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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suggestions:

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

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

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

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

UPDATE

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

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

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK): Why No Support for the Missing?

As a former resident of the great state of Oklahoma, I'm more than surprised that Senator Coburn is showing resistance for The Help Find The Missing Act (Billy's Law) S3019.   Although all Americans are suffering through a bad economy, and I can understand  budget and funding concerns as  mentioned in Senator Coburn's latest newsletter, however, there are other things that affect every American, either directly or indirectly, and one of them is the fact that almost 1 million of our citizens are reported missing every year as recorded by FBI and NCIC reports.  Yes, some return home safely within a few days, but thousands do not, and thousands NEVER come home, but are part of a vast repository of unidentified remains.

The Help Find the Missing Act will act to bridge the gap between the active missing persons cases and those who are unidentified, enabling thousands of families, like the family of Billy Smolinski, to find resolution to their cases.  Many of these families have accepted the fact that their loved one has met with foul play, but not one of them can, nor will, accept the fact that the remains of their loved ones are unable to be found and put to rest properly.

I urge every missing person's websites, databases, family members and supporters to UNITE and help get this important piece of legislation passed into law for the benefit of a national response to the epidemic of missing persons.

Becky Castillo, a volunteer with the San Bernardino County Sheriff Department – Coroner Division, who assists the Unidentified-Missing Persons Coordinator, Deputy Coroner Investigator David Van Norman in handling cases of missing and unidentified persons, has given  a sample letter to send to Senator Coburn on the missing person's support site, Peace4 the Missing.

Please take just a few minutes of your time today and personalize the following sample letter with your own stories or opinions.  If you do not live in Oklahoma, it's best to mail a letter from your post office as emails from outside Oklahoma will most likely not be read.

NOTE:  Remember this is a sample letter, all the facts are here; use some of it, part of it, and in some cases, if you have to, use it all. In the letter you will see (Insert personal story or Oklahoma's statistics) make sure you do this, when you are finished have it be your own.

Senator Coburn,

I am writing this letter in support of pending legislation, Billy's Law

(S3019). According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, over 4,000

unidentified remains are discovered each year.

After one year, 1,000 of these bodies remain unidentified. With tens of

thousands of people reported missing each year, it is likely that a

family member, friend, or loved one is looking for that unidentified

person and simply can't find them due to the absence of a cooperative

effort by law enforcement across the country.

Some law enforcement agencies have a lackadaisical attitude when they receive a report for the “voluntarily missing” and often there is very little effort to search for them. The problem is when the case goes long term. If there is any follow-up at all, often it is long after the initial report. Often those long term cases have not been resolved because the missing person has died and their remains lay unidentified in a county morgue or cemetery.

(Insert personal story or Oklahoma's statistics)

The problem we face is there is no national protocol in play to assist

investigators to bridge the gap between missing persons and unidentified

persons cases.

The Help Find the Missing Act will bridge the gap.

The National Missing Persons and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is

by far becoming one of the best ways for the public and law enforcement

agencies across the country to work together to help bring missing loved

ones home! Since its launch in June of last year, the database of

unidentified decedents and missing persons has proved essential in

solving 16 cases. With the passing of Billy's Law, this number only

stands to grow. Unfortunately, without the funding of Billy's Law not

all law enforcement agencies are able to allocate the resources

necessary to use the NamUs system.

The passing of Billy's Law would make it possible for agencies across

the country to input information on their unidentified decedents,

increasing the number of case resolutions and potentially bringing

closure to families of missing persons all across our country.

I support this funding and hope that you do as well. I respectfully urge

you to pass S3019 when it comes before you.

Respectfully,

More useful information from Becky Castillo:

Unidentified Persons:

There are more than 40,000 unidentified human remains are held in evidence rooms of medical examiners throughout the U.S. but only about 7,000 active unidentified persons cases in entered into NCIC.

Sources:

NCIC Active/Expired Unidentified Person Analysis Report; NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics for 2009

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/missingpersons2009.htm

• As of December 31, 2009, there were 7,302 unidentified person records in NCIC.

