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

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!

Michelle McMullen: FOUND

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

Michelle McMullen, Update

Missing Harrisburg woman is fugitive, police say

by FRANK COZZOLI, Of The Patriot-News

Tuesday December 16, 2008, 12:21 PM

Provided This poster was distributed when Michelle McMullen was reported missing in September. She was found in Martinsburg, W.Va.

A Harrisburg woman who disappeared in September has vanished again after authorities discovered her working under an assumed name at a motel in Martinsburg, W.Va., Mayor Stephen R. Reed revealed today.

Michelle McMullen, 27, of the 2900 block of Green Street, had been reported missing by her parents who last saw her on Sept. 28 after she left her son at a babysitter and was headed back to school at Grambling University in Louisiana.

Reed said McMullen was identified positively on Monday by police in Martinsburg after investigators got a tip she was working in a hotel there. McMullen, however, had fled the motel before police arrived and has not been seen since, Reed said.

Harrisburg police have closed their missing persons investigation, Reed said.
However, McMullen is still sought by Susquehanna Township police. "We want her, she's a fugitive, and obviously she's on the run,'' Susquehanna Township Chief Rob Martin said today.

McMullen was told in mid-September that she was being investigated in the theft of money from Progress-Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Martin said.

According to an arrest warrant, McMullen is suspected of stealing at least $2,300 from the church, where she worked as an administrator before being fired July 28.

Martin urged McMullen to surrender to police, wherever she is. "It's our understanding that certainly she is on the run and she's hiding and we believe she knows about these criminal charges,'' Martin said.

Over the past two months, Reed said Harrisburg police continued to follow leads in the case.

A black 2002 Honda Accord belonging to McMullen was found Oct. 7 in Hagerstown, Md., minus its keys, authorities said. McMullen's cell phone was inside the car.

The car sat for roughly a week near the entrance to the Mack Truck plant before security at the plant notified the sheriff's office, authorities said.

"Our detectives should be lauded for their efforts in locating Michelle McMullen,'' Reed said. "These officers exhausted every means available to gather information and didn't relent until she was found.''

Michelle McMullen, Missing Mother Featured at AMW

Pennsylvania Mother Missing Or Maligned?

 

Michelle McMullen, 27, disappeared on Sept. 28, 2008 and police are reaching out to the public for information on this missing mom.

Michael and Rev. Lillie McMullen are desperately trying to hold on to hope that their daughter, Michelle McMullen, is alive somewhere in the world.
Their daughter went missing on Sept. 28, 2008 after dropping off her six-year-old son, Jayden, to a friend in Harrisburg, Pa.
Her family says after Michelle dropped off her son, she got back in her car and started the 17-hour drive back to school in Louisiana.
But speculation regarding Michelle's disappearance has cast a shadow over the search - sometimes putting the family at odds with law enforcement who believe Michelle may be running from the law.

 

 

Relatives say Michelle McMullen would never abandon her six-year-old son.

According to the family, in Aug. 2008, Michelle and her six-year-old son, Jayden, moved to Ruston, La., a small town next to Grambling University where Michelle was a student.
Though Michelle was trying to better her life, her parents say the transition was not without complications. Michelle had a difficult time finding a job and daycare for her son, so she made the decision to return Jayden to Harrisburg, Pa. where he would stay with relatives.
On Sept. 27, relatives say Michelle attended a school fair with friends in the afternoon. The family says no one noted anything out of the ordinary in her behavior. In fact, Michelle was said to be in good spirits and having a wonderful time with Jayden.
Her parents think Michelle made the drive from Ruston Saturday afternoon and arrived in Harrisburg on Sunday evening around 8:30 p.m. at which point Michelle dropped her son and his things off at a friend's house. Her parents say Michelle spoke to one person via phone and then got back on the highway to return to Ruston.
They say Michelle called her friend around 9:30 p.m. from the road to check on Jayden and then ended the call -- telling her friend she would call her back later. According to relatives, cell phone records confirm that that was the last call Michelle made and no one has spoken to her since.
On Oct. 7, 2008, cops say Michelle's car was found abandoned near an exit near Hagerstown, Md. According to her parents, Michelle's vehicle had been parked across from the Mack Truck Plant security check point entrance 10 days earlier. Security staff reported the abandoned car to the Washington County Sheriff's office who confirmed that the 2002, black Honda Accord belonged to Michelle.
The car was found unlocked with the driver's seat leaned back. Inside, police retrieved Michelle's cell phone, purse, a pillow and additional personal items.
A team of investigators, air scent, tracking and cadaver dogs were brought in to search the area. According to relatives, the dogs were only able to track Michelle's scent for about 50 feet.
Police say they found nothing at the scene to suggest foul play.
Far from giving up, Michelle's family is working with private investigators combing through Michelle's phone records, checking with her friends on MySpace and Facebook as well as going through her e-mail accounts.

Cops: Missing, Yet Wanted

 

Susquehanna Township police say they are also looking for Michelle McMullen, the fugitive, not the missing person.
Before her sudden disappearance, detectives say Michelle was the focus of a police investigation -- an investigation of which she was aware.
A warrant for her arrest alleges forgery, theft by deception and theft by unlawful taking. Michelle allegedly stole over $19,000 from a Harrisburg church in Susquehanna Township, where she worked as an administrator. 
Detectives were in the process of making contact with Michelle to discuss the accusations when they learned that her parents had reported her missing to Harrisburg, Pa. police.
Walking a precarious line, Susquehanna Township police cops say Michelle is missing, yet wanted.

