However, not all missing persons cases get the same media attention. "Every family wants that media attention" to help find their loved one, Jeanis said. Getting the word out to the public that someone is missing is "integral" to closing the case, Jeanis said. Media coverage makes a difference in closing the case Once the subject is confirmed to be missing, investigators spring into action, setting up command posts, assigning agents to work the leads and organizing all of the information the investigation gathered, Gomez said.įor the families, not knowing what happened to their loved one is the "worst thing," and investigators have that in the forefront of their minds as they search for the person, Jeanis said. Law enforcement then works diligently to bring answers to the family Law enforcement wants the public to be "alert and aware" when a message is sent out, and too many could cause people to ignore it, Jeanis said. The reason for the selectivity, in part, is to not desensitize the public. In "serious cases" of missing children, in which law enforcement has a reason to believe the child has been abducted or is in imminent danger, an Amber Alert may be issued, Fox said.Īmber Alerts were designed "especially for those kids who are perceived to be in immediate danger," but there is specific criteria for the level of danger the case must meet to warrant the alert, Jeanis said.įor example, a runaway child would not qualify for an Amber Alert, Jeanis said. However, if the subject usually comes home at a certain time or they have left essentials such as keys, cell phone and wallet at home and are suddenly missing, law enforcement will take that information "into account and adjust accordingly," Fox said. There might have been an argument,'" Fox said, adding that the "best policy is rather be safe than sorry." If someone called police to report that a spouse didn't come home right away, investigators will ask follow-up questions such as whether its unusual for him or her to go without contact for long periods of time, the experts said.
Law enforcement then chooses how they will allocate resources to missing persons cases on a "case-by-case basis," Jeanis said.įor adults who are reported missing, one of the things investigators look to first is whether the subject was displaying a-typical behavior. But, investigators have a procedure for determining if the case is urgentĪs soon as police get a call reporting that someone is missing, they'll begin to evaluate whether the case even involves a missing person at all. "There's a certain point after about a week or two where you have to think, the potential that the missing person is dead and now it's a matter of trying to find their body and bring closure to the family and to determine if you now have a homicide investigation, or suicide, or some kind of accidental death," Gomez said.
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