• During 2009, 1,040 unidentified person records were entered into NCIC

Bureau of Justice Special Report: Medical Examiners and Coroners Offices, 2004; June 2007, NCJ 216756

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/meco04.pdf

• 4,400 unidentified human decedents reported in an average year; 1,000 remained unidentified after 1 year

• An estimated 20% of ME/C offices reported they used the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) “somewhat often” or “very often” while 80% of ME/C offices reported they “rarely or never” used NCIC

• (California was the only State that mandated information about the unidentified be reported to NCIC within a specified period. About 42% of all records in the NCIC unidentified persons file were from California.)

Side Note: If your missing loved one ended up deceased in a jurisdiction that does not report to NCIC, they may never be identified! NamUs can help to change that!

Missing Persons:

Every year, tens of thousands of people vanish under suspicious circumstances.

On any given day there are approximately 100,000 active missing person cases in the U.S.

(Approximately 2,300 persons are reported missing per day)

Sources:

NCIC Active/Expired Unidentified Person Analysis Report; NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics for 2009

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/missingpersons2009.htm

• As of December 31, 2009, NCIC contained 96,192 active missing person records.

• During 2009, 719,558 missing person records were entered into NCIC.

These are only statistics. This is not meant to be used "as is" in the letter. Use it as a resource to state your facts confidently. Your letter must come from your heart...

Mothers Gone Too Soon

In remembrance of all the Mothers written about on this site, as well as all the missing mothers who have not yet come home.  May their children know that they are loved always and forever.

Jana Morton:Still Missing After One Year

Jana Morton left her ex-husband's home to visit her mother in Caswell County, NC.   Although her ex-husband, Charles Morton, wasn't too concerned when she didn't return the next day, he knew that when she hadn't been heard from in a week that something was wrong.  Her daughter reported that she was missing and her car was found weeks later in the parking lot of a grocery store.

According to reports it would be unusual for her to abandon her car, it was the only thing she owned and it was unlikely that she would give it up willingly.  Charles Morton admits that Jana "fell apart" when he got sick and had to have a leg amputated, she got into the wrong crowd and started using drugs.   She had been arrested and had just finished serving a short jail sentence, but was in need of help.

It's reported there is a person of interest in the investigation, Robert Mitchell Foust, who has a long criminal record including drugs and violence related crimes.  He admitted to authorities that he had possession and use of Jana Morton's car.

There is a family who waits for any bit of information on what happened to Jana, living with the fact that she is most likely deceased, except for her 17 year old daughter who holds out hope that her mother has just lost her memory and will come home safe.  Jana Morton's mother, Sherry Cloninger, hopes her granddaughter is right, but accepts that it's unlikely.

The teen has created missing person posters. The latest one announces that the family and sheriff’s department are offering a $6,000 reward for information about her disappearance. The poster says that “Michelle is a mother of a 17-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy who miss her.”

Jana Morton is part of Project Jason's Angels Awareness Program and you can go to their site and download a missing persons's poster to have copies made and distribute in the area of Alamance and Caswell Counties in North Carolina.  If you live near the area from which Jana vanished, please consider helping this family bring their loved one home.

The investigation into the disappearance is open and ongoing.  If you have any information you can add to help this family find their loved one, please call authorities.

“I drive to Burlington or Graham and I think and wonder if she is there,” Cloninger said. “I see a stretch of woods or a pond and wonder could she be there. It’s constant. It’s not just trying to accept the fact that she is gone. You just want to know where she is at. You just want to bring her home. I don’t want my kids to have to continue to live with it.”

When Morton’s white 1997 Dodge Intrepid was found, it had some damage to the hubcaps and steering. Cloninger wonders if anyone saw the car stuck somewhere before it was found on Feb. 27. She doesn’t know if anyone saw anything that could help the case. But if someone did, she hopes that person will come forward and give that information to the sheriff’s department.

Morton is white. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 115 pounds. Her hair is brown. Her eyes are hazel. She was last seen wearing a tie-dyed short sleeve shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. She has a tattoo of a rose on her left upper chest.

Anyone with information can contact the sheriff’s department at 570-6313 or can give information anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 229-7100.

Sherie Wilson: Missing From Rochester, NY: Found Dead

Sherie Wilson is a 31 year old mother of four children. Reports say she left a friend's home on the evening of January 29 and has not been seen nor heard from since. That's it!


Yes, that's it folks. That's the only thing I can find about this missing mother. The news reports didn't start coming out until February 5, a week after she was last seen before vanishing.


