When we think of missing persons, we often think of individuals who have either gone missing by choice or who have become the victims of foul play at the hands of another. While there are many circumstances under which a person can go missing, those who go missing with mental illness can be some of the most difficult people to find. The intricate, layered mesh of mental health issues combined with the complexities of a missing persons investigation make for a bewildering puzzle, and these cases require investigators who have diverse experience in these types of investigations.
Reporting Missing Mentally Ill Individuals
Just because a person is reported as missing does not mean law enforcement will necessarily see it that way. There are many reasons a person might disappear of their own volition. After all, adults are free to conduct their lives as they see fit, beholden to no one so long as they do not break the law.
It is clear missing adult investigations are far more complicated than missing minors. When you throw the numerous complexities of mental illness into the intricate layers of a missing adult investigation, the waters become murky in record time. That’s why the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recommends acting as soon as possible when a loved one with mental illness goes missing, first by calling the police. Information is key to finding any missing person, so providing law enforcement with all the information you can remember will be instrumental to locating them. Not just identifying information, but also details about their schedule or their daily routine can inform law enforcement of the missing adult’s habits.
Name
Home state and town
Height
Weight
Age
Photo of their Vehicle
Where they were last seen
Phone number of police department and name of investigator
Once you’ve generated a flyer, check nearby hospitals, churches, homeless shelters, and libraries for your loved one, posting flyers where permitted. Even more important than posting flyers is creating a social media page with the same information to spread the missing person’s face throughout the internet at high speeds. It is crucial you emphasize the specifics of your loved one’s mental illness so anyone who sees them can react appropriately. Remember, these are vulnerable people who might feel threatened, or as if they have no way out. Seeking the advice of professionals who are familiar with the mental illness or disorder can be invaluable, because they can help provide answers as to why a loved one disappeared in the first place.
Caregivers, loved ones, and mental health professionals should inform law enforcement of the specifics of their disease so they can issue a Silver Alert. A Silver Alert is like an Amber Alert, except instead of missing children, it concerns missing adults with dementia and other mental disabilities. The scope of the alert varies by state, most specifically persons over 65 who have been medically diagnosed by a medical professional as having a mental disability. Some states recognize persons of any age with a mental disability under the Silver Alert.
We Can Help
Need help searching for a missing mentally ill person? Consider contacting Lauth Investigations International for assistance in searching for them. Our team is staffed by former military and law enforcement personnel who have more than 50 years of investigative experience between them, and have diverse methodology for pursuing answers in the case of missing adults with mental illness. Contact our office today at 317-951-1100 for a free consultation, or visit us online at www.lauthmissingpersons.com for more information.
The idea of the disappearance of a loved one is alarming under any circumstances, but when someone we care about goes missing overseas, the prospect becomes even more daunting. The reality is that most people don’t have a clear sense of what steps to take when somebody vanishes. Whether a family member, a friend, a partner, or a colleague, a clear course of action can help you safeguard their wellbeing. If your loved one goes missing overseas, the missing persons investigations team here at Lauth Investigations recommends taking the following steps.
Try To Make Direct Contact
Your gut may be telling you that something is wrong, but all sorts of things can cause a person to go radio-silent abroad—including time differences, poor communications infrastructure, or losing their phone and luggage. Attempting to contact them through every avenue available will clarify the situation, so try to reach out by phone and text, by email, and on social media. Also look for any public conversations they have had on social media with others that will indicate all is well.
Contact Others Who May Be Aware of Their Whereabouts
Reach out to friends, travel companions, and colleagues who may have more information or be aware of the missing person’s movements. If a group were travelling together, reach out to the families of others to see if they have been in contact too. Consider contacting hotels, local venues, travel agents, and airlines. While these third-party professionals may not be able to share details with you, they will be able to prompt your loved one to make contact when they see them, and will be able to share information with the authorities if they later become involved.
Reaching Out To the Authorities
When someone goes missing overseas, it is vital to file a missing persons report both with local authorities, and with the authorities of your/their home country. If the person in question is a U.S. citizen, you can also contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Embassy and consulate staff will be able to advise on the best way to locate a person in their area, and will also be able to check local reports for hospitalizations or arrests, and connect directly with local authorities and organizations. If the person missing overseas is a minor, or considered vulnerable in some way, the country in question may be able to issue an Amber Alert or equivalent. Prepare to provide as much information as possible, including:
Full name
Recent photographs
Passport/ID number
Place and date of birth
Citizenship status
All known itineraries and plans, past and future
Overseas contact details
Names and contact information for known friends and associates
What Else To Do When Someone Is Missing Overseas
When a loved one is missing overseas, it is easy to feel powerless. However, there are lots of other steps that can be taken. You can create a social media campaign to raise awareness of the missing status of your loved one. You can also contact local media outlets with details and photographs so that they can help you raise awareness. If you choose to travel where the missing person was last seen, consider if you will need help from an interpreter, and what resources you will require when you get there.
