Sumanadevii
02-20-2008, 08:05 AM
I am not sure where to put this but think it is good information.
KSDK) - If a child disappears, police act immediately. There are search parties, statewide alerts and photos distributed to the media. But with missing adults it's a different, often more frustrating process.
The old rule that you have to wait 24 or 48 hours to report someone missing is gone. But that doesn't mean police will give you immediate attention. That was something Kyrstin Whitter learned the hard way.
When George Whitter disappeared, his wife knew he wasn't in Las Vegas, there wasn't another woman and he didn't leave on his own.
"I knew that something was wrong right away," Kyrstin Whitter said.
Police on the other hand, were more skeptical.
"My sister-in-law asked him what would make this case more pertinent? A dead body? And the response was, you don't normally get a detective down here to do this kind of legwork because men go missing all the time."
That was the problem. Adults can choose to leave their lives, to just disappear. Thousands do each year. It's not a crime. But what happens when you believe there has been a crime or an accident?
That was the case with Tanya Rider.
Rider had accidentally driven into a ravine in Washington. Instead of looking for her, authorities looked at her husband.
"What did it take them once they turned it into a criminal investigation, an hour? She was in that car for eight days," Tom Rider said.
Tanya Rider survived. Still, for families it's frustrating. While there are dozens of organizations and millions of dollars devoted to missing children, there is little available for adults. One Missing Link is the one non-profit that handles adult cases in Missouri.
Janis McCall runs the organization.
"They get more attention on missing cars than missing people. And that's sad," McCall said.
McCall started One Missing Link after her daughter, Stacey, disappeared. Stacey was 18; considered an adult. She has never been found. McCall has made it her mission to increase awareness and funding for these cases.
"It has to go through our Congress and our Senate, and we have to get some help for missing adults in addition to what goes to missing children," McCall said.
When it comes to missing adults, some states are now taking legislative action. Illinois passed a measure last summer offering very specific guidelines about how these cases must be handled.
It's a three pronged measure. All reports made "in person" must be taken immediately by police. Those who file them must be told what other resources are available, like national websites. Lastly, family members have to be told they can donate DNA to a database to help with identification down the road.
State Representative Dan Brady is a Republican from Bloomington, Illinois.
"It kind of empowers family or someone reporting that, hey I can be doing something while I file this report," Brady said.
Missouri too, passed new legislation last year. Already Amber Alerts applied to missing kids, but for the first time they created something called an Endangered Person Advisory, which also applied to adults.
It was used in four adult cases in 2007. But it was not used for George Whitter.
"The lady there said she didn't think I could even place even the report for 48 hours," Krystin Whitter said. She ultimately convinced police to take a missing persons report. Her husband, George, and his friend, Randy Greenman, were gone.
But she doesn't think authorities searched in earnest until a month later. That's when Greenman's body was found.
"They thought he was either a witness or a victim or I'm sure they thought he was a suspect," Whitter said. "And once it turned into a criminal case, then they pursued it."
George Whitter's body was found a month after that. His case remains open, not in the missing file, but as a murder. Krystin doesn't know if the outcome could have been changed. She just wishes someone took her seriously, sooner.
http://www.ksdk.com/news/cover_story/cover_article.aspx?storyid=140567
Other resources states of Missouri and Illinois
FOR HELP IN ILLINOIS CALL
Illinois State Police
Springfield, Illinois
217-785-4341
Clearinghouse for Missing Persons
2200 S. Dirksen Parkway, Suite 238
Springfield, Illinois 62703-4528
1-800-843-5763 same as IL State Police
FOR HELP IN MISSOURI
Missouri Highway Patrol
Missing Persons Unit
Jeff City 573-526-6178
Missouir Missing Adults
http://missourimissingadults.com/default.asp
Illinois Missing Adults
http://illinoismissingadults.com/
KSDK) - If a child disappears, police act immediately. There are search parties, statewide alerts and photos distributed to the media. But with missing adults it's a different, often more frustrating process.
The old rule that you have to wait 24 or 48 hours to report someone missing is gone. But that doesn't mean police will give you immediate attention. That was something Kyrstin Whitter learned the hard way.
When George Whitter disappeared, his wife knew he wasn't in Las Vegas, there wasn't another woman and he didn't leave on his own.
"I knew that something was wrong right away," Kyrstin Whitter said.
Police on the other hand, were more skeptical.
"My sister-in-law asked him what would make this case more pertinent? A dead body? And the response was, you don't normally get a detective down here to do this kind of legwork because men go missing all the time."
That was the problem. Adults can choose to leave their lives, to just disappear. Thousands do each year. It's not a crime. But what happens when you believe there has been a crime or an accident?
That was the case with Tanya Rider.
Rider had accidentally driven into a ravine in Washington. Instead of looking for her, authorities looked at her husband.
"What did it take them once they turned it into a criminal investigation, an hour? She was in that car for eight days," Tom Rider said.
Tanya Rider survived. Still, for families it's frustrating. While there are dozens of organizations and millions of dollars devoted to missing children, there is little available for adults. One Missing Link is the one non-profit that handles adult cases in Missouri.
Janis McCall runs the organization.
"They get more attention on missing cars than missing people. And that's sad," McCall said.
McCall started One Missing Link after her daughter, Stacey, disappeared. Stacey was 18; considered an adult. She has never been found. McCall has made it her mission to increase awareness and funding for these cases.
"It has to go through our Congress and our Senate, and we have to get some help for missing adults in addition to what goes to missing children," McCall said.
When it comes to missing adults, some states are now taking legislative action. Illinois passed a measure last summer offering very specific guidelines about how these cases must be handled.
It's a three pronged measure. All reports made "in person" must be taken immediately by police. Those who file them must be told what other resources are available, like national websites. Lastly, family members have to be told they can donate DNA to a database to help with identification down the road.
State Representative Dan Brady is a Republican from Bloomington, Illinois.
"It kind of empowers family or someone reporting that, hey I can be doing something while I file this report," Brady said.
Missouri too, passed new legislation last year. Already Amber Alerts applied to missing kids, but for the first time they created something called an Endangered Person Advisory, which also applied to adults.
It was used in four adult cases in 2007. But it was not used for George Whitter.
"The lady there said she didn't think I could even place even the report for 48 hours," Krystin Whitter said. She ultimately convinced police to take a missing persons report. Her husband, George, and his friend, Randy Greenman, were gone.
But she doesn't think authorities searched in earnest until a month later. That's when Greenman's body was found.
"They thought he was either a witness or a victim or I'm sure they thought he was a suspect," Whitter said. "And once it turned into a criminal case, then they pursued it."
George Whitter's body was found a month after that. His case remains open, not in the missing file, but as a murder. Krystin doesn't know if the outcome could have been changed. She just wishes someone took her seriously, sooner.
http://www.ksdk.com/news/cover_story/cover_article.aspx?storyid=140567
Other resources states of Missouri and Illinois
FOR HELP IN ILLINOIS CALL
Illinois State Police
Springfield, Illinois
217-785-4341
Clearinghouse for Missing Persons
2200 S. Dirksen Parkway, Suite 238
Springfield, Illinois 62703-4528
1-800-843-5763 same as IL State Police
FOR HELP IN MISSOURI
Missouri Highway Patrol
Missing Persons Unit
Jeff City 573-526-6178
Missouir Missing Adults
http://missourimissingadults.com/default.asp
Illinois Missing Adults
http://illinoismissingadults.com/