I don't know when the missing person's report was filed with the Rochester police, however, for a week to go by with no word in the media about her is puzzling. I can only speculate that either the family waited for her to reappear or they were told to wait before filing the report. Either way, precious time has been lost while the children are left wondering what happened to their mother!


I've only seen one, quite short, plea for help from police being reported. Has no one spoken to her family to report a little more on their thoughts of what may have happened?  Most families would be pleading for information, yet maybe this family doesn't know where to start or what to do.


It's a good thing there are organizations like Peace4 the Missing, LostNMissing, Websleuths and bloggers who care, that circulate the internet with news of this mother.  Someone knows what happened and someone needs to come forward with explanations.  We all pray for a happy ending.


The one small report that has been found on a few media outlets:

Police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing mother.

31-year-old Sherie Wilson was last seen on January 29th. Wilson has four children.

Police said she was at a friend's house on Kelly Street in Rochester and has not contacted any family members since she left the house.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

The phone number for the Rochester Police is (585)428-9810 


It's my fervent hope that there will be good news soon on the whereabouts of Sherie Wilson, that there won't be foul play involved, and that she is soon reunited with her four children.


UPDATE:

Missing Rochester mother found dead, boyfriend charged

Posted at: 02/12/2010 9:25 AM

A Rochester man is charged with the murder of his girlfriend, 31-year-old Sherie Wilson of Rochester.

On February 1, Wilson was reported missing to Rochester Police by her boyfriend, 45-year-old Carl Nelson. She was last seen in the early morning hours of January 29 on Kelly Street in the city.

After an exhaustive investigation by police, Nelson was charged with second-degree murder.

Wilson’s body was found near 490 west, just past the Chili Center exit. She was the mother of four young children.

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.

Kelly Currin Morris: A Piece of Peace

Kelly Currin Morris has been found after she allegedly went looking for the family dog a year ago, September 3, 2008.  As the year wore on, and searches conducted, we watched the pain of this family who over and over again, went back out into the rural fields and woods of Stem, NC, knowing that one day their searching would end.  That day has come, Kelly has been found, and now the family is making arrangements to lay her in her final resting place.

At a time of Thanksgiving, I'm sure the family is thankful for the fact that Kelly is no longer missing, but I'm also sure that it's a bittersweet time knowing that she will never sit at her place at the table.

"It's like a brick is lifted off your chest," Hollis(Wanda Hollis, Kelly's mother) said. "You don't know what it's like until you go through it. It's unbelievably deep." 

Saturday, November 28, a public memorial service is planned to honor the life of Kelly.  A fund is set up in lieu of flowers for her daughters.  

As each of us sits with our families, thankful that we can reach out and touch each other this Thanksgiving Day, please take a moment during your grace to ask for a blessing for these young daughters.

Two little girls, like so many others out there, will spend the rest of their lives re-living losing their mother.

These are the surviving victims of a trauma that runs deep and lasts a lifetime.  May we someday find a way to outstretch our hands of hope to these little (and big) children, help them find a way to find a "piece of peace" in their day.

Stacy Peterson, We Remember You

Long before Peace4 the Missing was organized the news broke about a young mother who went missing in Bolingbrook, IL. Her name is Stacy Peterson. Almost 2 years have passed since that day in October, 2007 and many, many more news stories have, and still are, being discussed about what may have happened to Stacy.

Tons of people gathered at various forums and message boards to talk about the latest news, speculate on what happened, and, unfortunately, pick apart every aspect of the lives of those involved. Several blowouts occurred, other splinter forums were created, and the circus surrounding Stacy Peterson was led by the ringmaster, her husband.

As we near the two year anniversary of Stacy's disappearance, I would hope that many of the circus performers have cleaned off their clown makeup, that hurt feelings have been mended, and that the microscope of speculation has been put away.

In 2007 Stacy was a rally point for passionate people who came together in her honor, many have scattered all over the internet and many have started new, successful ventures that probably would not have happened if it weren't for Stacy Peterson.

October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As the internet has grown to bring us information in a flash, it's also come to be a way for all of us to communicate and pass on information and search for solutions. As we use this October to honor Stacy Peterson, to remember her, we also would like to take this opportunity to rally around this awareness campaign.

On Saturday, October 24, several local area people will be partnering with Guardian Angel Community Services for a 5K walk to raise funds to continue their services to victims and families of domestic violence. We have set up a team, "Angels For Stacy" partnering with Peace4 the Missing to give everyone an opportunity to participate.

