Mothers Are Vanishing

Missing Adults Found Alive: What's the Appropriate Reaction?

2011-12-23T22:18:00.000-05:00

The reasons adults go missing are as vast as the ocean; foul play, homicide, abduction, and in some cases an adult walks away, abandoning their family, children and friends. But, what happens when a missing adult is found alive and what questions are they, or their family, obligated to answer, and to whom?

There is no law that says an adult can’t walk away from their family, their job, or everything they once held dear, and create another life somewhere else. Is it the right thing to do? It depends on who you ask. While a family is devastated when someone walks out with no warning, no goodbye note, no clues as to what happened, an adult still has a legal right to do so. Morally and ethically, it may not be the best choice, but, there again, no laws have been broken.

Several cases have made national headlines; we all remember the “runaway bride,” Michelle McMullen and others, and recently a case of a 19 year old college student, Aisha Kahn, whose family reached out for help and received media attention, the aid of missing persons advocates and organizations, and the hard work of local law enforcement. Found alive and well, she’s got a lot to answer for, but to whom? Me? You? The media? The public?

The “ugly” rears its head all over the social network sites clamoring for justice, screaming for answers, and the “professional pundits” fuel these debates, the “yeas” and the high fives surrounding some of their opinions and comments, at the least, tasteless, and at the worst, shades of lynch mob mentality. Looking for appropriate answers is one thing, but wanting to dole out punishment is another, that's up to the law enforcement agency in charge.

So what exactly is our society’s fascination with passing judgment? Many are demanding answers, repeating that the attention and resources given to finding these adults takes away from the “truly” missing. What a stupid statement. What if it was YOUR missing adult, would you expect less, or would you expect every resource known on earth to be expended for your loved one? And, if that husband, wife, sister or brother suddenly reappears, for whatever reason, would you feel your “taxpayer” dollars were spent unwisely?

Prayers are never wasted. At a time when a loved one goes missing, sometimes that’s the only thing families can rely on. To see those of all faiths come together to pray for a safe return is a display of unity of mankind that doesn’t happen very often. The boundaries are erased and people embrace for a common cause, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity.

It’s after a missing adult suddenly reappears that all the unity is forgotten in an instant, and if the media gets hold of the story, the pundits start shouting about the wrongs that have been done, and what they think should happen to this person. If the adult hasn’t broken any laws, there’s nothing to shout about, and if they have, then it's up to the local legal community to investigate and bring charges, not America's media commentators. If there is information that needs to be made public, they should have all the facts to back up what's put out there before the cameras start rolling, or fingers start twittering!

The return of a missing adult becomes an accountability issue to their left behind family, law enforcement, and those whose resources were used to find them, not me, and not you, they owe us nothing.

How we can be critical when the prayer to find a missing person alive and well is answered? Do they realize the alternative?

The circumstances surrounding an adult who goes missing may not be what we would like or expect, but, until there are laws in place prohibiting adults from walking away from their families, it's none of our business.

Celebrate a life spared and pray that whatever happened to precipitate any adult who feels they need to walk away from their life is rectified fairly through their family or through the legal system, not through public comments.

And, yes, this is my opinion and I welcome yours!

Nicole Fields: Single Mother Vanished from Orlando, Florida (FOUND)

2011-11-04T22:05:00.000-04:00

Intimate partner violence may have played a part in the recent disappearance of Nicole Fields from Orlando, Florida on Thursday, November 4, 2011 after attending a 9 a.m. hearing at the Osceola County Courthouse. She had attended a custody hearing trying to get back child support from Steven Louis, her estranged boyfriend, and has not been seen or heard from since that time.

A strange twist, Steven Louis was found in Key West, FL driving the vehicle belonging to Nicole Fields. As police were in pursuit, Louis crashed the car and is now hospitalized with non life threatening injuries. He will be questioned about circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Louis had a 2008 aggravated domestic violence charge, which was later dropped. Family members of Nicole Fields admitted to reporters that Nicole was the victim of that charge. She had other incidents of violence at the hands of Louis, at one point taking out an order of protection.

According to news reports, Fields' mother called the Sheriff's Office early Friday morning. She became alarmed Thursday when, for the first time ever, Fields did not pick up her two daughters from a babysitter and did not answer her cell phone.

The family is certain Nicole Fields is in grave danger.

Nicole's mother, Sherri, said her daughter regularly called her four to five times a day. But she hasn't had a call since Nicole went to the hearing Thursday.

Nicole's family is taking care of her younger daughter, Kaliya, 2, who is Louis' child. Nicole's older daughter, Nyomi, 8, is with her father.

Nicole Fields is described as a white female, approximately 5-feet-4 inches tall, 150 lbs., with waist-length blond hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Osceola County Sheriff's Office at (407) 348-2222 or Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS (8477).

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-missing-mom-osceola-20111104,0,3443571.story

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57318902-504083/single-fla-mom-missing-after-custody-hearing-possibly-in-danger-say-police/#comments

http://www.wesh.com/news/29683504/detail.html

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/osceola_news/110411-deputies-looking-for-missing-woman

UPDATE

Missing Woman's Body Found on Tip From Estranged Boyfriend

November 10, 2011
The estranged boyfriend of a missing Orlando woman helped lead deputies to an area where her dead body was found Thursday, Osceola County deputies said.

Nicole Fields, 26, was found behind an abandoned house at 612 Robin Lane in Poinciana, deputies said. Deputies consider her death a homicide, but the cause has not yet been determined.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20111110/NEWS/111119936?Title=Missing-Woman-s-Body-Found-on-Tip-From-Estranged-Boyfriend

Karen Johnson Swift: Mother of Four Missing From Tennessee (FOUND)

2011-11-03T07:28:00.000-04:00

Doing all the right things, friends and family of Karen Johnson Swift, are looking desperately for clues. Last seen by her husband around 1:30am on October 30, 2011, near Dyersburg, TN, her car was found approximately a mile away with a flat tire around 5:30am the same morning.

According to news reports, her family says she is athletic, runs several miles per day, and could have been walking away from the car back to her home. Karen Swift owns a landscaping business and had plans made for future jobs, so it's unlikely that she was willing to walk away from her life, as well as her four children.

A Facebook page has been set up to assist in getting information out to the nation, as well as media outlets, to help investigators gather leads and tips. There is also a printable flyer there:

"Authorities need anybody whom might have seen a 2004 White Nissan Murano between the hours of 1:30am - 5:50am early Sunday morning Oct. 30 in the Millsfield Hwy area or ANYWHERE in Dyersburg, Dyer County, surrounding counties, the Bootheel of Missouri and Caruthersville areas. In a 3 hour time span, of Karen's last unknown whereabouts NOTHING will be too small. If you can place her car on Millsfield Hwy earlier than 5:50am that helps narrow down the timeline. PLEASE share this and hopefully somebody saw SOMETHING associated with her vehicle somewhere here. Please call the Dyer County Sheriff's Department 731-285-2802 with that information no matter how small you think it is because it is still critical!"

The Dyer County Sheriff's Office has been conducting aerial searches, and sent out search dogs on the ground sniffing for clues in the disappearance of the mother of four. Swift's SUV has already been sent to the TBI crime lab in Nashville for forensic processing.

In an interview with her parents, Karen Swift's father, Gary Johnson says, "She is a great mom and works hard," Johnson said. "She's a sweet person, real nice, gets along with everybody." Swift's two sons are in college and her daughters are 7 and 9 years old. Johnson said his youngest granddaughter "just cries" and "won't hardly eat."

Authorities report that Karen Johnson Swift and her husband are in the process of a divorce, he has been questioned in her disappearance, but at this time is not considered a suspect. According to Sheriff Jeff Box, "We don't have any evidence that would actually state that there is foul play but we don't have any evidence to state there's not either,' said Sheriff Box.

One news report states that Karen Swift arrived at the home late Saturday night and "dropped off" her children. It also states that her husband spoke to her in the stairwell, then went on to bed. There are still many gaps in the story and questions to be asked, but, at this point in the investigation, authorities are concentrating their efforts on searches for Karen Swift and gathering leads.

Vital Information about Karen Swift Johnson:

Age: 44

Race: White

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Green

Height: 5' 5"

Weight 138 lbs.

Anyone who has had contact with Swift, recalls seeing anyone near her vehicle since her disappearance, or has information regarding her whereabouts to contact the Dyer County Sheriff's Office at 731-285-2802.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mother-missing-tennessee/story?id=14867155#.TrJufEOXu_G

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/tennessee/karen-swift-reported-missing-in-dyer-county-rpt-20111101

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/15940482/search-continues-for-missing-dyer-county-mom

http://www.stategazette.com/story/1779590.html

UPDATE

Karen Swift Body Identified by TBI

Dyer County, TN - The remains of a body found in rural Dyer County on Saturday have been identified as those of 44 year old Karen Swift. Swift has been missing for more than a month.

Authorities had cordoned off an area of Harness Road near Highway 78 for most of Saturday afternoon and evening, where the decomposed body was found.

The body was then sent to the Regional Forensic Center in Memphis for an autopsy and identification according to The Associated Press.

"Frost and winter conditions killed the vegetation, making the body visible within a few feet," according to Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box

"We plan to rely on dental records to help identify the body," Box told My Fox Memphis.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent John Mehr confirmed late this morning that the remains have been identified as Karen Swift.

Mehr told the Associated Press that authorities are treating the case as a homicide.

Swift was last seen after picking up her daughter at a Halloween party in late October. The mother of four was last seen on October 30th and authorities later found her 2004 Nissan Murano on Millsfield Highway with a flat tire.

Kyna Warren: Mother of Four Missing from Texas(FOUND SAFE)

2011-11-02T12:43:00.000-04:00

34-year-old Kyna Warren's family is sending a message to the mother of four who they reported missing Sept. 14, days after they last saw her.

The family of Warren says they are falling apart since she went missing, but they are trying to stay positive.

Michael Trahan reads the last text message he received from his missing daughter everyday.

He hasn't heard from his daughter since she sent him the text message two days after she went missing that said, "I hope you get this...".

"My heart was racing when I got the text, and when I texted back, 'Please get to a phone any other phone, just let us know you're okay.' and still no response," said Trahan.

Trahan says he is trying to keep positive, but it's not like her to just disappear.

"That's not her, she won't just run, not with the kids."

The Beaumont woman left her four children with her mother on Sept. 7 while she went to visit a friend in San Antonio for her birthday. They or police aren't sure she even made it to San Antonio.

A week passed with no word from Warren so they called police.

"I'm about falling apart. I can't hardly sleep, completely worried. I don't know what to do," said Trahan.

More than a month later, police still have no leads, and Warren's 15-year-old son Taydren Williams says he and his siblings are starting to share their grandfather's emotions.

"I can't sleep that good, you now, and school is kind complicated... Like I said, I just pray," said Williams.

Remaining hopeful, Williams sends a message to his mother: "Call us, you know. We doing everything we can to find you, and we just want to hear from you. Even if you don't come back, just call us, and let us know you're alright," said Williams.

It's a message this family never dreamed they'd give. The family has really pulled together, posting flyers everywhere between Beaumont and San Antonio. They have made Facebook pages, and posted her picture on missing person websites.

Warren is four foot 11 inches tall. She is about 115 pounds. She drives a 1999 purple Plymouth Breeze that's faded on the hood, trunk and top.

The license plate number is BL1X221.

Anyone with information on Warren's whereabouts is asked to call the police department at 409-880-3865 or Crime Stoppers at 409-833-TIPS.

http://www.cbs19.tv/category/186164/southeast-texas-news?redirected=true

: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Police-looking-for-missing-Beaumont-woman-2222966.php#ixzz1ceGloLx6

http://www.12newsnow.com/story/15710559/family-asking-for-help-finding-missing-woman http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Police-looking-for-missing-Beaumont-woman-2222966.php

UPDATE

Missing Beaumont mother makes contact with family members

Nov.26, 2011

http://www.kcentv.com/story/16121754/mis

The family of a Beaumont woman missing since September says she called Thursday to say she was alive and safe.

34-year-old Kyna Warren was reported missing Sept. 14, just days after her family last saw her.

The Beaumont woman left her four children with her mother on Sept. 7 while she went to visit a friend in San Antonio for her birthday; they or police aren't sure she even made it to San Antonio.

Warren's grandmother Margie Trahan tells 12 News that she received a call around 7:15 Thursday morning from a woman stating that she was with Kyna and that Kyna was ok. Trahan says her granddaughter then picked up the phone, told her she had not been kidnapped and asked about her children.

