • Availability of family members who will provide DNA samples as references for the missing person • Dental records • Fingerprints For more information, contact NamUs at NamUs@unthsc.edu or (855) 626-7600.
Checklist: Working with Law Enforcement The following checklist describes the most important steps that law enforcement can take as the investigation begins. Use this information to deepen your understanding of the investigatory process. Discuss these steps with your assigned law enforcement investigator, keeping in mind that the order of the steps is likely to vary, depending on individual circumstances. • A BOLO (Be On the Look Out) bulletin can be broadcast to area law enforcement agencies to alert them to your missing person. • Your law enforcement agency is required by federal law to immediately enter your missing person’s name into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) registry of missing persons. There is no waiting period for entry into NCIC. If your law enforcement agency has any questions about compliance with this requirement, refer to A.C.A. § 12-12-205. • If your missing person is 17 or younger, law enforcement can request the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to broadcast fax your missing person’s picture to law enforcement agencies throughout the country. If your missing person is 18-21, law enforcement must request NCMEC to help search for your missing person under Suzanne’s Law. NCMEC will assist in creating posters and age progressions as well as distribute alerts and fliers. • Your local FBI field office may be notified in case additional services and support are needed. Historically, the FBI does not get involved in missing adult cases, but if they do, they must be requested through local law enforcement. • Tracking or trailing dogs or a helicopter equipped with an infrared or a heat-sensitive device (to detect heat emitted from the body) may be requested after your missing person’s home, yard and surrounding areas have been searched unsuccessfully. • Airlines, airports, bus and taxicab companies, subways, ferries and ports may be advised of the disappearance and given posters of your missing person.
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• Investigators may revisit various “hot spots” or checkpoints either at the same time of day or the same day of the week following the disappearance to see if they can find anyone who has seen something or who recalls something unusual at the time of your missing person’s disappearance. • The convicted sex offender registry should be checked to find out if a potential suspect was in the area. • The family members of the missing person can also reach out to neighboring jurisdictions and provide posters of their missing person. Because adults have the right to be missing, the above services and resources can be difficult to obtain in some cases. It is critical that you remain calm and focused while trying to obtain these services. Remember that the resources mentioned above are available to you, but it may be a challenge to get them.
Arkansas Silver Alert System The Arkansas State Police, with the support of the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association and the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police, hosts a web page that receives emergency alerts from the Arkansas Silver Alert System. It can be accessed from www.asp.state.ar.us. Time is of the essence when someone with Alzheimer’s or another cognitive disorder disappears. The Silver Alert Program provides vital information to assist in the search for missing people in the hope of a safe recovery. Arkansas sheriffs and police chiefs may request a Silver Alert, which is modeled after the Amber Alert, after a law enforcement agency has confirmed that: • A court has judged that the missing person is incapable of managing personal affairs (i.e. through a guardianship proceeding); or • The missing person has a documented diagnosis of a mental illness, injury or other condition that would render the person incapable of personal-care decisions; or • The missing person’s family or caregiver strongly suspects the person is afflicted with some form of dementia To initiate a Silver Alert, an appropriate law enforcement official must complete the Arkansas State Police questionnaire, which the Arkansas State Police Troop A Communications team will use to prepare the Silver Alert. (The questionnaire is available on the Arkansas State Police website.) Law enforcement officers who are initiating a Silver Alert must verify that the person who is reporting the person missing is: • The legal guardian of the missing person.
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• An immediate family member who is living in the same household with the missing person who is the subject of the Silver Alert; or • A caregiver who has had recent contact with the missing person. Once the Troop A Communications team receives an official alert, a team member will immediately notify the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) commander by telephone and by email. Once the CID Commander determines the request meets standards for an alert, the commander will authorize the Troop A Communications team to disseminate the alert to the Arkansas Silver Alert subscribers.
Missing Individuals with Alzheimer’s Tips for family, friends and professional caregivers: 1. Always have a current photo of the loved one for identification. 2. Always have a current listing of all medications the person is currently taking. 3. Have a description of what the person was last seen wearing. 4. Have any information about the person’s current physical behaviors that officials need to be aware of. (i.e.; is the person violent, does the person hallucinate, does the person have any distinguishing physical characteristics?)