If you are nearby, we hope you will walk, if you aren't, we hope you will help with support, sponsorship, or donations, if you can. Please join our Team and show your support for Stacy Peterson, ALL missing persons, and the victims of domestic abuse. It's FREE to join and be a member!

ANGELS FOR STACY TEAM PAGE

Let's come together again for Stacy Peterson!

Lilly Aramburo, Still Missing

Lilly vanished, without a trace, on June 1, 2007. Life hasn't been the same. Her mother lives in constant agony, waiting for her daughter's return. Having to raise her grandson under such difficult circumstances is not an easy task. With each day, Lilly's son slowly loses precious memories of his mother. He was 9 months old, last time he saw her smiling face and was held in her warm embrace.

Commemorate and pray for Lily and her family.
Sunday, May 31st, 2009 at 6pm

The march will begin in Cocowalk to
3440 PERCIVAL AVENUE, COCONUT GROVE, FL.

If you are not able to attend, please light a personal candle in honor of Lilly.

Alice Donovan, Monday4 the Missing

Alice Donovan, My mother who is sadly missed and deeply loved

written by: Angie Gilchrist, Alice's daughter

On November 14th 2002 my family got up that morning and did their normal routine in life..We all got ready for work and my mom Alice Donovan had the day off and was looking forward to her day of relaxation and rest before she had to start a new work week..

At noon mom decided to go to walmart to start her christmas shopping. She pulled in the Walmart parking lot at 2:39pm, parked in a parking spot but never made it into the store.She was ambushed by to young men with guns who forced her to drive away in her car with them..She spent three hours begging and pleading for her life. All her attempts to have her captives let her free failed..After raping her repeatedly and recieving a large chunk of money from her bank accounts they murdered her and left her body in a wooded area in Horry County South Carolina..

Both men were caught several days later and were put in to prision where they surely belonged. But they never told nor brought any law officials to the place where they discarded my mother..

Our family suffered the loss of my mother in different ways..It split our family apart into many different dynamics and the family fell apart. We sat through the trials of both of these men and heard the accounts of what they did to mom and the others over and over. We had to relive the nightmare over again and it seemed that no matter what we did to try to get on with our lives without her, we couldn't..She was still missing..Her body was out there somewhere. We could not except that. We were not at peace with that. For many years I often wondered if my mothers soul was at rest. Later I had to bring myself to believe that it did not matter where a person was placed in death, If they were going to spend their eternity with the higher power then their souls are at peace.
January 17th 2009 almost seven years later one of my mothers murderers decided to come forward and explain where they left my mother all these years with a map and pictures..A search was conducted and skeletal remains were found in that area he said she was..The memory gate lifted and my soul was flooded with all memories of my mother, good and bad and of the events that lead to her death..I relized on that day in January of 2009 standing on that dirt road as CSI came out of the field with brown bags which hopefully hold my mother, that I had been running and hiding from the truth..Not wanting to face the memories of my mother. The pain of losing her was so great and so painful that I thought it would be easier to forget her..And all I did was prolong the innevitable.

Now as I sit and wait for DNA to confirm that it is my mother's remains, my mind is flooded with thoughts of my mother. A woman with integrity, a woman with passion for life, a woman who saw the beauty in all things, a woman who loved like no other, a woman who I am honored to say is my mother.

Mother, daughter of missing women to search the desert

May 3, 2009 - 8:30 AM

By ABBY SEWELL, staff writer

BARSTOW • The mother of one missing woman and the daughter of another will join forces this upcoming weekend to search for traces of their family members.

For the eighth time since 30-year-old mother of two April Beth Pitzer went missing in June of 2004, her mother, Gloria Denton, will travel to the Barstow area from Arkansas to join searchers May 9 and 10 in looking for her daughter’s body or any evidence that might explain what happened to her.

Stephanie Thompson, whose mother, Catherine “Cathy” Lique, disappeared from Barstow in November 2003 at age 44, joined in the search for Pitzer last year, hoping at the same time to find some trace of her mother. This year is the first time that the search will officially be for both women.

Thompson said Friday she and Denton found out just recently that Lique and Pitzer had met before, at the home of a woman in Yermo with whom Lique was staying for a while, and who also knew Pitzer’s boyfriend at the time.