Trahan says Kyna Warren's father, Michael, traveled to Dallas, spoke to his daughter in person, and confirmed that she is indeed safe.

Trahan says she does not know many details about where her granddaughter has been for the past two months, but she is just happy that Kyna is safe and will soon return to Beaumont.

ImaginePublicity Sponsors Tour Stop to Remember the Missing Persons of South Carolina

2011-10-21T10:30:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, October 29 at 10am family members of the missing, along with members of the community, law enforcement, media and speakers will gather at Chapin Park at 1400 North Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach. South Carolina has approximately 125 known open missing persons cases, some recent and many that have gone cold. ImaginePublicity hopes to add to the awareness of each of them by hosting a stop along the CUE Center for Missing Persons’ Road to Remember Tour in Myrtle Beach.

Each year CUE Center for Missing Persons hits the road across several states in order to bring awareness to communities of the magnitude of a silent epidemic, missing persons. This year’s tour will cover the following states: NC, TN, SC, TX, MS, AL, FL, LA . Every year, Monica Caison and representatives from CUE travel a different route in order to bring needed attention in the media and each community.

The annual tour was created to generate new interest in cold cases of missing people across our nation. The inspiration came in 2004 from the case of North Carolina college student Leah Roberts, who had gone on a cross-country trip of self-exploration. Her wrecked and abandoned vehicle was found, but Leah is still missing. Leah’s case went cold and interest faded until CUE Center volunteers set out on a grueling 14-day trip to retrace her route and inform the media of all those who were missing in the path of the tour. In the years to follow, it only seemed right to keep hope alive after families across the country voiced the need for more help and supported the tour idea.

All families with missing loved ones in South Carolina are invited to participate. Please bring pictures, signs, banners, or whatever you like, to honor your missing loved one and bring more attention to your loved one’s case.

If you are planning to attend, please email contact@imaginepublicity to give us an idea of who will be in attendance. Your missing loved one will be honored regardless of attendance.

Valerie Calderon Casillas: Mother of Three Missing From San Jose, CA (FOUND)

2011-10-05T09:52:00.004-04:00

An East San Jose family fear something terrible happened to a young mother, who is recently separated from her husband.

No one has seen or heard from 28-year-old Valerie Calderon Casillas since she got into a blue SUV near the intersection of Wavely Avenue and Orlando Drive about 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

Her cousin told her family she stepped out of the home where she was staying to talk to her estranged husband, Marcus Calderon. They were married about a year ago and separated about a month ago.

"He called her to go out and talk to her and she she didn’t want to but she did anyway,” said her mother, Lalie Calderon. Calderon adds that Casillas didn’t take her cell phone, keys, purse or car.

Her three children -- aged six, five and one -- were sleeping at the time of the disappearance.

While Casillas' mother worries about her daughter, she’s trying to protect her grandkids from the fact that no one knows where their mother is.

The six-year-old keeps asking to call her mother.

"We can’t call her right now, we’ll call her later. I don’t know what to say to her,” Calderon said, adding “it just breaks my heart."

The family is gathered, grim-faced at the home of Casilla’s sister Sofia Salinas. Salinas said her sister was supposed to start a new job in customer service at a nearby store.

Now the family just wants someone to do the right thing and call in any information abour Casillas’ disappearance.

"If she’s badly hurt, just please take her to the hospital,” Sofia Salinas said. "We just want her home."

Anyone with information can call it in anonymously to san jose police detective sgt. Eric quan at (408)277-5250 or by calling silicon vallye crimestoppers at (408)947-stop or by visitingwww.Svcrimestoppers.Org.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/131098988.html

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_19037410

http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news/279534-sj-police-searching-for-missing-woman

UPDATE

Body of Missing SJ Woman Found

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Body-of-Missing-SJ-Woman-Found-131305984.html

Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found near San Jose as a homicide.

Valerie Calderon Casillas, 28, was reported missing on Sunday.

Police said her body was found midday Wednesday by a road worker in the area of Sierra Road and Skyview Drive in unincorporated Santa Clara County.

Detectives believe Casillas was the victim of a homicide, but have not yet determined the circumstances and motive for her death. She was last seen entering either a silver Pontiac Grand Prix or a blue Chevrolet Tahoe SUV around 3 a.m. Sunday near Waverly Avenue and Orlando Drive.

She was reported missing later that day at about 7:15 p.m., police said. Her disappearance was investigated as suspicious. Casillas' murder marks San Jose's 32nd homicide of the year.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Anthony Mata or Detective Jaime Jimenez at (408) 277-5283. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-STOP (7867) or visit www.svcrimestoppers.org.

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_19058613

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

2011-08-28T10:32:00.000-04:00

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!"

2011-08-26T13:19:00.000-04:00

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.

Missing Susan Ryan

2011-07-17T17:47:00.002-04:00

On June 5th, 2011 a one year anniversary event was held in Christmas Run Park in Wooster, Ohio, a favorite place of Susan Ryan. It wasn't an anniversary celebration as one might think, but an event to commemorate the fact that Susan has been missing from the area for a year.

It's been a year of turmoil and unanswered questions for her daughter, Helen Ryan-Zimmel, who has tirelessly organized events, as she entered the world of the missing. Attending a national conference sponsored by CUE Center for Missing Persons, she was embraced by others within that world and came away with a better understanding of what lay ahead. Her days filled with constantly calling hospitals, police departments and missing persons organizations, Helen found a lot of positive support from the community and the willingness of them to volunteer their time in the effort to find her mother.

Helen recalls her mother as a "homebody," someone who liked to sit with her things and her pets in familiar surroundings, not really venturing out much. They enjoyed the same television programs and movies, often making a night of either CSI, Star Trek or a bunch of B movies. Although estranged from many in her family, mother and daughter were exceptionally close. Helen was taught to be independent, open minded and had more like a best friend relationship with her mother.

Although Susan was usually at home, she communicated on a regular basis with her circle of close friends, as well as her daughter, talking by phone more than once a day. She was essential to one of her friends whose husband lost a battle with brain cancer, later establishing little traditions to help her through her grief.

Helen tells about a vacation they took together to San Antonio, TX to see Helen's husband graduate from Medic training with the US Army. Susan was a very proud mother-in-law, close to her son-in-law, and very, very worried about his upcoming deployment overseas. She was worried about his safety, and also worried about Helen being alone.

Helen says that a few months before she vanished, Susan wasn't herself. She had been suffering with an infection in her teeth that seemed to be making her sicker, and Helen noticed a change in her personality as a result. Susan had become depressed, but Helen feels she would not take her own life. Susan had a very deep faith in God, receiving a minister's license when Helen was small. She could be described as a "tough cookie" by some of the jobs she held over the years from driving a school bus, to doing in home nursing and working on the floor of a factory.

It remains a mystery what happened on that day, June 5, 2010, when Susan Ryan was last seen at an intersection in Wooster, Ohio. Many things were uncharacteristic of Susan that day, like leaving her dog behind, leaving without her cell phone or credit cards. Susan didn't own a car, and was on foot when last seen. All leads in her case are considered and quickly followed.

Helen has expressed extreme gratitude for the work of the Wooster Police Department who has been devoted to the case, along with members of the community for their response and support.

As the balloons rise up to the sky as a gesture of hope from one of her favorite places, many prayers go up with them as well. Prayers that Susan Ryan is finding peace and that she will return to her family soon.

Helen Ryan-Zimmel and her mother, Susan Ryan

"Perhaps they are not stars, but openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines on us to let us know they are happy" - Eskimo Proverb

From CUE Center for Missing Persons:

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Susan left on foot during the early morning hours. She left behind all of her possession including her cellphone, purse, credit cards, taxi pass, and her dog.Family states that it is very uncharacteristic of her to leave her dog behind.
Her case remains unsolved.

Investigative Agency:
Wayne County Sheriff’s Dept
Agency Phone: (330) 287-5700

If you have any information on this case please contact Cue Center for Missing Persons at (910) 343-1131 24 hour tipline (910) 232-1687.

Missing from: Wooster, Ohio

Missing since:06/05/10

Classification: Endangered Missing

Age at time of disappearance: 58

Date Of Birth:04/17/52

White Female

Height: 5′ 3

Weight: 105 lbs

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Blue

Clothing: Jeans, white sneakers

Identifying Characteristics: Partial dentures, Glasses with transition lenses (either wearing beige or red pair), rose tattoo on back hip, dragon tattoo on collar bone, phoenix tattoo on collar bone. Her mental health is declining.

Nickname: Susie Stern

Official Family Website: Where is Susan Ryan

Facebook Page: Missing Susan Ryan

NamUs MP # 7421

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4841079

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2010/06/08/police-at-risk-woman-missing-from-wooster-may-be-in-elyria-area/

http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8948.0

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2011/05/23/family-still-looking-for-former-elyria-woman-who-disappeared-a-year-ago/

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/5045554

http://www.woosterweeklynews.com/article/20110607/FEATURES/706079945?sectioncat=WWN

UPDATE

Oct. 17, 2011

Human remains believed to be of Susan Ryan

WOOSTER -- Police found human remains Saturday which they believe to be of Susan Ryan, the Wooster woman missing since June 2010.
According to a press release issued by the Wooster Police Department, at about 4:30 p.m. officers responded to a call of the discovery of possible remains in a dense brush area just south of the Wayne County Fairgrounds, near the western-most building along Kemrow Street.
Chief Matt Fisher said the remains were located by a man working in the area. Fisher explained the human skeletal remains were collected along with a small handgun and photo identification, which are leading police to believe the remains are that of Ryan.
Ryan was reported missing June 5, 2010 after quitting her job in Wooster two days prior. She was believed to have left her house on foot with nothing more than a map, her identification and a handgun.
Numerous searches led by police and volunteers around Wooster's parks, including Christmas Run, yielded no leads on her whereabouts. Police also followed leads of alleged Ryan sightings around Ohio, such as in Elyria.
The case essentially went cold with no new leads since August 2010. Detectives believed Ryan may have wished to commit suicide, given that she had a handgun with her and left behind several valuables she reportedly never left behind. But with no firm evidence one way or the other, investigators and family members were left with nothing but hope she would turn up.
Ryan would have turned 59 years old this past April.
The Wayne County Coroner's office is testing the remains for a cause of death and will be matching the remains with dental records for Ryan.
"No foul play is suspected," Fisher said, as he stated the case is still under investigation.
"This investigation is still ongoing and we ask that you keep the family in your thoughts during this difficult time," added the release on the discovery.

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/5110676

Rebecca Lynn Simmons Missing From Anderson County,SC FOUND

2011-07-14T06:15:00.001-04:00

Each morning as I check my email, there is a Google alert for missing persons from South Carolina, my home state. Usually I know about most of the missing because of networking on Facebook and various missing persons sites, however, I had not heard of Rebecca Lynn Simmons who has been missing since May 8, 2011 from a WalMart parking lot in Anderson County.

Two things bothered me about this particular missing mother. The first thing I do is check the news stories, other missing persons sites, Google and Facebook to see if there is further information about the case. As I found the page on Facebook that her family members put up (with only 55 "likes") I was struck by something sounding familiar. One of the members posted a response from one of their local news outlets:

"...investigators say they don't believe foul play is involved or that she is in any danger. Please know I realize you and your family are still concerned about her well being. Because she is an adult and investigators don't believe she is in harms way (at this time) there's nothing I can do story wise." (June 30)

Unfortunately, this is a typical response when an adult goes missing. The first news reports didn't go out until July 13. This is outrageous! Two months have passed and no one has taken the pleas of this family seriously. Precious evidence is already gone which could have clues as to what happened to Rebecca Lynn Simmons.

The second thing that bothered me greatly was the last place she was seen was a WalMart parking lot. Memories of Alice Donovan came flooding back to me. Alice was one of the first missing mothers I wrote about, the case from which this blog was born. Luckily, her family knew to check certain records immediately and were able to get investigators to react quickly. Although Alice was abducted, tortured and murdered, her killers were caught and are now on death row. Her remains would not be found for 6 years, leaving the worst nightmare for her daughters and other family members to live through.

News accounts say that Rebecca Lynn Simmons had an active warrant for a probation violation. Perhaps she wasn't on the right side of the law, and that's a reason that authorities believed she may have walked away from her life, but it's not a good enough reason not to actively look for her. Her family, as thousands of others, didn't know what to do first, she wasn't reported missing until May 31, again, losing precious time.

Simmons’ mother, Jewell Craig, said she has kept a picture of her daughter in her pocket since she disappeared. "It just makes me feel a little better. Even though I don't know where she is, I got this and I can say, 'I love you,' to her picture," said Craig. "When I change my shirt, I take it out and put it in my clean shirt."