Some travel insurance policies cover search and rescue, so consider if your loved one may have a policy that you can initiate a claim from. Explore local organizations that provide support for missing person investigations—these may be able to advise you on further resources and strategies such as offering rewards within a culture that is potentially unfamiliar.
When concerns run high—and certainly when local authorities are unhelpful—turning to an international private investigators firm with missing persons specialists ready to go out in the field can be indispensable. Here at Lauth Missing Persons, we offer a highly skilled and experienced team with just the skill set required to locate someone missing overseas. If you need help in locating your loved one, contact our team today.
As missing person experts here at Lauth Missing Persons, we know that each year that passes makes it increasingly important that we safeguard our children against threats that may lurk behind a screen, just as much as those out in the everyday world. With the internet opening the back door into their lives, parents must stay up to date on ways to protect children online.
Today’s children are more computer literate than any generation that came before them. Most toddlers master their parent’s smartphones with dizzying speed, and the Covid-19 pandemic certainly transformed devices into necessary portals for staying in touch with friends and continuing their education. Framed by the reality of modern life, how can parents allow their kids to enjoy the bounties of the digital era without exposure to the risks?
Set Parental Controls on Your Devices
There are a range of digital tools available to parents who want to protect their children online. Many web browsers and sites offer these services for free—for example Google’s SafeSearch. Content filters like SafeSearch prevent accidental discovery of violent or sexually explicit content online, while usage controls allow you to time-limit or prevent certain types of device-use. Parental monitoring tools help you keep an eye on which sites or apps your children access. While a variety of free tools can be harnessed, many parents take comfort in using paid parental control software, for an iron clad level of security.
Teach Your Children to Be “Share Aware”
Few children could have any frame of reference for how their sharing their information can put them in harm’s way. Details ranging from location information to photographs, email addresses, phone numbers, schools, and even private thoughts can each become a vulnerability in the wrong hands. As such, teaching your children to be “share aware” can help them danger in the future. Everything that goes out online is known as a “digital footprint”, and it’s difficult to know how far it will travel. If they wouldn’t share that information or image with a total stranger, then they should never post it online—even privately—and if they feel unsure, they can always ask you before they click.
Talk to Your Children About Who They Connect With Online
Parents always vet who their children spend time with in the real world, so it stands to reason that they do so online. Without the life experience to teach them otherwise, children can be naive about who they trust, and what they believe. An important part of protecting children online is discussing their digital social circles, and educating them on what constitutes bullying or unacceptable behavior. Teach your children to be social media savvy, including how to block unwanted contacts, and report inappropriate or offensive posts so that they can protect themselves and others.
Lead By Example and Keep the Dialogue Going
Modeling courteous, safety-conscious, and responsible online etiquette can influence your children more than you know. Be sure to set a good example, including limiting your own screen time. Encourage free conversation with your children about what they do online, and ask them to show you the different sites and apps that they enjoy. Keep screens and devices in shared spaces, or check in regularly when your child is using a device in another room. By making all things virtual a shared experience, you are far more likely to be the first call if your child ever feels unsafe online.
The missing person investigations team here at Lauth Missing Persons often encounter families who are facing their worst parental fears. To combat these moments, we encourage focusing on safety awareness from an early age, protecting children online, and staying informed about contemporary risks. If you have reason to doubt the safety of your child, the team at Lauth Missing Persons may be able to assist. Learn more about what we do, or contact us today.
You may have heard horror stories about outdoorsy, adventurous individuals who visit a national park and mysteriously disappear. This is because many hikers and explorers fail to take certain safety precautions before making their visit.
Many of us crave the freedom of getting out into nature, but the beautiful wilderness of a national park undoubtedly comes with its own dangers. Factors such as unpredictable weather patterns, dangerous wild animals, navigation challenges, and even other human beings can be huge safety risks. Today we’re going to talk about how you can mitigate these risks before you visit. Our missing person investigators know how important safety is when it comes to taking a hike or even a leisurely walk through the wilderness and in the case of a national park, preparation and caution are the first measures taken in ensuring you return home.