Denton said Pitzer went to Newberry Springs in 2003 on what was intended to be a short trip after her marriage fell apart. Instead, she ended up stranded there, homeless and associated with unsavory people, Denton said. However, before Pitzer disappeared, Denton said she was planning to come home to start fresh with her estranged husband and two daughters, then three and five years old.

Lique was a truck stop prostitute who drifted around Barstow, Thompson said. Although Thompson had moved to Oregon with her father after her parents divorced, she tried to keep track of her mother. When her brother told her that no one had heard from Lique in a while, and then no one reported seeing her for another week, Thompson filed a missing person’s report.

Lique’s boyfriend at the time said she had left one morning with nothing but a red San Francisco 49ers jacket and never showed back up, Thompson said. Authorities may have initially assumed that Lique had just skipped town, she said.

“My mom wasn’t some pretty young girl who just crazily went missing,” she said.

Search for April Pitzer and Catherine “Cathy” Lique:
When: Saturday May 9, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday May 10, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Meet both days at The Barn in Newberry Springs, 44560 National Trails Highway. Search will cover area around Interstate 15 and around a mine in Ludlow where some of Pitzer’s clothes were found in December 2005.
Bring: snacks/lunch, water (organizers will provide water as well), large stick in case of encountering snakes
Off-road vehicles are also needed for the search
Burgers and hot dogs to be provided after the search Saturday
For more information, call 479-774-2410.

Still, Thompson said her mother would have eventually contacted the family if she had been able to, especially when Lique’s own mother died.

Thompson got in touch with Denton about a year and a half ago, after hearing a rumor that Lique had been killed and her body dumped in Newberry Springs, which led her to wonder if the case was connected to Pitzer’s disappearance. The two women have stayed in contact ever since.

“I get very discouraged a lot, and having Gloria on my side, she has definitely been a godsend,” Thompson said.

Barstow police never named a suspect in Lique’s disappearance. Pitzer’s case has also stalled, Det. Steve Pennington with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department homicide unit said. Some of Pitzer’s clothing was found in a mine shaft in Ludlow in December 2005. A message on the
wall of a truck stop in Oregon discovered in September 2004 read, “Want to find missing girl from Arkansas? I-15 3 miles east of Barstow.”

However, the leads came to dead ends.

“There’s people out there that have information, but they’re just not coming forward,” Pennington said.
To report information relating to Pitzer’s disappearance, call the Barstow sheriff’s station at 760-256-4123. To report information on the Lique case, call the Barstow Police Department at 760-256-2211. To remain anonymous, call WE-TIP at 1-800-78-CRIME.

Ida Dean Richardson Anderson, Missing For 51 Years

In 1995 three siblings were reunited in what I can only imagine was a bittersweet reunion. In 1958 their mother, Ida Dean Richardson Anderson vanished without a trace and her son and two daughters were forced to begin a chapter of their lives without her.

A young, 18 year old Ida became pregnant in 1955 and, as was the custom then, married the father, Kenneth Anderson, also known as Jerry. They began their marriage in Florida where Ida was living with her parents. Jerry Anderson was a musician and I surmise he and Ida and their young child traveled the circuit, finally settling down in Detroit, Michigan, and adding two more children to the family.

It's stated that their marriage was troubled, emotionally and financially, and Ida wrote about it to her family members still living in Florida. She left Kenneth Anderson, took her children, however, shortly afterwards was hospitalized with rheumatic fever and ulcers in February of 1958.

At that time, her husband was not able to care for the three young children and placed them in a "boarding home." It's not reported if the boarding home was an orphanage for children or just a private home which took in indigent children. As a recourse to this action the State of Michigan gained custody of the three children.

After Ida was released from the hospital, she and Kenneth Anderson attempted to regain custody of their children for the next six months. Ida was scheduled to receive custody in September, 1958. A plane ticket to Florida had been purchased for her and the children, however, on the 18th of September she vanished and has never been heard from again, the plane tickets never used.

Ida's son and older daughter were adopted by the same family and raised near Fraser, Michigan, while her younger daughter was adopted by another family and raised in the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan. After they were reunited they started to search for the mother who disappeared from their lives without a trace.

The 51 year old cold case has never been solved, there is no unidentified deceased person matching her description and searches through hospital records in Michigan and surrounding states show no one by the name of Ida Dean Richardson Anderson as being a patient.

