Randy "Amanda" Lehrer Missing From Jersey City (FOUND)

On August 28, Jersey City is under the gun of Hurricane Irene, one of the first to hit the area in a long time.  Not such great weather for a 32 year old mother to be missing from her child and her family.  And yet, her husband, Steven Acuna doesn't seem to see the importance of cooperating with the investigation surrounding her whereabouts.  Good friends and family members have formed teams to saturate the area with posters, hoping that a clue will come in from the community, something that will help determine where she might be.

According to news reports, on Tuesday, August 16, Steven Acuna filed a missing person report stating that he and Randy had an argument on August 13 and she stormed out of the house, leaving her 10 month old daughter, Stephanie, behind. Acuna waited three days after the argument, until August 16, to report Randy Lehrer missing.  The last person to see her, he called the restaurant where she worked on Monday, August 15 to tell co-workers that she had gone to care for her ailing mother in Canada.  When her mother was contacted, it was discovered that she was just fine and that Randy wasn't there.

Here we have Steven Acuna giving two different accounts to what happened before he stopped cooperating and will no longer talk to investigators without an attorney. Clearly Acuna is doing everything he can to delay the investigators, forcing them to get warrants, subpoenas and court orders to proceed, frustrating an already busy department.

What was happening before the argument?  It's reported by neighbors and friends that the couple argued a lot, and that the week before her disappearance, Randy was heard kicking Acuna out of the house, telling him to never return.  It's not been reported whether there was any ongoing violence in the relationship, or if there had been any police reports of intimate partner violence filed with local agencies, but with what is known, Steven Acuna is being examined closely.  Even though Acuna was arrested on a prior warrant, he posted bail and is caring for 10 month old, Stephanie, which is concerning.

Randy's friends, co-workers at Tommy's Restaurant, and the community have rallied around the missing mother, holding vigils and passing out fliers.  They are also talking with investigators about their knowledge of the relationship, hoping there is a clue that will help solve her disappearance and bring her home.

A private investigator, Charles Hannon, has offered a $3,000 reward for information leading to the return of Lehrer.

There is a Facebook page created by friends to bring awareness: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Have-You-Seen-Randy-Amanda-Lehrer/211610325558914?sk=wall

Suggestions:

• A family member should register the case with a reputable missing persons organization like CUE Center for Missing Persons, in order to have trained liaisons and advocates to assist.
• Family members must submit DNA and be certain all information is registered properly with CODIS and NamUs.
• Use social media resources as well as traditional media, and radio shows to keep the case alive and facts in the public eye.  (Crime Wire, The Roth Show, The Susan Murphy Milano Show,  and Jon Leiberman have all contributed greatly to awareness and bringing forth clues in missing persons cases)
• Create a simple website where all pertinent information is housed, a place where the family is in charge, and a place where they can share their thoughts.
• Do not take anything for granted in an investigation, be persistent, diligent and hold on to hope. Talk to others who have been, or who are still, in the same position with a missing loved one.  They are a great source of strength. (Peace4 the Missing is a great source of support and information)
• Pray, a lot.

Lehrer is 5-foot-2, 145 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes and a fair complexion. Her right shoulder bears a tattoo that reads “Laugh Now Cry Later,” police said. She was last seen publicly around 2 p.m. on Aug. 12 after leaving her waitress job at Tommy’s.

Anyone with information about Lehrer's whereabouts is urged to call Jersey City Police Department - Missing Persons Unit at 201-547 5427. All calls will remain confidential.

http://missingpersonsblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/randy-amanda-lehrer-missing-jersey-city.html
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/08/19/jersey-city-police-looking-for-randy-amanda-lehrer-missing-mother-of-10-month-old-child/#.TloxtXA_Qth.facebook
http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/15232837/article-Thinking-of-Amanda-Community-leaders-and-residents-organize-for-missing-mom-?instance=jersey_city_story_left_column
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Have-You-Seen-Randy-Amanda-Lehrer/211610325558914?sk=wall

UPDATE

Body found in concrete-filled drum is missing NJ mom, family says
Relatives say husband arrested; remains discovered in home's basement

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44655584/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/2011/09/randy-amanda-lehrer-implementing-change.html

"She Would NEVER Leave Her Children!"

In almost EVERY missing person case I have researched referring to a missing mother, these words are spoken by someone close to the victim. Good mothers don't just up and leave their children without knowing that they are in a safe place and able to be taken care of. That is a fact.

Yes, there are some cases where there is an anomoly to this fact, but there are usually other circumstances involved that allow that the mother just walked away, leaving her children to fend for themselves. It's not the norm.

How many times have we heard this when faced with police and investigators saying the person probably just walked away to start a new life? How can anyone prove anything differently if there is no body and no hard evidence of foul play, but that mother is gone without a trace and she didn't even say goodbye to her children!

Every single one of the vanishing mother cases I have featured on this blog makes that statement again and again.... "She would NEVER leave her children!"  Many of the cases are mothers who have been abused by a partner or spouse.  Many of those are the last person to see the mother, and often come up with stories of her leaving after an argument, or running off with someone else; usually those stories are proven to be false, and it's likely that person had something to do with her disappearance.


Are You Prepared?


No one ever thinks it could happen to them. No one expects they will ever go missing. But what if you do? Are you prepared? Are your family members or close friends prepared to provide the authorities with enough vital information to begin an immediate search for you? And will they have enough vital information on hand at this time of crisis when this information is so important to have? Who better to supply my own vital information other than my own self?

A lot of police departments will say they require a waiting period before a report of a missing adult can be filed. There is no such law, it's only department policy and they must take the report! The problem with this is; we all know, the first 24 hours are the most vital in a search, therefore providing the authorities with a written request on your behalf to by-pass those requirements and begin a more immediate search may prove helpful. Already, some jurisdictions require a missing persons report be taken, but that doesn't mean an actual search is started until much later.


Now there is something YOU can do about it. 

If you are in a relationship that has a history of violence, simply mustering up the courage to confront the person and say it is over, without the proper tools, can cost you, your life!The book, "Time's Up: A Guide on How To Survive and Abusive and Stalking Relationship" by Susan Murphy Milano is the prescription that every person must obtain before they announce they are leaving. Below is an example from Chapter 4, one of many unique tools provided in the book. It is available onAmazon.com, or you can purchase via e-book or on a CD.

This book doesn't merely discuss when you should leave or why you should leave, it tells you HOW you should leave. The book has step-by-step instructions how to covertly make a plan, set-up a safe escape, deal with financial issues, and the paperwork. Susan even takes you line-by-line through the process, the forms, the legal issues...she takes you by the hand, and, believe me, when you are being terrorized and you are an basket case, you don't need vague ideas, you need specific instructions. TIME'S UP can save your life and your sanity. If you need to get out, get this book before you make a mistake that could be fatal. It is money well spent.

Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit by Susan Murphy Milano from the Book "Time's Up" from Courage Network on Vimeo.