The family of Rebecca Lynn Simmons has entered the world of the missing. It's a world where no one has chosen to be, but are thrust into it by circumstances. My hope is that they will be able to connect to the good people who will do what they can to help. They need many, many different kinds of help, from support to passing out flyers, from prayer to someone to assist them with law enforcement and media attention.

Perhaps they will contact CUE Center for Missing Persons to get that help. Monica Caison and her group of volunteers are the best in the nation and can possibly make a change in direction for this missing mother case.

CUE Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 910-232-1687.

Rebecca Lynn Simmons had no money, and her cell phone has been cut off since she went missing. Authorities, two months later, admit there may be foul play connected with her vanishing.

Simmons is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall with blonde hair, hazel eyes and tattoos on both sides of her neck.

Simmons’ family has also set up a Facebook account dedicated to finding her.

To see the Facebook page, click here.

Lynn was driving a 1994 Ford Ranger. The tag expired on 5/31/2011. The truck is GRAY and the bottom is spray painted BLUE.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office at 864-260-4400.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43749563/ns/local_news-greenville_sc/

http://www.wyff4.com/news/28540981/detail.html

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/jul/13/anderson-county-investigators-searching-missing-wo-ar-2106341/?referer=None&shorturl=http://bit.ly/nxo9rk

UPDATE

July 15, 2011........Rebecca Lynn Simmons has been found.

ANDERSON, SC (FOX Carolina) -

The Anderson County Coroner's Office said Friday that a body found in an abandoned well on Thursday was that of a woman missing since May.

The well was located on property in a remote area off Hurricane Creek Road.

Chad McBride, of the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, said an investigator was at the property when he looked down into the well and saw what appeared to be human remains at the bottom.

Crews were sent into the well and determined that the investigator did indeed see a human body.

The Anderson County Coroner's Office said Friday afternoon that the remains are that of 45-year-old Rebecca Simmons.

Simmons's family said she had been missing since May 8.

Watch FOX Carolina News at 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. for the latest on this developing story.

http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/15081723/deputies-search-property-near-anderson-co-well

Gail Nowacki Palmgren: A Common Thread (FOUND)

2011-07-10T20:07:00.002-04:00

I've been writing this blog for a few years now, presenting information, or just honoring missing mothers and the children they leave behind. This blog does not intend to pass judgement, only to present what's found in the public forum, i.e. main stream media or internet sources, and occasionally from the opportunity to speak directly with families or friends of the missing mother.

What are some of the common threads that weave through most cases of missing mothers?

She would NEVER leave her children, no matter what, no matter how bad things are in the home, in interview after interview you will see a family member or good friend repeat this, time and time again.
She was being abused. Abuse can take many avenues, not just physical, and many of the signs are not visible to those around her. Abuse is often overlooked, or not believed, in families who are highly educated or hold high paying positions. She is often portrayed as the "crazy" one, or accused of having mental issues. (You know how females are!)
A husband or boyfriend is usually the last one to see her, or has an alibi, sometimes flimsy.
A husband or boyfriend who doesn't take part in searches, events, or pleas to the media for help in finding her and quickly hires an attorney, becoming uncooperative with an investigation.
A husband or boyfriend who isolates her children from other family members after her disappearance.
A husband or boyfriend who isolates himself from the public, and only communicates through lawyers or a particular trusted member of his own family.
A distinct pattern of conduct in both parties, before the disappearance, which usually holds very important clues, some may be proven, others may not, but well worth studying.

Gail Nowacki Palmgren was last seen on her way to meet with her husband at their home in Signal Mountain, TN. She was seen driving away from the home after dropping off her children, in a hurry, according to neighbors who saw her. It's not been proven whether there was any one else in her red Jeep Rubicon, or that she drove off alone. It has been reported that it was out of character for Gail to quickly drop off her children and never be seen or heard from since that day, April 30, 2011.

In the days following her disappearance, her husband, Matt, immediately filed papers with the court protecting his assets, the marital property and custody of the children. He also began telling people that Gail had mental issues, although that has not been corroborated with professionals. Making her out to be the "crazy" one, deflecting any blame upon himself, is also a tactic of one who will try to make themselves look like they are calm and in control. Anyone going through a life changing ordeal, such as ending a marriage, will most likely have episodes where they feel everything is overwhelming, they may even lose control at times, but in Gail's case, we are to believe that she was "crazy with mental issues."

What is known is that Gail was ending her marriage to Matthew Palmgren, perhaps because she found out about his affair with a co-worker, or that he often was out of control with his drinking, as witnessed by others. It's reported that police were called to the home on a few occasions in response to verbal domestic violence, the last time the night before she vanished. Gail was given phone numbers to local domestic violence agencies, but it's not known if she made contact. However, it's clear Gail was making her plans to leave the marriage.

As in most cases when someone is preparing to leave an abusive relationship, it's important to plan ahead. Gail did her due diligence and made several correct decisions to protect her personal interests as well as her safety. Gail had a trusted friend and gave her items of value, documents and information to hold for her. As any good intimate partner violence advocate would advise, she took the correct steps to preserve evidence which could one day hold the answers.

In this age of technology, all electronic devices can hold potential evidence. Cell phones, computers and GPS devices were all a part of the Palmgren household. All of them could hold clues to what happened to Gail the day she disappeared, however, they were not readily confiscated, but only recently handed over to authorities, after Matt Palmgren and his attorney laid out the "ground rules" for searching the home. Why have the investigating agencies delayed getting aggressive in this case? Yes, it's important to cross all the t's and dot all the i's in any ongoing investigation, but it's just not clear why it seems they have been negotiating instead.

When all is said and done there are only three possibilities:

Gail left her children, home, assets, family and friends and is hiding out somewhere.
Gail had an accident and she and her vehicle have not yet been found.
Gail is a victim of foul play.

The truth will come out, it usually does, but that doesn't relieve the anxiety of two little children. Two children who are the world of Gail Palmgren, who would NEVER leave them. May these kids get the answers soon as to what's happened to their mother, and know that she loved them, she did NOT abandon them willingly.

Description of Gail’s Jeep

Gail drove a four-door maroon 2010 Rubicon Jeep Wrangler with a black soft top. The wheel cover on the back has the words “Life is Good” and a daisy painted on it. The trailer hitch has a picture of the Disney character Goofy on it, and the Jeep has Alabama tags that read “EAZY ST”.

Gail is 5’8” and weighs 135 pounds. She has blonde hair and brown eyes.

If you have any information about Gail’s disappearance or her whereabouts you are asked to call the Signal Mountain Police Department at 423-886-2123.

A Facebook page, "Bring Gail Home Now" has been created as a support for family and for news updates.

More information:
Isabelle Zehnder, Missing Persons Examiner
Susan Murphy Milano, Blog and Radio Show, May 19 June 16
Case Signal, Timeline and organized information

UPDATE

12/2/2011

Technology Helps in Search for Palmgren

"It appears Gail Palmgren lost control of her Jeep on East Brow Road on April 30th, 2011 at approximately, 12:25," this according to Matthew Palmgren's attorneys in a statement released today.
This is video we found of East Brow Road using Google Earth.

Resident David Axmacher She ran off the bluff some way or another. I know where that bluff is and it's really a long ways down)

The video shows the thick area where investigators found human remains and the Jeep Rubicon belonging to Gail Palmgren.
7 months after the mom went missing, it was technology that brought the case to the next level.

Monica Caison, CUE, says "it was a good day as far as all the technology and things coming together and people coming together that made this search successful."

Caison is with The Community United Effort for missing persons, also known as CUE.
CUE along with two other groups were called in to help with specialized equipment.
You can see just how steep this area is and what rescuers were dealing with.

"The technology used on Wednesday is a high resolution imaging device that can photograph in a millionth of a second the area so you can look at it in real time," says Caison.

The technology was used in aerial searches, to find this Jeep down below.
Even though many leaves have fallen off trees, some areas were hard to photograph, which is why officials came back on Thursday.
They were able to target the vehicle and send a special group of rescuers down the mountain.

"It was very difficult. Actually high angle experts were called in to go down there and actually assess a lot of the situations," says Caison.

An area where officials found Gail's purse and cell phone, just miles from her Signal Mountain home.

http://www.wdef.com/news/story/Technology-Helps-in-Search-for-Palmgren/SG0Rx0E-RUCm0wyAoWm7Xw.cspx

Bridget Lee Pendell

2011-06-18T10:14:00.001-04:00

Being a child of the 60's I can relate to the fascination with travelling the country and being a groupie. The Grateful Dead were just starting out in the Haight Ashbury area of San Fransico back then. Hanging out with the likes of Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and many others who made that area famous as a hippie haven. I even had big plans in 1969 to travel there with some friends, but that didn't happen for me.

Fast forward and the "Dead" are still travelling around and doing concerts, even though Jerry Garcia is no longer with us. They have attracted another generation of followers, a band of gypsy homeless that live for the day. Drugs are, and always have been, a big part of that scene along with the camaraderie of a pseudo family.

This is the world that Bridget Pendell entered back in the early 90's. She happened upon a bad crowd and began using drugs, giving up her aspirations of modeling and nursing. She was also married and had a daughter, little Sasha.

Her drug addiction led to prostitution in the San Fransico area and that is where she was last seen. Bridget was regular about phoning her family, but since April of 1997 they have heard nothing from her.

Bridget's story is sad beyond belief and I urge you to go to the links at the bottom and read the details of what has been written. Her sister, Jackie Horne, searched and searched for her along with several others over the years, until her early death in 2006 at the age of 29.

Bridget leaves behind her daughter, who is now 16 and a family who loves her. They have never given up hope that she is alive somewhere and have worked with several law enforcement agencies, websites, and detectives.

When trying to find the homeless it leads you to people and places that are a shame to our senses. Every one of them has a story, some do not want to be found, ashamed to go back to their families.

Bridget's street nickname is "Butterfly". As butterflies have an ethereal quality, that is how I imagine Bridget, beautiful, with an air of innocence, living in an ugly world.

http://www.true-ghost-stories.com/HelpGratefulDead.html

http://www.nampn.org/cases/pendell_bridget.html

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/pendell-williamson_bridget.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/21/MNG0755EUS85.DTL

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=140766215

http://www.freewebs.com/bridgetpendell/

Angie Tucker Still Missing From Tulsa, OK

2011-05-13T20:17:00.000-04:00

Angie Denise Tucker, mother of 2 children, was in an on again, off again relationship with Allen Shields, who was quickly named a suspect or person of interest in her disappearance.

On October 6, 2007, Tucker filed rape charges against Shields, and he was arrested on those charges, but posted bond the same day, and the charges were declined due to lack of evidence, according to the prosecuting attorney. On October 8 Tucker was granted an order of protection against Shields, but by November 3, Angie Tucker vanished.

According to her testimony, Shields broke into her home and forced her to have sex. She claimed he had tried to harm her, harassed and stalked her. Early on in the investigation it was stated that there was evidence with which to produce a time line, also confirming to investigators that she was a victim of foul play. Shields continued to deny any knowledge of where she was or what happened to her.

When Angie Tucker failed to show up for her job at OSU Medical center, her employers and family filed a missing persons report with police. Immediately they started passing out flyers with her information, the only thing they knew to do. Many sources have said that it was totally out of her character to not have contact with her two children, that she would definitely not leave them behind. Angie was know to be a responsible and dependable person who would always let family members know where she was going, she was outgoing and easily made friends. She did not own a vehicle at the time she went missing.

In 2010, Allen Shields was again arrested, this time for several charges stemming from another late night break-in to the home of an ex-girlfriend. Just like Angie Tucker, the woman filed for an order of protection because of an incident where he choked her to the point of passing out, just a short time before Shields broke into her home with what authorities say was a "murder kit" consisting of a handgun, pepper spray, a particulate mask, pepper spray-decontamination wipes, handcuffs and medications that could be used to promote sleep, an arrest report shows. He clearly had plans to do harm to her and her 9 year old daughter, who possibly saved them both by locking herself in the bathroom and dialing 911 for help. Responding officers broke down the door and found Shields in the home.

And then.......

On the morning of Sept. 4, 2008, a gunman wearing sunglasses and a hooded shirt pulled up over his head entered Retail Fuels Marketing, 3158 S. 108th East Ave., and quickly walked past several employees to the office of the company's owner, Neal Sweeney.

Without saying anything, the gunman shot Sweeney in the head.
Sweeney, a beloved father and former University of Tulsa football player, died the next day.