Recently, Track Missing, a missing persons organization based in Michigan has tried to help the family with their search. It's Founder, Chad Scott, says that there is no missing persons report among the records filed in Michigan, although her family states that one was filed at the time of her disappearance.

51 years is a long time to wait, wonder and search. United in their efforts, the family, Track Missing, Peace4 the Missing Members, Porchlight International, Doe Network, Charley Project and a host of others with a passion for helping families of missing persons will do everything possible to help these children find their mother.

Ida is now 72 years old and has spent a lifetime without her children.

Travis Lee Baker, Remembered

                                                     

No Where to Turn for Family of Missing Son

Travis Baker’s case joins the rising number of missing person cold cases


Wilmington, N.C. – the family of Travis Baker once again dread the upcoming date of April 16th,
As it remains a constant reminder of their son and him vanishing without a trace.
Travis Lee Baker was last seen in Catawba County in North Carolina on April 16, 2007; neither Travis nor his candy apple red 1998 camero, NC tag number WRP8627 has been recovered. Mr. Baker has three tattoos, his last name in capital letters across his back, the name “Hallie” on his chest and red & black tribal band on his upper left and right arm. Travis has a 2 inch scar on his left upper thigh from a sport injury.

Since his disappearance many rumors and speculation have invaded the small town community of Catawba County, one being Travis was involved in a drug deal gone bad which may have lead to his becoming a missing person; although the proof of this fact is nothing more than hearsay. “I do not think what a person was or was not doing should give anyone the right to hurt or murder a person”, said Dwayne Baker, the father of Travis. “All children will makes mistakes and are guilty of making bad decisions in life, Travis was nineteen years old and was still growing up”, he would have never fallen far from his roots and values instilled by his loved ones”, Mr. Baker added.

“Families of the missing are the victims of various crimes and should be treated as such; they have the right to be informed of their case progress and be treated with empathy”, said Monica Caison, CUE’s founder. Recently information surfaced of human remains that were found in Charlotte, N.C. last December; the family of Travis Baker has made inquiries to officials and the media to only be told when they find out, the family will be notified. After waiting four long months Dwayne Baker inquired himself and found out that his son was excluded in the first week of the discovery. “It’s frustrating that we, the families of the missing have to work on our own to get answers, we are the ones out here that cannot sleep and worry every minute of the day”, Mr. Baker said.

The family and friends of the missing youth have conducted public events in hope that a tip would be called in and have conducted searches in an effort to aid local authorities; in addition to keep focused they have attending conferences for the missing to be empowered in their journey and have took a leap further in obtaining training and attending searches for other missing persons, even traveling out of state.

Just this past January Dwayne Baker answered the call for a search conducted by the CUE Center for Missing Persons in collaboration with many levels of law officials in South Carolina for Alice Donovan, a woman who was car jacked and murdered in 2006 by two Kentucky escaped prisoners. Mr. Baker was involved in the search effort that discovered her remains. “To keep my sanity, I try to give back, it’s the right thing to do”, said Dwayne Baker. We all have the right as American citizens, my son and I both have rights and I will continue to exercise them and for the victims who have no voice.

Just this week, another set back for the Baker family as they learned that no entry was made for their son Travis into CODIS, a Texas lab that handles the nations DNA process for missing persons. Over a year ago the inquiry was made on this matter to officials and he was informed Travis was entered, but he is not, “I will move forward to make sure my son has every advantage for what is available to identify him and or locate him”, Mr. Baker said. Today’s technology such as CODIS is free to law officials across the country and set in place for the victims and should be utilized, said CUE’s founder, Monica Caison.

On April 16 the family and friends of Travis Baker marked two years since he vanished.  We join them in remembering and offer our support and prayers that Travis will be found soon and put an end to their daily trials.


UPDATE:

Travis Baker's remains have been found and he has been returned to his loving family who never, ever gave up the search.

TIMELINE (from the family website)

April 16, 2007 — Travis Baker goes missing

June 19, 2009 — Sgt. Aaron Turk, of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, receives new information on the investigation, leading him to property on Eulalia Lane in Catawba

Consent search done on property reveals possible locations fitting description of Baker’s burial place

June 22 — Search warrant issued and executed on Eulalia Lane property

Officers seize skeletal remains, textiles and vehicle parts.