 

Pressing Forward Despite The Doubt  

Despite police suspicions, Michelle's father, Michael, makes a compelling case for his missing daughter.
While Michael realizes that Michelle is the focus of an investigation by Susquehanna Township police, he is sure that it was not enough to make his daughter abandon her son.
He believes something unexpected happened, but for the life of him he can't imagine what. He believes that Michelle was probably tired after making the long drive down from Louisiana and probably pulled over to get some shut eye before heading out again. Michael says, if Michelle were fleeing from authorities then she would have taken her belongings. He says, "How far can a person get without any money?"
Michael McMullen says Michelle's car sat parked across the way from a 24-hour manned-security office in a well lighted area at the entrance to the facility, yet its presence didn't evoke any concern from security personnel. It would be another eight days before anyone reported the abandoned vehicle to police. Why? What took so long?
Air scent dogs were called to the scene and were only able to track Michelle's scent for about 50 feet. "The length of a tractor trailer," her father says. A massive vehicle which could have hidden the car from view long enough for someone to commit their deeds and be gone before anyone noticed a thing.
With each day that Michelle is missing, his fear grows.
In order to combat the frustration, the sense of helplessness and to keep the case in the public eye, on Nov. 8, 2008, Michael headed down to Hagerstown with volunteers to conduct a search for his daughter -- a search that was organized by Black and Missing, Inc. (BAM) -- a non-proft organization based in Washington, D.C.
BAM's CEO, Derrica Williams, says, "When it comes to missing minorities, they don't really get the publicity and they like to associate our disappearance relating it to crime."
Michael McMullen believes that even though police may want to jump to the most convenient conclusion regarding his daughter and her disappearance, for him there are still too many unanswered questions.
Michael says, "Something has happened here. We need to focus less on a person's situation and more on finding her."
Harrisburg police detectives emphasize that since Michelle was reported missing on Oct. 1, 2008 by her parents, they continue to investigate her disappearance as a missing person's case. Susquehanna Township police are looking into the accusations against Michelle, therefore they consider Michelle a fugitive.
Michael McMullen doesn't care as long as the police stay focused on finding his daughter.
                            -- by Denni Michael Wagner, AMW Staff

Searches for Michelle McMullen

Group to look for missing Harrisburg woman

by LARA BRENCKLE, Of The Patriot-News

Friday November 07, 2008, 2:39 PM

Michelle McMullen has been missing since Sept. 28.

A nonprofit group that seeks to raise awareness of missing people of color will be in Hagerstown, Md., Saturday searching for a Harrisburg woman who has been missing since Sept. 28. The Black and Missing group will join with friends and family of Michelle McMullen at 10 a.m. at the Mack/Volvo Powertrain plant, 13302 Pennsylvania Ave., to search the grounds.

McMullen was last heard from almost two months ago, as she drove her black Honda Accord south toward Louisiana, where she was returning to school.
McMullen's vehicle, along with her cell phone, wallet and other identification, were found in early October near the security gates of the plant.
Since her disappearance, Susquehanna Twp. police have charged McMullen in the theft of at least $2,300 from the Progress-Immanuel Presbyterian Church. McMullen, who authorities said worked as an administrator at the church before being fired July 28, is accused of forgery, theft and theft by deception.

The Harrisburg and Susquehanna police departments are working on the case.

Michelle McMullen

There are so many questions and accusations surrounding the disappearance of Michelle McMullen, the young mother of a 6 year old, Jayden. Michelle was reported to be taking classes online and had transferred to a college in Louisiana to complete her on campus studies. Apparently she decided to bring her son back to Harrisburg, PA to stay with her parents while she finished her schooling. On the night of September 28, it is reported that Michelle dropped Jayden off at a friend's home in Harrisburg, who, by the way, was not expecting her nor had made prior arrangements to keep Jayden, turned around and headed back to Louisiana, a 17 hour drive.

The "what ifs" swirling around this case are like smoke around a campfire. Her family reported her missing after they had not heard from her within a reasonable amount of time, and her car was found abandoned in Hagerstown, MD only a little over an hour's drive from where she dropped of her son.

According to reports, Michelle was being investigated for theft from a church at which she had worked. This leaves authorities wondering if Michelle planned to drop out of sight to avoid prosecution of these charges.

Her case was entered into NCIC as a missing person and now has been changed to "wanted". Police told the family that this action could finalize the case quicker because missing persons cases are a lower priority.

"[Police] told me that a missing person case isn't a priority but a person with a warrant out for their arrest is," Michael McMullen said. "The facts of the [theft] case doesn't fit. They're trying to add mystery to it because the [Harrisburg] police dropped the ball" on the missing person investigation.

The Mc Mullen family was forced to wait an "obligatory" 72 hours before they could file a missing persons report and then had to wait until the following Saturday before police took an interest in the case because a detective was on vacation. According to police, her abandoned car turned up no evidence of foul play, but her wallet and cell phone were found inside, an indication of the possibility of abduction.

Just to add a few more questions to a case already rife with them, could someone have been with Michelle and Jayden on their trip? I haven't read anything about another person anywhere, just speculating. To me it seems strange that a woman and her 6 year old would drive 17 hours, drop off her son unexpected at a friend's, and turn around and start driving another 17 hours with no rest. It also seems strange that she did not contact her parents while there, with whom she had arrangements made to keep her son. To walk away from her son and her life over theft charges is also something her father feels could not have happened. According to him, Michelle always faced things in her life head on and he feels she would have faced these charges also.

"The people here, her hometown … they know one thing is for certain, she would have not walked away from her son," he said.

All Jayden knows is that his mother isn't talking to him.

"And he's very upset," Michael McMullen said. "He wants to know why."

A little 6 year old boy is without his mother, he doesn't know why, he has the same questions that the rest of Michelle Mc Mullen's family has and that is where is she? Is she safe? Is she hiding? What has happened to her?

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