Police say the resulting investigation unraveled a murder-for-hire plot that led to charges against five accused conspirators. One defendant has since committed suicide, and four men face trial in the Sweeney slaying.

The defendant that committed suicide on April 5, 2011, was Allen Shields "who pleaded guilty to the murder conspiracy and struck a deal with prosecutors to testify against the alleged co-conspirators. Prosecutors alleged that Shields helped facilitate payment for the killing. Shields, 34, was found dead Tuesday morning, after reportedly shooting himself during a police standoff that involved an 11-year-old girl as a hostage."

Angie Denise Tucker is still missing, her two children are now 17 and 15 and being cared for by her family.

NamUs MP # 8315

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: November 3, 2007 from Tulsa, Oklahoma
Classification: Missing
Date Of Birth: November 20, 1973
Age: 34
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 155 lbs
Hair Color: Burgundy
Eye Color: Brown
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Distinguishing Characteristics: Meduim complexion.
Clothing: Black Jacket, Black shirt, denim Capri’s and black shoes.
Case Number: 2007073336
TES Case Number: 07820

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Crime Stoppers
(918) 596-COPS
OR
Tulsa P.D.
Det. Majors
(918) 596-9143

http://www.newson6.com/story/14390267/cases-i
http://www.helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?t=118
https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/8315
http://www1.tulsaworld.com/webextra/continuingcoverage/continuingcoverage.aspx?id=23&pgid=1

Summer Inman: Missing Mother From Ohio, The Search is On: FOUND

2011-03-29T00:20:00.002-04:00

The search for a mother of three young children, 25 year old, Summer Inman, has stretched to 4 counties in Ohio, Hocking, Perry, Morgan and Muskingum, and authorities are asking the citizens of those counties to please check their land and buildings for any signs of her.

According to a press conference by Logan County Law Enforcement:

“By each citizen checking their own property, including any outbuildings, fields, nearby streams or park grounds, the area searched is multiplied exponentially,” the Logan Police Department said in a press release.

“Investigators encourage the public to continue focusing on those areas close to a roadway, or near bridges and overpasses, for any signs of recent suspicious activity or clothing similar to those worn by Summer at the time of her abduction,” the police department report continued. “If anything is found, please do not touch it, merely back off, note the location, and contact the Logan Police Department immediately at 740-385-6868.”

In June, 2010, Summer filed for divorce from her husband, William Inman, and, according to her Facebook account, she was in a new relationship with Adam Peters. As in many cases when a marriage has gone sour and custody issues arise, Summer faced a set of circumstances she was not quite prepared for.

Like most women leaving a relationship, Summer probably felt a certain sense of security by procuring an attorney, thinking that act would keep her safe from the man who, according to records, threatened her life, as well as Adam Peter's life, and held her captive more than once. Three children under the age of 5 are at stake, an abusive husband using them as leverage in the divorce, fighting for custody, using the power and control tactics seen so often.

Summer Inman is most likely a victim of intimate partner homicide. Her estranged husband, along with his parents, have been arrested and are in custody and charged with kidnapping. Summer worked as a janitor at the Century National Bank in Logan, Ohio, and eye witnesses reported 2 men and a woman forcing Summer into a vehicle just outside at approximately 11pm the night she vanished.

What kind of a family unites to do evil in such a way? What motivation would the Inmans have to kidnap Summer other than to do something harmful to her? Summer Inman most likely wished to have a better life for her and her three children, a life without abuse, a life without someone demeaning her and demanding from her, and a life where her children could grow up without seeing their mother in a fearful state.

Summer, like so many others, didn't realize that ending that relationship would put her in so much danger, she probably felt like she knew the man she married well enough to handle the situation, but sadly, she did not realize the risks.

Time is passing by quickly and Summer has yet to surface; this doesn't bode well for a safe return. Three little ones are wondering where there mother is, not getting tucked in tonight, not getting that goodnight kiss.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Inman is asked to call the Logan Police Department at 740-385-6868.

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/mar/28/7/logan-mother-could-be-seriously-hurt-or-dead-polic-ar-435860/

http://www.abc6onyourside.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wsyx_vid_10037.shtml

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20047905-504083.html

UPDATES

LOGAN, Ohio — Those who know and love Summer Inman, a mother of three who has been missing for nearly a week, came together on Monday night for a vigil to pray for her safe return.

Just about everyone who lives in Logan --whether they know Inman or not -- has been touched by the 25-year-old's disappearance. Those who organized the vigil said the event was an opportunity for the community to show Inman's family that they care.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2011/03/29/story-logan-summer-inman-vigil.html?sid=102

Logan Police locate body of woman in Athens County Tuesday night

March 30

ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio - Authorities say they may have found the body of an Ohio woman who disappeared last week.

Logan police said late Tuesday that investigators searching in Athens County near U.S. Highway 33 might have discovered the body of Summer Inman, who disappeared March 22. Chief Aaron Miller did not say why he believes the body might be Inman's or what led police to the area.

The Athens County Sherriff's Office told our Columbus partners WBNS that the body is Inman.

Inman's estranged husband and in-laws all face a charge of kidnapping in her disappearance. Police say they were seen on a car wash surveillance video appearing to vacuum and make alterations to their car the morning after she went missing.

Police say she was forced into a white Crown Victoria, the same model used in the video by the suspects, 26-year-old William Inman II of Akron and his parents.

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/state/logan-police-locate-body-of-woman-in-athens-county-tuesday-night

Tina Adovasio: Mother Missing From Bronx, NY(FOUND)

2011-03-16T15:21:00.004-04:00

Edwin Coello, an ex NYPD officer, claims, "he doesn't know where she is." He is referring to his estranged wife, and mother of his 5 year old daughter, Tina Adovasio, who has been missing from Bronx, NY since Friday, March 11, 2011.

According to the NY Daily News, Edwin Coello has a long history of domestic violence charges, and was fired from the police force in 2000 for violence against his first wife. As usual, history in violent homes repeats itself, and his marriage to Tina Adovasio was no exception. Records show that Coello was charged several times with violence against her, and just last month Tina filed for divorce, obviously without a secure plan in place for her safety.

Tina Adovasio, a 40 year old nurse, is the mother of four children, who her own mother, Adrienne Susco, is quoted as saying, "He lied and told the cops she had run off before and left the kids," Susco said. "Never, ever would she leave her children." As in just about all other cases where a mother goes missing, a family member makes this statement.

Coello has been questioned by authorities, but denies any involvement with Tina's vanishing; he has retained a lawyer, spurring investigators to take out a search warrant for his car which he refused to allow them to search voluntarily.

Coello admits to having an argument with Tina the night she disappeared, but says that she stormed out of their apartment, leaving everything behind, including her children. The most incriminating piece of information has been a blurry tape of Coello dragging a large duffel bag from the home, reportedly "large enough to contain a body."

The ingredients are all there, once again, for the stew that many missing mothers find themselves in. A past history of domestic violence, so bad that they interfered with his job as a police officer, a wife that had had enough and boldly made plans to end the relationship, and the fact that he was the last person to see her, all adds up to a presumption of guilt. Although not yet charged, nor convicted, and ultimately presumed innocent, Edwin Coello joins the ranks of Scott Peterson, Mark Hacking, Drew Peterson, Shon Pernice, and recently convicted murderer, Doug Stewart, as another man who thinks his wife just "ran off."

Another family is devastated by the not knowing where their loved one is, along with four children who deserve to know what has happened to their mother. Of course, hope is always there that she is found alive, perhaps safely escaping the anger and wrath of a man who's repeatedly beaten and abused her.

Tina Adovasio is described as 5-foot-5 and 135 pounds with a slim build. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and Ugg boots.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 577 TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website.

If you are reading this and find yourself in a similar situation, know that there are measures you must take before announcing the end of your relationship. These safety precautions can be found in the book, "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave an Abusive and Stalking Relationship" by Susan Murphy Milano. Don't take things into your own hands without expert guidance.

For more information go to: www.susanmurphymilano.com

UPDATES

Body found in woods may be missing nurse Tina Adovasio

March 17,2011

A body was found in the woods near Mohansic Golf Course in Yorktown and a law enforcement source told The Journal News that police believe it is that of Adovasio, 40, who went missing Friday.

A New York Police Department spokesman confirmed that belief but referred questions to Yorktown police.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110317/NEWS02/103170409/1205/NEWS0408/Body-found-woods-may-missing-nurse-Tina-Adovasio?odyssey=nav|head

http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/135704/sources--body-of-missing-bronx-woman-likely-found-upstate/

Body of missing Bronx mom Tina Adovasio found in woods; husband expected to turn himself in

Investigators identified the body of Tina Adovasio through photographs and a tattoo after she was discovered off the Taconic Parkway in Yorktown Heights, the sources said.

The medical examiner hadn't yet determined the exact cause of death, but sources said investigators believe the 40-year-old was choked to death.

Teenagers riding all-terrain vehicles found Adovasio's body in a wooded area about 100 yards off Baldwin Road and reported it to police at 5:53 p.m., police said.

Edwin Coello, 40, whose marriage to Adovasio was marked by bouts of domestic violence, was expected to turn himself in to authorities Thursday morning, law enforcement sources said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/03/16/2011-03-16_body_of_missing_bronx_mom_found_upstate_amid_reports_of_cop_husbands_domestic_vi.html#ixzz1Gs909OcV

'He hit me too': Ex partner of 'violent' former cop who is 'person of interest' in wife's murder speaks out

March 20
A former girlfriend of the 'violent' ex cop who is a 'person of interest' in his wife's murder has come forward saying he used to beat her too.

Glory Perez was with ex-NYPD officer Eddy Coello for three years in which time she says he used to beat her 'with balled fists' and even threatened her with a gun.

Shockingly, she said: 'He would point the gun to my head and look me in the eye and say, 'Today you are going to die. 'I would beg for my life.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367559/He-hit-Ex-girlfriend-violent-cop-person-wifes-murder-speaks-out.html#ixzz1HFiRtDL3

Days After Discovery Of Wife's Body, Ex-Cop Arrested

March 22

A former NYPD housing officer was arrested today, the same day as his estranged wife was being buried in Putnam County. What Eddy Coello, who had a history of terrorizing Tina Adovasio as well as a previous girlfriend, was charged with is unclear, but according to the Post, "A team of eight plainclothes cops hustled a handcuffed Coello out of a side entrance to and brought him to the back seat of an unmarked car with tinted windows and drove off." And a law enforcement source told the Daily News, "It was just a matter of time. Outrageous he ever wore a badge."

http://gothamist.com/2011/03/22/days_after_discovery_of_estranged_w.php

3 Years Missing: Rachel Conger

2011-03-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

March 13, 2011 is the 3rd year anniversary of Rachel Conger's disappearance.

Each Spring as the sun shines warmer and daffodils bloom on cool mornings, I'm reminded that Rachel is still missing, taken from our world way too soon. Each year, on the morning of the anniversary of the day Rachel went missing, I sit to write something to honor her memory, and each year I wish it to be the last time.

Honoring Rachel today, as in years past, to me, is honoring all of the mothers missing from their children. Although she may be missing from our earthly lives, as I once again look over her pictures, I'm reminded of the impact she's made on the world, I see the day differently through the eyes looking back at me. Although I didn't know her personally, through these pictures and memories of her family, she has become close to many, reminding us that lives can be changed in an instant and those changes are far reaching.

Today marks the third year Rachel's daughter, Amber Simmons, has been without the mother who dearly, dearly loves her. We have watched as Amber has grown from a mere child to a beautiful young lady filled with much of the spirit of her mother. There are many surrogate "Mamabears" who vow to keep an eye out for this young lady, watching over her and taking her under our wings when needed.

Each year she whispers softly to us, reminding us all to take care, to love more, to reach out further, to be reminded that there is a family who starts every day silently hoping it will be the day that she will be found.

Her light is gone, her voice is silenced, but we will continue to gather, united in prayer and hope that the light and love she left in this world will shine upon the path that, one day, will bring her home and give her family peace.

What more can we say, what more can we do, to bring her home?

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Henry County Sheriff’s Department
Sheriff Monte Belew or (retired) Investigator Mike Smothers
(731) 642-1672
If you have any information on this case please contact CUE Center For Missing Persons using the contact form below or contact Cue Center at (910) 343-1131 24 hour tipline (910) 232-1687.