June 24 — Skeletal remains sent to state Medical Examiner’s Office in Chapel Hill, confirmed through dental records as Travis Baker.

John Lee Mitchell Jr. arrested in Orange County, Fla., charged with first-degree murder

June 25 — Catawba County Sheriff’s Office holds press conference to announce identity, arrest

Branson Perry, Monday4 the Missing

So much has happened since Branson Perry vanished on April 11, 2001. His younger brother graduated and is now living on his own, his father passed away in 2004, and now his mother, Becky, has been diagnosed with cancer and yet still no word from Branson and no answers to where he might be.

From America's Most Wanted

Family Of Missing Man Looking For Answers

Branson Perry went missing on April 11, 2001, and his family has been looking for answers ever since. Branson's family says that day, he and a friend were cleaning the family's home in preparation for his father's return from the hospital.

In the middle of tidying up the house, Branson told his friend he was going to put a pair of jumper cables in the family's shed and that he'd be right back.

That was the last time anyone saw him.

Initially, in the days that followed Branson's disappearance, his family says the jumper cables were missing from the shed.
But according to family members, the cables mysteriously re-appeared several days later.

In February 2009, police hoped to break the case using playing cards. Prison inmates were given decks of cards featuring the faces of fugitives, missing persons and unsolved homicides in hopes that it jogs the memory of an inmate that could lead to information to recover the missing person.

Branson's face is featured on the six of clubs. These decks of cards have been distributed to prisons throughout Missouri.

Police are actively looking for leads in the case.

Branson's family just wants answers and hopes that someone out there can give them the help they're looking for.

From recent press release from CUE Center for Missing Persons:

Now time is even more important for answers concerning Branson and his location;his mother recently visited a local emergency room after a minor fall at her residence;doctors located and successfully removed a tumor on her brain on March 25, 2009,with that came the diagnoses of cancer found in other areas of her body. “My wish is that Branson is located soon, I know in spirit he will take this journey with me”, said
Becky Klino, Branson’s mother. “I feel him close”, she added.

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: April 11, 2001 from Skidmore, Missouri

Classification: Endangered Missing

Date Of Birth: February 24, 1981

Age: 20

Height: 5'9"-5'10"

Weight: 140-155 lbs.

Hair Color: Blond

Eye Color: Blue

Race: White

Gender: Male

Distinguishing Characteristics: Small faint scar on upper
right cheek. Small scar on left knee. Normal teeth; wisdom teeth
have been pulled. Right handed. Black belt in Hopkido, lifted weights.

Medical Conditions: Racing heart condition. Allergic to Penicillin.

Clothing: Shorts (size 32) and a T-shirt (size medium to large).

Jewelry: Possibly wearing necklaces and leather trinkets
or chains with arrowheads on them.

NCIC Number: M-061492631

Case Number: 010201

DNA: in CODIS

Please join us at Peace4 the Missing
Network and support for families of missing persons and victims of crime.

Allison Jackson Foy Case Featured On Dateline Friday, April 10

THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 10: HELP DATELINE SOLVE AN UNFOLDING INVESTIGATION!

Please tune in and watch!

From the Allison Jackson Foy family website:

As one chapter closes another is opened. This new chapter is about seeking and finding justice for our loved one Allison and for Angela Rothen who was found with her. It is my families hope that all of you who have stood by us and walked with us on the journey that brought Allison home after two years will now be with us as we seek justice for her and finally bring closure to this case.

There is someone out there somewhere who knows who and how Allison left Junction Pub and Billiards that night and eventually we will have all of the answers we so desperately seek. No one deserves to die in the horrific way that Allison and Angela did, and we must prevent this from happening again to others. If you have any information at all, no matter how insignificant it may seem please contact our family through this site or call the Wilmington PD.

The blog and guestbook are still up and running and we encourage you all to continue to share with us. When you log onto helpfindallison.com you will be brought to the justice for Allison site, however there is a link back to the original website which will stay up in memoriam and as a tribute to Allison. This site will bring you any new news about Allison's case and keep you updated with any and all media concerning Allison's case.

Please continue to remember all of the missing and their families, as I know my family and I will. There are still so many people out there looking for their missing loved ones and they need our help and support.