Checklist: Conducting Interviews with the Media The most successful media interviews happen because of advance planning. If you know beforehand what points you want to get across, you are more likely to have a positive experience with the media. The following tips can help. • Articulate the most crucial information in every interview. Before you set up an interview, be sure you are ready. Be prepared to discuss information pertinent to the case, but be sure that law enforcement officials have been consulted about what information can be released and what should remain confidential. Give essential information consistently to everyone in the media, especially the following items: o Photos of your missing person in both black/white and color, if possible. o A description of the clothing your missing person was wearing and of the items your missing person had in his or her possession, such as a purse, backpack or cellphone, along with identifying characteristics and personal traits. o A phone number for people to call in leads. • Ask that your missing person’s picture be included in every interview you grant. This is crucial because often the only thing that is clearly known is what your missing person looks like. Make sure that the picture given to the media resembles
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your missing person and is suitable for distribution. Always hold up a picture of your missing person during an interview and insist that his or her face be shown as part of the story. Ask radio stations to include a description of your missing person as part of their story. • Limit the number of points you want to make and keep them simple. Organize your thoughts and ideas, perhaps by writing them down, before you speak to an interviewer. Stay as calm and focused as you can. Remember that you will be given a very small amount of time. That means that the more you say, the less control you will have over what portion of an interview the media will include. • Try to cover the most important points first and to contain your answers to 10 to 20 second “sound bites.” Short answers are more likely to be used than long, drawn-out answers. Also, if you try to cover too much, you may find that your most important points are left out of the story. • Make your missing person real by sharing stories that show his or her wit, interests and other endearing qualities. If you personalize your plea by showing hobbies, telling short anecdotes, and airing representative videos of your missing person, people are more apt to listen and remember and to feel they have a reason to care about your plight. However, don’t loan any original items to the media because you may not get them back. Always label your missing persons pictures, videos and possessions. Clearly and firmly state that this is abnormal and if foul play is expected. The media as well as the public should walk away with a clear understanding that the person would never willingly walk away from loved ones. • Keep control of the story. Be prepared to field difficult questions. Although many reporters have families and will empathize with you, their job is to give the public an interesting story. Some may appear to be skeptical of you — at least initially—because of well-publicized disappearances in which the family members turned out to be the culprits or had information concerning the disappearance that they withheld. • Regardless of the questions asked, keep the story focused on your missing person. If a reporter digs a skeleton out of your closet, don’t be afraid to say that a previous event has nothing to do with the present disappearance. You may need to point out that members of the same family can be totally different in terms of behavior, academic performance and emotional maturity. • Be patient with reporters because many of them may be young, inexperienced or have limited time. It is difficult for someone who is not in your situation to imagine exactly what you are going through. If you are asked an inappropriate question, do not answer it and do not explain why. • Do not lie to the media. If you are caught in a lie, reporters
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will never trust you again. But remember that you don’t have to answer every question. The only reason you are giving an interview is to find your missing person. You do not have any obligation to help the media carry a story in a direction you do not want it to go. If you believe a question is insensitive or irrelevant, either say so and decline to answer or else give the information you want to present regardless of the question that was asked. Take control of the situation. Make the points you have to make and insist on getting your message across. • Do not disclose information to the media that your law enforcement contact has told you to keep confidential. Consult with your law enforcement agency in advance to find out what information can be released and what information should remain private. Remember that there is no “off-therecord” comment. If reporters want confidential information, they will try to get it. Consider holding joint press conferences with law enforcement as a way to keep information flowing to the media yet protect confidential details. Stress the importance of making the public aware that foul play is possible, despite the age of the missing adult. • Never publicly criticize law enforcement. Sometimes reporters ask questions intended to create controversy over law enforcement’s handling of a case. Resist the temptation to criticize law enforcement, however, even if you are unhappy with the investigation. You want the story to be about your missing person, not about a controversy with law enforcement. You also do not want to risk alienating the people who are spearheading the effort to find your missing person. Instead, channel any complaints you have through the appropriate law enforcement person or office.
Checklist: Distributing Fliers Effective fliers creatively combine photographs with basic information about your person. The following tips can help you develop strategies for increasing visibility of your person’s case and generating possible leads about the disappearance. • Ask someone creative to take charge of flier and poster production. Friends, family members and volunteers can help with this task. • Your poster coordinator can ask local printers to produce fliers for free or at a discounted rate. • The Morgan Nick Foundation is also a great resource that will help create the poster and make hard copies as well as help distribute the poster via social media. The Morgan Nick Foundation can be contacted at (479) 632-6382. • Posters from cases included in NamUs may be downloaded and posted. • Have fliers printed in different sizes for different purposes. Use different sizes for buttons, handouts, mailings and labels.
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• Ask your primary law enforcement contact what phone number should be published on the flier for people to use to call in tips. Because the purpose of fliers is to generate leads and tips relevant to your missing person’s case, it is crucial to include a special phone number for readers to call. Often, law enforcement prefers to use a 24-hour hotline staffed by trained information takers rather than the local police phone number, which may revert to voice mail when no one is in the office. Crime Stoppers and other reputable hotlines experienced in taking lead information are other possibilities. Do not use your own phone number or establish your own 800 number. You need to keep your own phone free for your missing person. • Fliers should be distributed in all locations allowed (churches, post office, public office buildings, law enforcement agencies, missing persons’ organizations, civic organizations, apartment manager’s offices, nightclubs, hotels, convenience stores, gas stations, etc.)