NamUs Missing Person Case #MP 5106

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/5106/0/

Information about Rachel Conger:

http://bringrachelhome.blogspot.com/

http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/rachel-conger/

Past articles about Rachel Conger:

http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com/2008/08/rachel-conger.html

http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com/2009/02/can-you-help-find-rachel-conger.html

http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com/2009/03/rachel-conger-monday4-missing.html

http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com/2010/03/rachel-conger-missing-for-2-years.html

http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com/2010/11/from-mother-to-daughter-rachel-conger.html

Krishonda Townsend: Mother Missing From Texas (Found)

2011-02-22T18:31:00.003-05:00

July 4, 2010, 19 year old mother, Krishonda Leanne Townsend, known as Shonda, celebrated with friends in the small town of Mineral Wells, Texas. West of Fort Worth, Mineral Wells and surrounding small towns sit literally in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the bobbing of oil rigs. Little towns are notorious for people knowing everyone's business, families mingling by marriage and cousins and in-laws being the best of friends.

Some time after the fireworks displays and Fourth of July celebrations were winding down, Shonda texted her mother to let her know she would be home soon. Records say that message was texted at 12:10am. Shonda never made it home to her young son and the rest of her family.

It would be 2 days later when her 1997 gray and purple Toyota was found in what some say was the "bad part of town." According to interviews, the car stereo was ripped out and the car was vandalized. Was this considered a crime scene? Apparently law enforcement agents who responded to the call did not know there was a missing person and did not secure the car or process it for evidence of foul play. The family had the car towed.

The internet has been buzzing with rumors and accusations, pitting friend against friend, family against family, but the bottom line is, someone stole Shonda Townsend away like a thief in the night, away from her family, friends and her son. Someone likely hurt Shonda, possibly taking her life and hiding her body. Someone, most likely several someones, know where she is and what happened that night.

Rumors will soon be turning into truth and justice will be the next move in the chess game. Checkmate!

Investigative Agency
Jack County Sheriff’s Office
(940) 567-2161

If you have any information on this case please contact CUE Center For Missing Persons using the contact form below or Contact Cue Center at (910) 343-1131 24 hour tipline (910) 232-

1687.

Facebook group dedicated to Shonda:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131168740252745&v=wall

http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/tag/krishonda-townsend/

http://www.helpfindmychild.net/Missing-Forum/showthread.php/5511-Krishonda-%E2%80%9CShonda%E2%80%9D-Leann-Townsend-(19)-Perrin-Texas-Missing-05-07-10?s=f1c47c0b4ac24d92812c5899b786a513

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6147305

http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/2011/01/krishonda-leanne-townsend-victim-of.html

http://www.helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22340

UPDATES

October 28, 2011

Family says missing mom identified

MINERAL WELLS — The skeletal remains found Thursday in Mineral Wells have been identified as Shonda Townsend, family member April Hambrick released in a statement late Friday afternoon.

"It is with heavy heart and bitter sweet relief that I inform everyone that ... the skeletal remains in Mineral Wells, Texas are that of our precious Shonda," Hambrick said. "I thank you all for all your prayers and support I ask that as of now please give our family some time to heal and grieve. I will notify everyone of memorial services as soon as my family have them in order.

Authorities began searching an area Friday in far southwest Mineral Wells where skeletal remains were found Thursday, the Mineral Wells Index reported.

Palo Pinto County Sheriff Ira Mercer said a human skull and bones were discovered by a prospective buyer of an approximately 100-acre tract who was walking the land.

The remains were found at the edge of a tree-lined area off Sand Hill Road.

Mercer along with interim Mineral Wells Police Chief Scott Mitcham said Friday morning the remains would be sent to a forensics lab for positive identification.

Mercer said officials met with Townsend's family Thursday night to inform them of the developments. ......read complete story:

http://weatherforddemocrat.com/top-news/x1607578465/Family-says-missing-mom-identified

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Billboard Unveiled for Missing Teen
February 24, 2011
It's been nearly eight months since the disappearance of 19-year-old mother Krishonda Townsend. For family and friends hope for finding her is not lost.
A national organization is throwing its weight into the investigation and just yesterday a billboard with the missing teen's picture was unveiled.
It's a billboard no mother would ever want to see, the face of their child next to the word missing, but for Carolyn Rittenbury, it's a blessing.
http://www.newschannel6now.com/Global/story.asp?S=14138689

Hoping for a sign

Efforts to generate new information, search for Shonda Townsend under way

February 25,2011

Mineral Wells — Missing since July 5, a billboard for Shonda Townsend was put up Wednesday morning as a missing persons organization prepares to head up a physical search for Townsend over the weekend.

http://weatherforddemocrat.com/homepage/x72344120/Hoping-for-a-sign

Seven months later, search for missing North Texas girl continues

February 28, 2011

http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/Seven-months-later-search-for-missing-North-Texas-girl-continues-117072343.html

March 30 Shonda's case reviewed on Jane Velez Mitchell and Nancy Grace

Is There Hope for Hope Meek?

2011-02-06T13:14:00.002-05:00

In the Southeast corner of Oklahoma, near the Texas and Louisiana border, is the small town of Valliant which sits on land originally designated as Indian Land and part of the Choctaw Nation. In the 1970's Weyerhouser Paper Mill (now International Paper Company) came to town and, at that time, was the largest mill in the world. The company also brought with it many jobs for the surrounding area and prosperity to the residents of Valliant. As in other small towns across America, everyone knows everyone, and most of their business.

Hope and Jerry Meek, along with their three young children, lived on Section Line Road, most likely a road cut by the section of timber which Weyerhouser may have been harvesting at one time. Hope Meek worked as a jailer who transported inmates to court, and was preparing to soon graduate with a degree in criminal law. Jerry Meek worked for Weyerhouser (International Paper Company) when, in February, 2002, Hope disappeared.

Family members describe Hope as being very close to her family, talking to her mother by phone several times throughout each day, which is verified by phone records, so when there was no word from her the family was worried and took action by sending the police to the home for a wellness check. On that day, Jerry Meek told them Hope had just left to go to the store, however, upon searching the home they found that her vehicle was still there, all her belongings, credit cards, her purse, cell phone, and her glasses and contacts, unusual for someone who can't see without them. The three children were also at home.

It was five days before Hope Meek was reported missing, at the insistence of her immediate family. Apparently Jerry Meek changed his story about Hope going to the store and admitted that he hadn't seen her for five days, reporting that he had taken the children camping, at a location he was unable to remember 5 days later. According to accounts from friends and family, the winter night of February 21 was quite cold, too cold for three small children (ages 6, 3 and 10mo.) to be sleeping outdoors.

Family and friends allege the marriage was beginning to unravel, there were police reports made about domestic violence incidents and the couple were separating. The night he went camping with the children, Jerry Meek says he left Hope with $500, and when he returned, she was gone as well as the $500.

Her employer, McCurtain County Sheriff's Department, says it was not in Hope's character to be absent from work without a valid excuse, and was highly unusual that she did not pick up her paycheck. As in almost all cases of missing mothers, friends and family say that she would NEVER leave her children behind and discontinue contact with them.

According to public records found online, Jerry Meek petitioned for divorce from Hope Danielle Meek on March 6, 2002, 10-12 days after Hope went missing. Others report that another woman, a former babysitter and now elementary teacher, moved into the marital home within a short period of time. According to family members, Jerry Meek was having an affair with the "other woman," and Hope knew, but that wouldn't be a reason for her to leave everything and walk away.

Nine years have gone by, and Jerry Meek has managed to erase Hope's very existence in the lives of her children, including fighting Hope's family for full custody of her oldest child from a previous marriage. Hope's family has been denied visitation which was court ordered, leaving them with no contact with her biological family, and theirs.

Jerry Meek has not cooperated with investigators, searched for his wife, nor answered any questions concerning what has happened to her. He refuses to take a polygraph. In this writer's opinion, Jerry Meek is probably well connected to the area, being born and raised there, and someone, somewhere is covering up the truth of what happened to Hope Meek.

In cases such as this, speculation runs very high, but no matter what the circumstances are today, the fact remains that Hope Meek is missing and needs to be found to give her family peace of mind and her children the truth.

Missing Since: 02/21/02

Missing from: Valliant, Oklahoma

Classification: Endangered Missing

Date Of Birth: 1976

Age at disappearance: 25 years old

Height:5’1

Weight:90 lbs.

Hair Color: Sandy Blonde

Eye Color: Blue

Race: White

Gender: Female

Distinguishing Characteristics: Hope wears eyeglasses,

but she left her pair behind inside her residence at the time of her disappearance.

NamUs MP # 5169

Investigating Agency

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Valliant Police Department

580-933-4555

Oklahoma State Bureau Of Investigation

800-522-8017

If you have any information on this case please contact CUE Center For Missing Persons at (910) 343-1131 24 hour tipline (910) 232-1687.

Interview 5/5/2011 with sister of Hope Meek

http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/hope-danielle-meek/#comments
http://hope-meek.memory-of.com/About.aspx
http://lostnmissing.posterous.com/unsolved-missing-hope-meek-25-oklahoma-who-ha
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/valliant-ok/TM9KOQNOK62MBI7LF
http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2010/05/hope-meeks-family-demands-answers-in-loved-ones-disappearance.html
http://www.valliantchamber.org/index.html
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=637.0
https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/5169
http://www.helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?t=21141

Michelle McMullen: FOUND

2011-01-27T18:20:00.000-05:00

Police in Oakland, California, have arrested 30-year-old Michelle McMullen, who disappeared from Harrisburg in September 2008 while police were investigating the theft of more than $2,000 from a Susquehanna Township church where she worked.

Investigators believed she took off — leaving her son behind — to avoid prosecution, while her parents said she was abducted.

McMullen's story was the feature of Investigation Discovery’s “Disappeared” in February 2010 that was shown in multiple reruns, and police say they received a tip from a person who had seen the show. The episode, titled “The Long Drive Home,” led the Oakland Police Department's Fugitive Task Force to McMullen's job at a beauty supply store.

She is being held in the Almeda County Jail awaiting extradition to Harrisburg to face charges of theft and forgery.

McMullen knew of the church-theft investigation weeks before she disappeared, Susquehanna Township police said. In September 2008, she drove her 6-year-old son from Louisiana, where she was attending school, to stay with her parents in Harrisburg while she finished her schooling. Her family reported her missing after she didn't return to school. McMullen's car was found in Hagerstown, Md., a little more than a week after she disappeared.

McMullen's mother, the Rev. Lillie McMullen, said that her family has remained "prayerful" during the time her daughter was missing.

After hearing the news that her daughter had been located, she said, "We're excited and we're thanking God that's she's been found alive."

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/police_in_california_arrest_mi.html

Melanie Metheny

2011-01-22T00:01:00.001-05:00

There is a letter on the family website of Melanie Metheny that her family discovered among her belongings that they didn't even know was there. At the end of the letter Melanie writes the following:

"Being a single mom is not easy at all but watching my kids grow up and watching them learn new things is the greatest feeling that I ever had. I would not change them for the world and I don't know where I'd be right now if I didn't have them but I know my life wouldn't have as much meaning."

The rest of the letter is a mother's tribute to her children, a heartfelt look at them individually, something deep for young 21 year old mother with 3 children. The letter gives the reader a peek into the depths of love a mother has for her children.

After reading those words lovingly put down on paper by Melanie Metheny, there can be no question in the reader's mind that she did not drop them off at day care on the morning of July 19, 2006 and walk away into a new life. Something has happened to Melanie and someone knows exactly what that something is.

Melanie had too many life plans in place to just take off, 3 children, nursing school, and money saved in the bank for a new home. Not the typical things someone who is unhappy with their life would have. Melanie had a lot to look forward to in her life and in the lives of her children.

There have been extensive searches which have turned up nothing so far except her minivan found parked on "the wrong side of town", which, as usual, leaves rumors and speculations running rampant. It is reported that she was last seen by her boyfriend of 5 months, Jared Davis. The family has not given up, and will not give up, looking for her. Her children ask questions and in an earlier article in the WV Gazette, grandmother Sandra Winnings is quoted:

“What can you tell them? What can you say?” Winnings said. “They don’t understand time, thank God. The one says, ‘Mommy’s going to come and get me when she finds her keys.’”

To further put pressure on the "someone" who must know what happened to Melanie Metheny,
CUE Center from Wilmington, NC has erected a billboard with Melanie's information on it in hopes of finding a resolution to this case for her family. After erecting a billboard in Whiteville, NC, within 2 weeks there was a break in the case of Carol Dowless, someone came forward, and she was found after 3 years. We hope that the same answers can come for the Metheny family and that 3 children will have answers.