It is still so hard to believe that Allison was missing and now she is a victim of homicide. My family and I will stand strong and continue to fight the good fight always persevering and never giving up. We will not stop until justice is served! Allison will never be forgotten and continues to live on in all who loved her, but most especially her two daughters.

Once again, thank you to all for the incredible support and love you have shown my family and Allison over the past two years, we could not have gotten through this without you. May God bless you all and be with us as we get justice for Allison!

Angela Rothen's remains were also found with Allison's although it has been determined they died a year apart.

Please help solve this crime and bring justice to honor these two mothers.

Susan Murphy Milano, Radio Show Debut

Wednesday April 8, 2009 at 3:00PM Central Standard Time


Join Susan Murphy Milano and her special guest: Joseph Hosey reporter and Author of "Fatal Vows The Tragic Wives of Sergeant Drew Peterson."

We will take your questions live in the chat room discussing the dangers Stacy Peterson and Kathleen Savio endured while married to a violent abuser with a badge and what measures they could have taken to escape.

Learn what you can do in preparing to leave a relationship gone bad with your life!

Joining the panel are the administrator's of the Peterson Story Website and Police Perpetrated Violence Expert Susan Rhoades.

Susan is the author of "Defending Our Lives, getting away from domestic violence & staying safe and "Moving Out, Moving On" when a relationship goes wrong. Her new book will be available in July 2009, "Time's Up", how to leave and survive a dangerous relationship.

To listen live go to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susanmurphymilano and click on the "Click to Listen" icon. You might want to refresh your page because the icon will not show until the show begins.

Helping Heather

(although Heather Thompson is not a Missing Mother, it's situations like hers that lead to a woman being missing and, in most cases, murdered by her intimate partner)



While her situation is being played out online in a Facebook Group, through messages and emails, Heather Thompson is watching the clock tick.  A survivor of a severe case of domestic violence, Heather is watching her time run out.

Very soon her ex-husband, Thomas Price, Jr., will be paroled from Federal prison.  The same prison from which he sent threats to kill her and her children.  The same prison from which he has had 14 years to think about and plot ways to carry out those threats.

What are the citizens of Charlotte, NC waiting for?  Are they waiting for the next headline news story of a bloodbath, where a woman and her family are murdered?  Are they waiting to see the day's headlines and then turn away to do the dishes?

This is real life for Heather Thompson.

This is real life for her children and family.

This is not just another headline waiting to happen. Or is it?

Yes, there are things that Heather had the opportunity to do with the last 14 years, but she chose to rebuild her life, remarry, have more children and put the past behind her.  But now that past is back to haunt her.  Maybe she should have done some things differently, maybe she should have just left the family and surroundings that she knows and loves and went underground, knowing that this day would come.

Heather chose to be an outspoken spokesperson for domestic violence.  After her brutal attack, billboards were placed around Charlotte, NC so that everyone could see the injuries inflicited upon her and maybe think twice about going home and beating their partner.  Maybe Heather saved a few women that way.

Heather has spent the last 14 years, the years that Tommy Price has been in prison, speaking out for victims, serving on the board of directors of domestic violence groups , and letting women know that there is hope, that their is a way out of a sickening situation.

Heather's hope has run out.  What will it take to save her life?  Is there a safety plan for her?  Is there anywhere she can turn and not live in fear?  Is there any way to keep Tommy Price from snuffing out the lives of his ex-wife and children? What are the odds?

I'm sure Tommy Price has a cheesy grin on his face today, knowing that his actions have stirred up so much controversy.  If there were any way left in our justice system to keep him behind bars, it would be a blessing, but I doubt that is going to happen.

Every day in our country we read about cases where a partner continues to victimize and uses their children as pawns in their game. Child murder and suicide seems to be epidemic. Where is our judicial system in all this?  It is flawed to say the least.

So what can we do to keep Heather Thompson and her family alive?  There aren't many options left. She is at the eleventh hour and there are not too many places left to turn.  If Tommy Price is paroled, Heather Thompson's death cerificate is as good as signed unless drastic measures are taken quickly.

As just a concerned person with no knowledge of the law and how paroles work, I have no answers, but I know with every breath in my being that someone out there knows.

If you have the knowledge and wherewithall to stand up and do something to help Heather, please do it.  Do it quietly, do it behind the scenes, don't announce to the world and pat your own back, just take the ball and run with it.

Please save a life today.



To read about or contact Heather, please read at her group on Facebook