Missing and Unidentified People

[Caiman]

When I was a teenager, one of my sister’s friends from university suddenly went missing, and it became national news. My sister was devastated with worry, and I remember feeling desperate to help in any way I could. Tragically, it turned out her friend had been murdered by her partner. Witnessing the grief and the emotional toll this took on those around her left a deep impression on me.

It made me want to do something to help ease that kind of pain for others. I began searching for missing people online, trying to see if I could match their descriptions to unidentified remains in the same areas. Over time, this became a special interest of mine, and I’ve spent hundreds of hours over the past ten years doing this. I have only ever successfully found one match after submitting an anonymous tip to the police but I hope I can help with more in the future. My friends think this is weird and niche and have often implied it's abnormal for me to have such an 'unhealthy obsession'.

 

[Aspychata]

It's your special interest. You saw this take place as a teenager, and you are trying to do something about it. I think it's commendable. My very nice detective friend said that police spend hours and hours on investigations, and it can become quite tedious. Especially when they sit for hours in their car for surveillance. My brother was a detective for a major city on the west coast. Have you thought of pursuing employment in this area?

 

[Judge]

If they are truly "cold cases" by local law enforcement standards, why not ? But getting too involved in an open case could potentially create problems with formal homicide investigators. That you don't want to do.

Best to be well-versed on what may constitute obstruction.

What Is Obstruction? A Legal Definition

 

[Jumpinbare]

If you have helped one person, you have improved the world.

 

[Rocco]

This is a subject that is sad and mildly haunting to me. I remember when the Runaway train song came out and it was both beautiful and disturbing seeing the music video.

When I made my first coast to coast cross country journey in 2002, I was shocked with all of the missing women on billboards on Indian reservation lands and around Reservations.
The amount of people, particularly native American women that disappear is astonishing. I remember wanting to do something about it and feeling utterly helpless.
It made me aware of that problem (MMIW-G2S) for the first time. Those billboards have stuck in my mind for over 23 years since. From time to time I wonder how many, if any, were ever found.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Crisis | Indian Affairs

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women - Wikipedia

 

[Crossbreed]

The unidentified contingent (and so many other cold cases) are getting a boost through the fairly recent forensic genealogy.
Investigative genetic genealogy - Wikipedia

I find forensic documentaries to be intellectually stimulating, but after the "high" of solving the case clears, a sense of the crime's atrocity falls on me like a rock.

I have played armchair detective to local property crimes, which I find to be much less disturbing.

 

[Caiman]

If they are truly "cold cases" by local law enforcement standards, why not ? But getting too involved in an open case could potentially create problems with formal homicide investigators. That you don't want to do.

Best to be well-versed on what may constitute obstruction.

What Is Obstruction? A Legal Definition

I should clarify that I look at the Namus database which contains records of unidentified remains and places such as The Charley Project for everything. I don't get heavily involved in the sense that would cause an obstruction of law. The Namus database shows you how to submit an anonymous tip to law enforcement to investigate further.

The majority of open cases are in the US and I'm UK based. There's a whole host of armchair detectives that do the same thing and have even managed to find matches a few times.

 

[Caiman]

The unidentified contingent (and so many other cold cases) are getting a boost through the fairly recent forensic genealogy.
Investigative genetic genealogy - Wikipedia

I find forensic documentaries to be intellectually stimulating, but after the "high" of solving the case clears, a sense of the crime's atrocity falls on me like a rock.

I have played armchair detective to local property crimes, which I find to be much less disturbing.

I've never considered looking into property crimes before!

I completely agree. I get to a point where I find it so morbid seeing how many people are missing. Quite often, I will see cases that I have looked into before where they have since been solved by law enforcement and the reality that most cold cases are bad news hits and I have to take a break.

 

[Judge]

The majority of open cases are in the US and I'm UK based. There's a whole host of armchair detectives that do the same thing and have even managed to find matches a few times.

Point taken. My message was exclusively for the US legally speaking.

LOL....Sorry. I didn't see any words in your posts spelled with British English. But I should have looked up what the "Charley Project" or Namus Database is. It happens...

But I wouldn't be deterred from doing such things if only based on peer-pressure. There are a lot of professions out there based on some pretty grim things. Society needs them whether they are considered to be socially acceptable or not. No matter how morbid they may seem to some.

In our country District Attorneys and law enforcement officials can be a bit sensitive about such things depending on the disposition of a particular case. It's no secret either that when they opt to seek the skills of "third-parties" they try to keep a lid on it, and particularly away from the media.

 

[Caiman]

No, that's absolutely ok! I appreciate the concern and it's good to warn people of the potential implications so you did the right thing!

 

[Judge]

No, that's absolutely ok! I appreciate the concern and it's good to warn people of the potential implications so you did the right thing!

On very rare occasion I'll comment on UK legal issues...but only after doing some reading. Our two legal systems can contrast a lot...enough to know there's little that is synonymous with your country and mine when it comes to most laws and especially law enforcement.