For further information, updates, or to leave an anonymous tip:

Official Family Website
Find Melanie
Charley Project
Missing Pieces
CUE Center

Investigative Agency: Kanawha County Sheriff's Office
Phone: (304) 357-0169
Investigative Case #: 71924
or contact CUE Center For Missing Persons
24 Hour Tip Line (910) -232-1687
or submit a confidential tip Here

Stacy Peterson: A Birthday Wish

2011-01-20T08:54:00.001-05:00

Today, January 20, 2011 marks Stacy Peterson's 27th birthday. Our hope is that her children, family and friends have the opportunity to remember her for the love and kindness she brought into their lives.

What makes Stacy Peterson so special that she has garnered the attention most missing person's families could only hope to get. Could it be the fact that so many women can identify with her circumstances? We live in a world filled with flaws and yet we only seek the love and security that Stacy once had.

There are thousands that have been drawn to this case for a variety of reasons, and some have drawn on their passions and life experiences to try to solve the puzzle of why Stacy would walk away from her children, her nice home, and the lifestyle that she enjoyed. This is what her husband would like us all to believe, and yet, as women, we know better.

Whatever the reasons for the fascination behind the Stacy Peterson case, she is first and foremost a missing mother with children who need to know the truth. They need, and will continue needing, to know that she did not abandon them.

Everything happens for a reason, but too often, we want the reasons revealed before the "happenings" happen. So many unanswered questions swirl around this case, but in perfect order, and in perfect timing, they will be answered and truth will be uncovered.

May we remember Stacy today with dignity and find a way to honor her and bring comfort to her family that misses her so much.

I miss thee, my Mother! Thy image is still

The deepest impressed on my heart.

~Eliza Cook

Looking For Lily: Investigation Heats Up For Lily Aramburo

2011-01-10T18:53:00.002-05:00

When first hearing about missing mother, Lily Aramburo, her little son, Palden, was not even a year old, only a baby. Remembering his first birthday, and second, and can't believe that he is now 4 years old and being raised by his grandmother, growing up too fast without knowing his mother.

To see that a new detective is being assigned to the case is like breathing fresh air! A new set of eyes and a new direction is what this case needed, in my opinion. Lily's friends and family have done every kind of awareness campaign available, taking all the necessary steps to keep Lily's case out there, but without the help of an active investigation, there have been no answers. Now, there is hope.

Facebook Support Page for Lily Aramburo: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Find-Lily-Aramburo/193954499815

From CBS Miami:

Lucely Saldina says she is not giving up, she is determined to find her daughter.

It has been more than three years since Lily Aramburu vanished, and nowMiami-Dade Police tell CBS4 that they are stepping up their involvement in this troubled case, and they are also asking for the public’s help.

Aramburu was 23 when her boyfriend says he last saw her leaving their apartment not far from the Dadeland Mall. She has not been seen since.

“Lily represented everything that I knew that was good to me and always wanted,” said Saldina, whose Dania Beach apartment is filled with photos of her daughter and her grandson, Palden.

Palden, 4, now lives with Saldina.

“She represented happiness to me,” Saldina told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench, as she fought back tears. “Hope is always there. I just want to find out if she is out there. Is she alive?”

Bud Aramburu had a problem.

“She was involved with drugs but was getting her life together,” Saldina said. “She was going to drug court and she had everything to live for.”

Her little boy, Palden, was just 6 months old when she disappeared.

“The baby meant everything to her, she has a reason to stay alive,” Saldina said. “But I am realistic enough to realize that she may not be alive… I know somebody out there knows something.”

While there are no clues as to what might have happened, Saldina said “I know that Lily did not just disappear. She is a human being. She is a daughter and a mother. And that must be respected.”

Saldina and Private Investigator Joe Carrillo have been circulating flyers describing Aramburu; she was 4-feet and 11-inches tall and weighed just 100 pounds. Her hair is brown and her eyes are hazel. She has pierced ears, a scar on her left hand and a scar on her lower abdomen. And she has two large, distinctive music symbols tattooed on her lower back.

Aramburu also had previously broken her right wrist and back.

Aramburu also has a medical condition and may need medication.

Carrillo said some key, potential witnesses have not come forward.

“We’ve attempted to speak to them,” Carrillo said. “And when you’re asking for help from people who know her and they won’t help, that raises some big red flags. I think there’s people out there who know who they are. We’ve managed to identify two groups of people who are of interest to police.”

D’Oench also spoke to the lead detective in this case Ray Hoadley who has just been assigned to this case.

Hoadley has been a detective for 25 years with Miami-Dade and says that it is too early to have additional details in this cold case.

“We’d like anyone who is in her circle of friends or anyone who was around her at the time she disappeared to come forward,” said Hoadley.

“There’s some people out there who we have made contact with. I don’t know if they are deliberately trying to avoid us or whether it’s just that they are out of town,” Hoadley said.

“Are you eager to solve this case?” asked D’Oench.

“Absolutely,” Hoadley answered.

Saldina’s daughter has been featured on billboards and posters statewide since 2007, and Saldina says she welcomes the stepped-up efforts by Miami-Dade Police.

“Solving this would mean closure,” Saldina said. “It would mean answers. Answers for my grandson when he asks what happened to his mother.”

Anyone in the public who knows anything about this case is urged to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305 471—tips.

Other Current News Stories about Lily..........

http://justiceinmiami.blogspot.com/2011/01/lily-in-news-thank-you-cbs4.html

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/01/police_suspect_missing_mom_lil.php

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T19:55:00.000-05:00

Renee Pernice: Remembering You

2010-12-31T11:21:00.000-05:00

Two years ago on New Year's Day 2009, Renee Pernice vanished, leaving behind her home in Kansas City, MO, her husband and three children. Two years ago her husband, Shon Pernice, says she just walked out of the house on foot and he couldn't "remember" where she said she was going. Renee has not been seen nor heard from since.

Following this case for the last two years has been a series of twists and turns, watching Shon Pernice sidestepping with inconsistencies in his original story, never participating in searches for his wife, and being arrested on several charges, finally for the murder of Renee. He will go to trial in 2011.

The pattern of conduct of Renee Pernice leading up to the day she vanished could be like so many other women trying to leave a marriage. Renee held a good job with a salary enough to support herself and her children, in fact, Renee alone cared for her children while her husband was stationed overseas. During the investigation divorce papers were discovered in Renee's home office, leading us to believe she was serious about leaving her marriage this time.

Renee Pernice was close to her family, was in constant contact, and, as is often heard in cases of missing mothers, "she would NEVER leave her children." Most of the statements from Shon Pernice are in direct contrast with the woman and mother her family knew her to be. Perhaps Renee confided in her family or close friends about the upcoming divorce, or the problems in her marriage leading her to make the decision to finalize it.

Maybe Shon Pernice has a history of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, being one of the last to see another missing mother, Star Boomer who vanished in 1999. It would be a great service to the family of Star Boomer if information on her whereabouts would come forth during the investigation of Renee's murder. Although there were a reported 13 witnesses, no one is talking. As always, someone knows where the remains of these two mothers are today.

Hindsight is always valuable, and one of the reasons many blog about cases like this is to learn and use the information to educate others in the hope that another mother may be spared. Had Renee Pernice, or Susan Powell, or Stacy Peterson taken precautionary measures while preparing to leave their marriages, this blog would not have been written. A revolutionary new procedure has been introduced by Susan Murphy Milano in her latest book, "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave an Abusive and Stalking Relationship" called the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit. This simple procedure is likened to a living will, spelling out in notarized, witnessed documents and video testimony the evidence of what went wrong in the relationship and, if abuse is present, it's documented as well. Procedures utilized by Murphy Milano over the last 20 years have led to a perfect track record in keep women alive during the traumatic end to their relationships.

Writing about missing mothers has given me an insight, as well as working closely with advocates and organizations surrounding the issues of intimate partner violence and missing persons. In many cases, there is a clear pattern of conduct in the actions of those involved, a relationship with violence, or at the least an "ownership" attitude, that if you leave me, no one else will have you and my children. It's a pattern that is seen over and over, and the results, unfortunately, are usually the same.

While remembering Renee on the second anniversary of her missing, I also urge readers to remember her children. They are now in the care of Renee's father, Rick Pretz, and although trying to give them the best childhood they deserve, it can't be easy. Children left behind with no answers, children left to deal with the trauma, children who were unconditionally loved by their mother, have daily reminders that their lives have changed dramatically. They have needs expressed in ways that we sometimes don't understand, and will be forever branded in their psyches. They are the innocent bystanders in the chaos surrounding them that makes no sense to them. Never will they have the opportunity to know what could have been.

Missing Mother, Diane Corado: A Victim of Intimate Partner Violence

2010-12-26T12:51:00.005-05:00

On a cold December morning Diane Corado, a 57 year old mother, awoke to the front door being kicked in and her ex-boyfriend pulling her out of bed by her hair and beating her with a pipe.

Kenneth Patterson, who was released from prison in January, then kidnapped Corado and a friend, releasing the friend a short time later, and drove away towards a park in which he and Corado spent time when they first met approximately 5 years ago. Diane Corado has not been seen since being abducted from her Falls, PA home. Her car was later found abandoned with a "substantial" amount of blood inside, according to news reports.

It's known that Patterson then drove to Trenton, NJ, stayed in a motel, and was arrested with stains consistent with blood on his clothes. Kenneth Patterson has a previous arrest record from 2008 for kidnapping, assault and carjacking involving a different ex-girlfriend, however, most of the charges were dismissed during a plea bargain and Patterson spent time in prison on weapons and stolen property charges.

Neighbors reported that Patterson still spent time at Diane Corado's home, unsure when they were broken up, and her friend reported she heard Patterson yell, "I told you this wasn't over," and saw him go into the kitchen and return with a butcher knife.

"He told Corado, 'I told you Diane that I would kill you - I will kill you' as he stood over her," the police affidavit reads.

Extensive searches continue around the Falls, PA area including checking toll booths on bridges leading into New Jersey, under bridges and through several acres of land using K9 units. At this point, nothing has turned up that would point to Diane Corado.

This case is a classic example how the dots connect from intimate partner violence to missing persons. Patterson's past shows a pattern of violence towards women, which was all but excused in plea bargaining the former charges and allowing him to continue his violent ways. His arrogance is evident during his hearings in New Jersey when he refused to face the judge and plans to fight extradition back to Pennsylvania.

Until our court system recognizes that certain behaviors can not, under any circumstances, be excused or reduced, we will continue to see cases of missing women, cases which have their roots in intimate partner violence.

Another family spent Christmas in the world of the "not knowing," no doubt agonizing over the fate of their mother, Diane Corado.

Call Falls Township police at 215-949-9117 or county detectives at 215-348-6534

UPDATES

Former Flemington woman, kidnapped, is feared dead

“We haven’t found the body yet, but we’re far, far from giving up,” said Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler, who on Monday admitted the chances are “pretty slim” that Corado is still alive.

“We certainly can prosecute him for the kidnapping,” said Heckler, who expects Patterson to be tried in Pennsylvania, where the kidnapping took place. Even if the victim is not located, “we will prosecute for homicide not withstanding,” he said.

Searches at Maple Beach at the foot of the Burlington-Bristol Bridge and near the Pennsylvania Turnpike Interchange in Bristol Township, Pa., and examination of surveillance tapes from three bridges linking Morrisville with Trenton, returned no results.

http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2010/12/former_flemington_woman_kidnap_1.html

Investigators search Camden for missing woman

December 30

Investigators on Wednesday swept through Camden, NJ and searched 4 square miles of the roughly 9-square-mile city where the alleged abductor, 48-year-old Kenneth Patterson, had abandoned Corado’s car shortly after the kidnapping, a police source said.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times/courier_times_news_details/article/2463/2010/december/29/investigators-search-camden-for-missing-woman.html

Ex-boyfriend to be charged with murdering missing Bucks woman

January 13

Kenneth L. Patterson will be charged with murdering his missing ex-girlfriend, Bucks County District Attorney David W. Heckler said Wednesday, regardless of whether Diane Corado's body is ever found.

"That is our intention," Heckler said after Patterson, 48, of no known address, was arraigned on kidnapping, assault, and other charges in the Dec. 19 abduction of Corado from her Falls Township apartment. "I am satisfied that, this far into the investigation, there is ample circumstantial evidence to prove that Ms. Corado is dead and that the death penalty is warranted."

http://articles.philly.com/2011-01-13/news/27026017_1_bucks-woman-falls-township-police-county-detectives

A Christmas Tree for All the Mothers Vanished

2010-12-24T13:01:00.000-05:00

you may not be here on Christmas Day, but you are never forgotten....

a tree for each of you, wherever you are, and a prayer that you will be home to decorate it next year.

your tree may look a little bare, but it's because it, too, is missing the bright and shiny spirit you bring.

be home next year for the children who wait, the family living with pain.

your tree will be here waiting, until then, nothing is the same.