Do Your Research
Unless you’re a rugged local, there is a good chance that you won’t be familiar with the hazardous animals native to the National Park in question, and the rules and regulations that have been put in place to keep adventurous visitors safe. Jump online to familiarize yourself with the terrain, wildlife, and best routes—picking up a map as you go.
Know the Weather Forecast
Alongside reading general guides on the National Park’s trails, wildlife, and conditions, don’t forget to check for weather updates before you leave. Getting the latest weather report can help you avoid getting caught in a freak storm, while checking local bulletins and social media pages will alert you any worrying wildlife sightings, trail collapses, facility closures, and algal blooms that you should know about.
Know Your Limits
One of the most common pitfalls that leads people to go missing in National Parks is simply biting off more than they can chew. Understanding the distance that you are hoping to cover, the challenges of the terrain in question, and what is realistic for you to achieve is vital for keeping you and your traveling companions safe out in the wilderness. In addition, share a final itinerary plan with a friend or family member before you set off, so that someone knows at least where you should be along the way. If you can share your phone’s location with someone you trust, it might just be a life-saving measure.
Bring The Right Clothing
Heading up into the mountains on a sunny day might seem like a call for shorts, a t-shirt, and some sturdy tennis shoes, but never forget that wild-landscape weather can change in the blink of an eye. Strong and supportive footwear will keep you mobile as you move into remote areas, and carrying a full selection of layers will mean that you can keep yourself warm, dry, and alive if conditions get dicey.
Stay On the Trails
While National Parks invest heavily in maintaining safe trails for public use, it remains necessary to be alert to where the trail ends, and peril begins. Between the sheer scale of trying to mark every trail and the aim to interrupt the environment as little as possible, it is expected that visitors remain self aware. While the promise of a better view around an untrodden corner might seem tempting, crumbling rock faces, deep canyons, and slippery scree slopes can make deviation dangerous.
Respect Animal Life
Each National Park issues its own guidance on sensible distances to maintain between yourself and its native animal populations. While Yellowstone recommends staying at least 100 yards from wolves and bears, make that distance even greater if you suspect the animal in question may have young in tow. Do your homework on how to behave in proximity to wildlife; pick up some bear spray and stay in groups when traveling into bear country.
Carry Food and Water Responsibly
Whatever the duration of your planned trip, aim to carry double the water you should need. There is no way of knowing if the contents of waterways within a National Park are safe to drink, and if something goes wrong you’ll be covered. As far as food is concerned, keep everything edible under wraps, and never feed animals or leave your leftovers behind. Animals who become used to seeking food from humans may become a threat to you or other visitors.
Bring a First Aid and Emergency Kit
Taking a first aid kit with you when hitting the trails is just common sense. If you’re going further from the beaten path, consider adding emergency flares and survival equipment, and ensure that at least one of your party is first aid trained.
Take Your Safety Seriously
Here at Lauth Missing Persons, we know that a lack of awareness of the world’s dangers can result in serious consequences. While our missing persons investigations team are dedicated to finding those who have vanished, we’d much prefer that you take precautions and kept yourself safe in the first place.
If you ever need help finding a missing person, our team of missing person specialists are ever-ready to take action. Learn more about how we can help at www.lauthmissinstg.wpengine.com
The family of a Pennsylvania man who has been missing for nearly 10 years finally has answers in his disappearance after his remains were found in a wooded area not too far from home. Authorities have confirmed the human skeletal remains found in the woods belong to Christopher Story. Story was last seen on August 11, 2013 at his residence in New Castle, PA at approximately 11:00 PM. He was 40 years old. According to the FBI missing person report, Story was last seen wearing a “white t-shirt, khaki shorts, a dark ball cap, and black shoes.” The report also indicates he left behind important personal belongings, like his wallet, phone charger, and medication. Without that medication, the FBI warned, Story “may appear agitated and may also appear confused or suffer hallucinations.”
The New Castle Police Detective Bureau worked in tandem with the FBI and a team of K9 cadaver dogs to search the area where Story was found and the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office was able to identify Christopher Story’s body by comparing the remains to his X-rays and identifying medical characteristics consistent with his history. The FBI did release information at the time of his disappearance that Story had “surgical pins/rods in his spine, and may walk with a limp.”
Even nearly a decade later, the explanation of the machinations of Story’s disappearance and his ultimate fate are still under investigation. Following the confirmation of his identity, his remains are being sent out for forensic testing in order to determine the manner of death. In a Facebook post shared by the New Castle Police Department on Wednesday, authorities said “The NCPD has continued to aggressively investigate this case since that date attempting to find Chris Story and determine what happened to him.”