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Checklist: Working With Volunteer Searches Before the physical search for your missing person begins, your law enforcement agency will review important policies and procedures for volunteer searches. The purpose is to make sure that the search is as thorough and effective as possible, that all clues and pieces of evidence are safe guarded, and that the safety of the volunteers is protected. Some of the topics that will be discussed with the volunteer searches include the following: • Personal items and other supplies for the search. Based on time of day, climate and terrain, searchers will be asked to bring with them (or they may be provided with) items for personal use or for use in the search. These items include water bottles, flashlights, batteries, sunscreen, insect repellent, maps, compasses, walkie-talkies, notebooks, pens, gloves and reflective vests. • Reporting procedure. Procedures will be established for searchers to use when they report and sign in. The system may be as simple as signing a name or as elaborate as taking a picture or video or providing contact information. Credible photo ID should be presented to document all searchers and screen potential crime scene and potential suspects. • Search procedures. Searchers will be given instructions concerning: o What type of search is being conducted? o What to do if clues or pieces of evidence are found? o What to do if a searcher gets hurt or lost? o Who is responsible for searchers in a particular area and what is the chain of command for reporting information?
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Resources Alzheimer’s Arkansas alzark.org 201 Markham Center Drive Little Rock, AR 72205 (501) 224-0021 (800) 689-6090 / After Hours Caregiver Line: (501) 913-1878
Federal Bureau of Investigation - Little Rock Office fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ littlerock 24 Shackleford West Boulevard Little Rock, AR 72211-3755 (501) 221-9100
Arkansas Attorney General’s Office ArkansasAG.gov NeverForgotten.ar.gov 323 Center Street, Suite 200 Little Rock, AR, 72201 (501) 682-2007 OAG@ArkansasAG.gov
Morgan Nick Foundation morgannickfoundation.com P.O. Box 1033, Alma, AR 72921 (479) 632-6382 NamUs namus.gov 810 7th Street NW Washington D.C., 20531 (855) 626-7600
Arkansas Crime Information Center ACIC.org 322 South Main Street, Suite 615, Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 682-2222
National Human Trafficking Hotline humantraffickinghotline.org Call (888) 373-7888 Text 233733
Arkansas Crime Victims Reparations Program ArkansasAG.gov/resources/victimadvocacy Arkansas Attorney General’s Office 323 Center Street Suite 200 Little Rock, AR, 72201 (800) 448-3014 OAG@ArkansasAG.gov
The Center for Hope hope4themissing.org 20 Prospect Street Ballston Spa, NY 12020 (518) 884-8761 Thorn wearethorn.org info@wearethorn.org
Autism Speaks AutismSpeaks.org Autism Response Team (888) 288-4762 CUE Center for Missing ncmissingpersons.org P.O. Box 12714 Wilmington, NC 28405 (910) 343-1131 / (910) 232-1687
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Acknowledgements The production of this guide is possible, in large part, to the families who attended and provided input at the 2017 Never Forgotten – Arkansas Takes Action event, hosted by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.
2017 Family Participants: David Clark (Patsy Clark) David Frizzell (James Matthew Sullivan) Tamra Gentry (James Matthew Sullivan) Rebecca Glenn (Kenneth Weaver) Jashaira Hall (Terkessa Wallace) Tracey Holmes (Terkessa Wallace) Laurie Jernigan (Ebby Steppach) Margaret McClain (Heidi Al-Omary) Martin Melchor (Pedro Melchor) Jim Murray (James Murray) Luci Murray (James Murray) Colleen Nick (Morgan Nick) Sonya Roberson (Travis Roberson) Darrell Smith (Patrice Smith) Michele Eakin Smith (Father Daniel Eakin) Jim Southerland (Cassie Cotta) Minny Southerland (Cassie Cotta) Pearl Cook Southerland (Cassie Cotta) Randy Weaver (Kenneth Weaver) Special thanks to Taryn Hicks
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Following the 2017 Never Forgotten – Arkansas Takes Action event, Attorney General Rutledge convened the Arkansas Missing Persons Stakeholders Task Force to follow up on feedback. Participating organizations and individuals include: Arkansas Attorney General’s Office Arkansas Crime Information Center Arkansas Governor’s Office Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy Arkansas State Crime Laboratory
David Clark Billy Clinton Criminal Justice Institute, University of Arkansas System FBI – Little Rock Henry La Mar Morgan Nick Foundation NamUs
Arkansas State Police
The appearance of the FBI seal on this document is not intended to be an endorsement of any nonprofit organization that assisted with this project. The FBI sincerely appreciates the assistance provided by our nonprofit and law enforcement partners with this project.