Megan Waterman Missing MOTHER: Found Deceased

2010-12-15T21:02:00.002-05:00

There has already been tons written about the disappearance of Megan Waterman, who worked as an escort by placing ads on Craigslist. The continuing controversy surrounds Ms. Waterman as well as the founders of Craigslist for allowing ads on their site which some say advertise and encourage prostitution and sexual human trafficking.

I'm not here to jump into that subject, it's already been done, however, I'm here to object to the headline grabbing prostitutes.....the mainstream media! In order to sensationalize and boost their ratings, the networks, newspapers and online news services have, in my opinion, negatively affected the outcome of hundreds of cases of missing persons.

By negatively labeling a missing person, the general public puts less "value" on, let's say, a "prostitute" or a "runaway" or even a "black male." It's been debated, and rightfully so, that African American missing persons get less favorable media attention, if any at all. One of the main reasons organizations such as Black and Missing and Not Forgotten and Peas In Their Pods have been founded is to fill in the gap where traditional organizations, and especially media and law enforcement agencies, are lacking.

First and foremost, Megan Waterman is a 22 year old, single missing MOTHER. She is also the child, sister, aunt or niece of others who care deeply for her. I don't care what she did for a living, it shouldn't be an issue, she is someone's lost child whether to the streets or to foul play by others. To constantly and consistently label her as a prostitute is demeaning and offensive, she is a missing person, and a mother, regardless of her profession.

An article written by Cynthia Caron, the Founder of LostnMissing, Inc. on the Time's Up Network blog states:

On June 06, 2010 at 1:30 am Megan left the hotel in Hauppauge, NY alone and has met an unknown terrible fate. Whether it be she was abducted and trafficked, or murdered, nobody knows. What we do know is whatever happened to Ms. Waterman was done by those who utilize Craigslist to catch their prey on the personal ad section. We know her family is devastated, grieving and her three year old daughter wants to know where is her mommy?

There has been a recovery of the remains of 4 bodies on a Long Island, NY beach, and there is a good possiblity that Megan Waterman could be among them, along with another missing woman, Shannon Gilbert, who also did business through Craigslist. This find has the earmarks of the dumping ground of a serial killer according to detectives who say that the different levels of decomposition lead them to believe the bodies were dumped at different times.

So, where do we point the finger of blame? Does it go towards the victims because of their choice of employment and because they are labeled prostitutes? Does it go towards Craigslist who made the site available for advertising this line of work? Or does it go towards the evil killer who brutally murdered and dumped these women? You decide.

In the meantime, Megan Waterman's sweet 4 year old little girl is facing a lifetime of questions with very little hope of answers that she will ever understand. She is facing Christmas and every other day of her life without the mother who gave her life. What will she think when the time comes that she is able to read the accounts about her mother? Truth is one thing, but "in your face" sensationalism is another.

Media must learn to be more mindful when dealing with stories about people. No matter what they were, they didn't deserve to die at the hands of another, and they certainly don't deserve to be negatively labelled.

Cases of missing prostitutes don't capture public attention until a serial killer might be to blame

As reported by the New York Daily news 12/16:

Both Megan Waterman and Shannon Gilbert have families as heartsick as the families of any other missing young woman.

"She might not have always made good choices, but she was loved," said Waterman's aunt, Elizabeth Meserve.

"My mommy is missing," her 4-year-old daughter keeps saying.

The aunt took the daughter to see Santa on the weekend, but Christmas seems likely to come without her getting what she wants more than anything.

"Why aren't you looking for my mommy, too?" she asks when the aunt baby-sits her.

Gilbert also has loved ones who want nothing more this Christmas than to see her again.

UPDATE

YAPHANK, N.Y. --

The mother of a Maine woman who was reported missing last year says the family has been told her remains were among four discovered on a New York beach.

Lorraine Ela told The Associated Press on Wednesday that police notified her son about Megan Waterman's body being one of the four women whose decomposing bodies were dumped on eastern Long Island.

Waterman was last seen at a hotel in Hauppauge (HAWP'-awg) on June 6.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer and Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota are scheduled to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon to discuss the bodies.

Police accidentally discovered the bodies in December.

They were strewn over a quarter-mile stretch of marshy grasslands, overgrown shrubbery and sea grass on a barrier island, near an oceanfront parkway.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011903669.html

http://www.longislandpress.com/2011/01/19/megan-waterman-confirmed-among-bodies-found-at-gilgo-beach/

Angela Biggers Daughters Searching for Their Mother Missing From Oklahoma City(FOUND)

2010-12-10T20:30:00.011-05:00

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Angela Biggers has been missing since Monday, December 6. Her employee was the last person to see the 48-year-old.

Biggers hasn't shown up to work all week and her daughter said that's not like her.

"Everybody at the nursing home where she works is extremely worried about her because that's completely out of her character," said Jennifer Timberlake, Biggers daughter-in-law.

Detectives said they are hoping to talk to Biggers' boyfriend, 34-year-old Ronald Banks. They believe Banks may be able to provide critical information about Biggers' whereabouts.

"We would like to get in personal contact with him physically and speak with him again to find out about the timeline and hopefully he can assist us and give us the whereabouts of his girlfriend," said OKC Police Capt. Patrick Stewart.

Detectives said Banks may be driving Biggers' car. It's a Cobalt blue 2001 Ford Focus hatch back with the Oklahoma tag 617FYE.

The Biggers family can only wait and hope for the best while they search for their loved one.

"We're riding the streets, we're looking around. We're going anywhere and everywhere she might have been or might be, looking for anything you know," said Timberlake.

The family will also be passing out fliers to spread the word about their missing loved one.

Banks does have a criminal history. He has served prison time for shooting with intent to kill, burglary, and stealing a car. Banks was released from prison in August of 2009. He was also arrested by Moore police in May of 2010 for driving with a suspended license and joyriding.

Anyone with information about Biggers or Banks should call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 235-7300.

UPDATES:

Police Get Murder Warrant For Missing Woman's Boyfriend

December 11
Oklahoma City police said an arrest warrant has been issued for the boyfriend of a woman who has been missing since last Monday.

Police said they want to arrest Biggers' boyfriend, Ronald Seth Banks, 34, on suspicion of murder.

Detectives said they believe Banks may be able to provide critical information on the whereabouts of Biggers.

http://www.koco.com/r/26089375/detail.html

Missing OKC woman's boyfriend arrested

December 12
Oklahoma City police believe Banks is involved in Biggers’ disappearance. Police obtained a warrant for his arrest Saturday, saying he was wanted on a murder complaint. Biggers hasn’t been found, but detectives have uncovered enough evidence to suspect Banks was involved in her death, Oklahoma City police Capt. Patrick Stewart said Saturday.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20101211_11_0_OKLAHO325649

Police Find Missing Woman's Car

December 13
Police said Biggers' car was found near the intersection of Southeast 15th Street and High Avenue on Monday morning. Police said Biggers' boyfriend, Ronald Seth Banks, 34, was arrested on a murder warrant in Texas late Saturday.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300.
http://www.koco.com/r/26116566/detail.html

Suspect In Disappearance Says 'Something Bad Happened'

December 13

Officers said Banks also called his family members and made repeated comments about "doing something stupid."

Police said he also told family members, "I didn't mean for it to happen."

Officers said Banks also told a family member, "It's all over the news."

Officers said the family member encouraged Banks to turn himself in, but Banks said he could not go back to prison and asked for money to leave town.

The family member told officers Banks then said, "'The only thing going for me is no body, no crime."

Family members told police they haven't heard from Banks since.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300.

http://www.koco.com/r/26116566/detail.html
http://www.newsok.com/police-find-missing-oklahoma-city-womans-car/article/3523295?custom_click=headlines_widget

Family hopes candles will lead missing Oklahoma City mom home

Police say Angela Biggers is dead. But her family holds out hope

December 21
Monday, Capt. Patrick Stewart, Oklahoma City police spokesman, said there have been no new developments in the search for Angela Biggers since Banks was brought back to Oklahoma County from Texas.

Her car was found Dec. 13 at an apartment complex at SE 15 and High Avenue. The affidavit filed in Oklahoma County states that Banks told a friend “she won’t be reporting anything stolen.”

“I just wish they (police) had leads or something,” Jenea Biggers said. “You never think you’re going to be that family. You pray for others, but you never thought that it would be you.”

Grave Found In Norman; Could Be Tied To Biggers Case

January 27, 2011

Oklahoma City police say a shallow grave was found in the back yard of a home in Norman on Thursday.

It was found in the back yard of a home located in the 1100 block of Fountain Gate Court, police said. An Oklahoma City police spokesman said that detectives had recently received a tip that the body of Angela Biggers had been buried at this location.

Crews went to the scene, found no body but found a shallow grave. Police said those crews are in the process of excavating it.

http://www.koco.com/r/26641004/detail.html

Police Recover Remains From Norman Yard

January 28,2011

Police began digging in the yard Thursday afternoon after hearing a confession from murder suspect Ronald Banks.

According to News 9's sources, Banks told an investigator that he and Biggers were arguing in her car on Interstate 240. Banks said he strangled Biggers with a telephone cord then buried her body in the backyard of 1100 Fountain Gate Court in Norman.

Banks reportedly said he buried her there because he knew the house was vacant because he had friends who had lived there.

The remains will now be turned over to the medical examiner's office to be identified.

http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=13927816

CUE Center’s 2011 National Conference for Missing Persons

2010-12-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

National Conference for Missing Persons

HOPE LIGHTS THE WAY

The 7th Annual National Round Table Conference
March 24th thru 27th of 2011

Holiday Inn Hotel Conference Center 5032 Market Street, Wilmington, NC 28405 (910) 392-1101

Everyone is invited to attend our upcoming national conference for missing persons and all who work in the arena from advocating, volunterism, investigation, search and rescue and identification process of those who are lost. This event is open to all who support the mission of finding a resolution for families who have suffered a missing loved one.

Please share this information to anyone in this line of work and or a family of a missing person or homicide victim. To learn more about CUE Center for Missing Persons please visit us at our web sitewww.ncmissingpersons.org or email us cuecenter@aol.com

Thank you

CLICK HERE to print flyer below (PDF)

FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO THE CUE CENTER FOR MISSING PERSONS WEBSITE HTTP://CUECENTER.ORG

Information for the 2011 instructors, guest speakers, and exciting events will be posted as confirmations are made, please keep check back, thank you….

TRAINING SESSION, Certificate Classes

“Illuminations”, Surviving Victimization and Suicide, Allison West

“Intimate Partner Violence”, My Loved One is Missing”, Susan Murphy Milano

“Psyhics & Missing Perons – Help or Hindrance?, Kelly Jolkowki and Robert Cooke

GUEST SPEAKERS AND PRESENTATIONS

Pat Brown, Investigate Criminal Profiler

Curtis Barnhill, Project Life Saver, New Hanover County Sheriff Office

Jane Bradley, Author of “YOU Believers”

Victims Hours, Friday

National Candle Light Service – HonoreesMarch 26, 2011 @ Riverfront Park, Downtown Wilmington Waterfront – 7:30 pm, the public is welcome
MC -
Guest Speaker - Susan Murphy Milano “Moving Forward”
Reading of the Poem – Sheree Justus
Vocal Tribute - Mallory Malter
National Prayer – Angie Davis
Unveiling of the Wall
Service Dedication (see posters)

Conference aims to provide training to help find missing people

Wilmington | The annual conference by a local group focused on missing persons is expected to bring together various roles in the search and rescue field ranging from Federal Bureau of Investigation representatives to families of people who have gone missing.

Lacey Gaines: A Mother Murdered, Remembered

2010-12-07T07:22:00.001-05:00

Occasionally I will write about a mother who is not missing in the sense of "vanishing," but who is missing from the life of the child or children which will never see her again.

One year ago today, on December 7, 2009, Lacey Gaines was found brutally murdered, lying on the floor in her apartment in Justice, IL. One year later, ironically, there is no justice served for Lacey's murder, no one has been arrested, nor named a suspect or person of interest.

Cherry Simpson, Lacey's beloved aunt and staunch activist for victim's rights, has pulled out all the stops, asked for help from various expert sources, and yet, the investigation seems to be moving at a snail's pace. Her offers for outside help from experts have been turned down continuously, but she has been assured by the authorities in charge that this is an active investigation and that the facts will be presented to the District Attorney at the appropriate time, but still.....she waits.

Cherry's relationship with her niece, Lacey, was a special bond of love, life and laughter. Her remembrances of Lacey's life brings her into the hearts of total strangers and we now know a piece of Lacey through Cherry. Now that we know her, her murder is personal to us, and we support all efforts to find out who snuffed out her young life and bring that person/persons to justice.

The most heartbreaking aspect of a murdered mother is the child left behind that will never know the warmth of it's mother's touch. Lacey's son will grow up without the guidance, love and support of his mother, which can not be replaced by another human being.

By gathering together as supporters of justice, advocates and activists, we all mourn the loss of Lacey along with her family. Through websites, blogs and radio shows, as well as connections with those with influence, we will continue to remember Lacey Gaines and continue to seek justice for her.

A candlelight vigil was held for Lacey on Sat Dec 4th,2010 in Justice, IL (the site of her murder). It was snowing, family and friends handed out brochures looking for answers in Lacey's murder. Lacey's brother closed by saying a beautiful prayer thanking GOD for Lacey and everyone attending.

Please show your support for Lacey, her son and her family by visiting the various sites set up for her:

www.laceygaines.com
Facebook page
Lacey Claire Gaines

If you have infomation, call your anonymous tip into the hotline at 1-800-535-STOP. Your name is not needed, you will be given a code number to remain anonymous.Or you can call Det.Joe Malloy at 708-458-2194

Dawn Meree Boothe and Three Children Missing From Shallotte, NC

2010-12-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

A woman and her three children have been reported missing from Shallotte, North Carolina.

Dawn Meree Boothe, 22, and her three daughters, Hailey Hane DeCaire, 6, Izabelle Maree Kay Boothe, 3, and Annabelle Rosemeree Booth, 2, were last seen on Friday, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office.

Bryan Boothe, the father of the children and husband to Dawn Boothe, reported them missing.

The sheriff's office said they could be in the company of Don DeCaire, Dawn Boothe's father, heading to Michigan.

Dawn Booth has a tattoo of the sun with the words Bryan and Dawn on the upper part of her right arm and a tattoo of "BRB" on her left forearm.

Annabelle Boothe has a scan under her left eye and Hailey DeCaire was last seen wearing blue jeans, a pink shirt, a pink winter coat and black tennis shoes.

Anyone with any information on them is encouraged to contact the Brunswick County Sheriffs Office.

The Sun News

Caroline Thomas and Her Two Children Missing From Oklahoma City:FOUND

2010-12-06T08:39:00.002-05:00

When her common law husband returned from a trip to WalMart, Caroline Thomas and her two children, 7-year-old Gabriel Thomas and 2-year-old Danny Williams Jr. were gone.

Details are sketchy at this time, Caroline Thomas and her children have been missing since Friday, December 3, 2010 when it's reported that the common law husband found the house empty when he returned.

Reports say there was no sign of struggle at the home in the Northwest section of Oklahoma City, OK, however, it's also reported that Thomas did not have a vehicle.

At this time there are more questions than answers, such as how did a woman and two children vanish without a vehicle? Reports haven't disclosed whether her purse, cell phone or belongings are at the home or missing also.

Now that it's Monday, will little 7 year old Gabriel show up for school this morning? Could this just be a weekend getaway for Caroline and her children? Is the relationship with the common law husband a good one, or are there signs of trouble? I hope investigators are asking these questions and looking into all possibilities and not just looking at this case as another adult wanting a break from their life.

Although, hoping she did take the children on a weekend trip, because the alternatives will not give as positive an outcome.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911. ( Isn't there an officer assigned to the case?)

Caroline Thomas is described as black, about 5 feet 2 inches tall, 125 pounds with light brown hair. She was last seen wearing capri pants and a multi-colored, flower-pattern blouse. Both children are also black.

Peas In Their Pods

http://www.koco.com/r/26021814/detail.html

http://www.newsok.com/woman-kids-reported-missing-in-oklahoma-city/article/3521026?custom_click=headlines_widget

UPDATE

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City police said a mother called to reassure them that she was unharmed.

Investigators said they began looking for Caroline Thomas last Friday after Thomas' common law husband returned to the home to find the house empty.

Oklahoma City police said Thomas is fine and she has called dispatch to "get her name off TV."

She has also called family to say she is OK.

http://www.koco.com/r/26033999/detail.html

Erika Cirioni: Missing From Norwich, CT

2010-11-26T11:02:00.000-05:00

New Year's Day will always be different for the Cirioni family, including the two sons of Erika Cirioni who has been missing from Norwich, CT since January 1, 2007. Instead of ringing in a New Year full of hope and renewed dreams, their New Year is spent remembering a loved one who is lost.

Erika Cirioni was a known substance abuser, and got mixed up with the wrong people, but one constant thing in her life was her close family. They report that she was trying to turn a corner in her life, wanting to go to rehab and make life better for herself and her children.

New Year's Eve was the last time Erika was seen by her family. Getting ready and making arrangements for celebrating in downtown Norwich's First Night festivities, Erika stopped by her mother's house as she was walking downtown. There were reports that she was seen walking the next morning, January 1, on Boswell Avenue.

For two young boys time stopped when their mother vanished. Holidays since then have come and gone, but they don't hold quite the same meaning until their is an answer waiting for them. There have been tips and searches conducted for Erika, but as of this time, nothing has turned up to give her boys what they need to know.

Recently Connecticut has started participating in an innovative new project, distributing playing cards within their prisons and jails with pictures of unsolved and missing cases victims. As convicts are playing cards, the hope is that one of them will recognize a face and disclose information that will solve the cases. Erika Cirioni's picture is on the six of diamonds.

Erika Cirioni: Statistics at time she went missing
Missing Since: December 31, 2006 from Norwich, Connecticut
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: N/A
Age: 26
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 158 lbs
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Blue
Race: White
Gender: Female

Distinguishing Characteristics: She has a tattoo of a Chinese symbol on her back and the name "Lewis" on her right ankle.

Medical Conditions: Her mother believes Erika suffers
from bi-polar disorder. She has known substance abuse issues,
including alcohol and cocaine.

Details of Disappearance
Erika Cirioni was last seen Dec. 31 or after midnight Jan. 1 in the area of Boswell Avenue in Norwich. Erika has not been in any contact with friends or family and has not cashed several checks, and hasn't used her cell phone since her disappearance.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Norwich Police Dept.
Detective Ed Peckham
(860) 886-5561

NamUs - National Missing Persons Data System-Erika Cirioni # 2646

Irene Alvarez Porras Missing From Harris County, Texas

2010-11-19T14:26:00.001-05:00

The last time anyone saw Irene Porras, 54, was the evening of August 13, 2010. Her ex-husband, Victor Porras and her adult son, who was also living at the residence, were the last to see her that night. Her husband had gone to bed and her son had gone out for the evening. According to reports, Irene and Victor had been divorced for about 5 years, but still lived together. Family members close to Irene report that it's very much out of character for her not to be in touch with them.

Victor Porras called his daughter in San Antonio and on August 16, three days later, she was reported missing. Irene's purse and cell phone were not at the home, but vehicles were not taken and there was no forced entry into the home.

Construction workers found her cell phone about a week later on the side of the road approximately 17 miles from her home. No other items belonging to Irene Porras have been found, despite the efforts of Texas Equusearch who conducted ground searches starting on August 28.

Investigators believe there may be criminal activity related to her disappearance, but have not indicated what type of criminal activity, and are asking the public's aid in finding information and locating the whereabouts of Irene Porras.

She is described as 5 feet 2 inches tall and has brown hair and brown eyes.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for any information that helps investigators solve this case. If you have seen Porras since her disappearance, or if you have any information on her whereabouts, contact Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-8477. All tipsters remain anonymous. Texas Equusearch can be reached at (281) 309-9500.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office Missing Persons Unit at 713-755-7427.

.

From Mother to Daughter: Rachel Conger

2010-11-16T21:39:00.001-05:00

I Am Still Here

Please don't mourn for me

I'm still here, though you don't see.

I'm right by your side each night and day

And within your heart I long to stay.

My body is gone but I'm always near.

I'm everything you feel, see or hear.

My spirit is free though I'll never depart

As long as you keep me alive in your heart.

I'll never wander out of your sight~

I'm the brightest star on a summer night.

I'll never be beyond your reach~

I'm the warm moist sand when you're at the beach.

I'm the colorful leaves when Autumn's around

And the pure white snow that blankets the ground.

I'm the beautiful flowers of which you're so fond,

The clear cool water in a quiet pond.

I'm the first bright blossom you'll see in the spring,

The first warm raindrop that April will bring.

I'm the first ray of light when the sun starts to shine,

And you'll see that the face in the moon is mine.

When you start thinking that there's no one to love you,

You can talk to me through the Lord above you.

I'll whisper my answer through the leaves on the trees,

And you'll hear my answer on the soft summer breeze.

I'm the hot salty trees that flow when you weep

And the beautiful dreams that come while you sleep.

I'm the smile you see on a baby's face,

Just look for me, I'm everyplace!

~Author Unknown

Bring Rachel Home........

http://bringrachelhome.blogspot.com/

Aimee Angle-Zahn: Brilliant Medical Student Missing From New York City:FOUND SAFE

2010-11-15T23:56:00.001-05:00

Aimee Angle-Zahn, 34, from Wixom, MI, but living in New York City while attending her fourth year as a medical student, is missing after being forcibly thrown out of her apartment there. According to a report from her mother,Debbie Angle, who spoke to Aimee afterwards, the landlord hit her with a broom and kept her cell phone. On that same cell phone the landlord called Aimee's parents demanding money for her back rent.

Aimee proceeded to email her parents after that incident, telling them she was looking for a place to stay, carrying her belongings with her. Her parents then booked her a hotel room near LaGuardia Airport and purchased a ticket for her to return to Michigan. Aimee never checked in to the hotel room, and has not been seen or heard from since Thursday, November 11. Her father,Allen Angle, flew to New York City on Friday to search for his daughter and was refused help by the police there. The Wixam, MI police are now in charge of the case.

According to the Detroit Free Press:

"His daughter had a Michigan driver’s license, so New York City police said they could not investigate her disappearance and that it was up to Michigan authorities."

Aimee is the mother of an 8 year old daughter with whom she is said to communicate by phone every day. There have been no phone calls since Wednesday and the grandparents are anxious about what to tell their granddaughter why her mother hasn't called.

Described as extremely brilliant, Aimee has had many academic accomplishments, however, according to her mother, is "clueless" in the world and sometimes absent minded. Suffering from epilepsy, the family fears Aimee may have had a seizure while walking the dangerous streets of New York City. In the event that's true, their hope is she will be found in one of the hospitals, safe.

Anyone with tips about her disappearance should call Wixom police at 248-624-6114.

UPDATE:

November 17

NEW YORK (CBS 2) — A medical student from Michigan who disappeared last week after being evicted from her Manhattan apartment was safe Wednesday morning.

Police said 34-year-old Aimee Angle-Zahn was found overnight, in good condition, at the YMCA at Broadway and West 63rd Street.

As of Wednesday morning, there was no word why she hadn’t contacted her parents since last Thursday.

They’d booked a room for her at a hotel near LaGuardia Airport but she never showed up.

Marita G. Talley and Three Children Missing From Milwaukee: FOUND SAFE

2010-11-15T16:28:00.002-05:00

As reported from the blogs, Black and Missing but Not Forgotten and LostNMissing, a young mother and her three children are missing from Milwaukee, WI. The mother, Marita G. Talley, and her three children, Dwight, Mary, and Mariah Turner were last seen at her home on November 6 and reported missing by family members on November 10, 4 days later.

Marita Talley is 26 years old, her son, Dwight 7, daughter Mary, 5 and daughter Mariah, 1.

News reports are not giving very many details on the circumstances of the disappearance, other than Marita Talley has some medical issues which are concerning to authorities.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Milwaukee Police Department Sensitive Crimes Division at 414-935-7402.

UPDATE:

A Milwaukee woman and her three children who were reported missing last week left the city voluntarily and have been found safe outside Wisconsin, a police spokeswoman said Wednesday.

On Monday, the Milwaukee Police Department had requested the public's help in finding Marita G. Talley and her children.

Talley's family reported her missing Nov. 10. They became concerned because they had not heard from her since seeing her Nov. 6.

Photos of Talley and her children were posted on electronic billboards throughout the Milwaukee area this week.

The Police Department did not disclose Wednesday where Talley was found.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/108749009.html

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