29-year-old Chansotheavy Young, a Cambodian national currently on a music tour in the United States, has been returned safely to her manager in San Diego after having been missing for nearly a week.
According to a statement released by Young’s employer, Khmer Entertainment of America, she returned to San Diego on Sunday.
“She is well, safe and under our care as her U.S. sponsor and employer,” Khmer Entertainment of America wrote on their Facebook page.
KEA thanked the San Diego Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit for their dedication and diligence while working on the case, and for helping to return the singer to them safely. KEA also thanked the various San Diego news outlets including, FOX 5 – San Diego, NBC 7 – San Diego and ABC’s 10News – San Diego, for bringing the case to the attention of the public.
Details regarding Chansotheavy’s disappearance are still unknown. Due to the ongoing investigation, it is also unclear whether or not Young left San Diego on her own volition.
KEA says it plans to post updates on its Facebook page as more details regarding the case become available to the public.
“At this time, we cannot comment any further pending the open investigation,” KEA announced on Sunday.
Although Young was not scheduled to leave San Diego the day she disappeared, and took no personal belongings with her when she left, it was believed that she could have been headed to Everett, Washington. It is still uncertain why investigators considered Everett to be a possible destination for Young.
Sometime after her disappearance, Young’s Facebook page was deactivated, which led a few worried fans to post on KEA’s Facebook page asking why this might be. KEA did not respond to these questions, and it is still unclear why Young’s Facebook page had been taken down. As of this writing, her Facebook page remains deactivated.
Young’s cell phone had also been turned off during the time that she was missing. Her manager, Lim Cheang, became concerned on Monday, Jan. 4, when she didn’t answer her door to take a call from a friend on the East Coast. After realizing that her cell phone was turned off, Cheang began by checking the security camera at his home and later started a neighborhood search with a friend.
According to KEA, Young’s current visa is valid until April 2016 so that she can perform for the Cambodian New Year here in the United States. It is unclear whether or not she plans to stay in the US, considering her recent disappearance, in order to perform on April 13 for the celebration of the Cambodian New Year.
It’s a disturbing statistic. According to the FBI, there are some 84,000 reported missing people on any given day in the United States. At the same time, there are currently over 12,000 unidentified bodies. Unfortunately, there is no national law requiring agencies to share this information, leaving many families in the dark about their loved one’s fate.
Currently, law enforcement has only had to report to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). First launched in 1967, the NCIC is a database primarily used in criminal investigations— not the missing or unidentified persons.
“We now have the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs.gov) that is the only repository in the US that houses both the unidentified persons and the missing persons, but there is no mandate yet to use it. We count everything else in this country but our missing and our unidentified persons, how wrong is that? ” stated Maureen Reintjes, Founder of Peace for Missing and Unidentified Persons.
Pictured: Billy Smolinski
Billy Smolinski: Missing Man Inspiring Change in Flawed System
On August 24, 2004, Billy Smolinski, 31, went missing from his home in Connecticut. According to Smolinski’s parents, their son was a stable adult with multiple jobs and no criminal record. He had no enemies and got along well with his family. That’s why when he vanished, leaving behind his beloved dog, Harley, Smolinski’s parents knew something was horribly wrong.
More than a decade after his disappearance, his parents are still left with so many unanswered questions. For them, it was as if their son had vanished into thin air.
In the days following his disappearance, Janice Smolinski, Billy’s mother, was plagued by numerous systemic challenges while trying to work with law enforcement to find him.
As it stands, federal law does not require medical examiners and coroners to notify family members of missing people that they have unidentified remains. Even more alarming, a Justice Department study shows that 80 percent of medical examiners and coroners “rarely” or “never” enter the information into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database that all law enforcement agencies access.
How Do We Fix the Problem?
In September 2015, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.), together with U.S. Congressmen Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), introduced the bipartisan “Billy’s Law”, otherwise known as the Help Find the Missing Act.
This piece of legislation will close loopholes in America’s missing persons systems by streamlining the missing persons reporting process and ensuring that law enforcement databases are more accessible and comprehensive.
“The Smolinskis and thousands of other families across America wake up every morning with the crippling uncertainty about the fate of their loved one. They are forced to endure intolerable inefficiencies as they navigate our missing persons systems in search of those they love. These families shouldn’t be victimized twice – once by the disappearance of their family member and again by a broken missing persons system. This is the fourth time I’ve introduced Billy’s Law, and I won’t stop fighting until it becomes law,” stated Senator Murphy.
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy is trying to close loopholes in America’s missing persons systems through “Billy’s Law.”
What Billy’s Law Would Do
Billy’s Law would authorize funding for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) – the only federal database for missing persons and unidentified remains that can be cross-searched, accessed and added to by the public.
NamUs enables the loved ones of missing persons to search for a match and add invaluable information to the case profile that only they might know. The legislation would also streamline the reporting process for law enforcement and medical examiners by connecting NamUs to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) – an electronic database that helps criminal justice professionals locate missing persons.
It would also establish an incentive grants program to help coroners, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies facilitate the reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains, and would require the U.S. Department of Justice to issue a report on best practice standards and procedures.
How You Can Help
Invite your federal Senators and Congressman to co-sponsor the Federal Help Find the Missing Act(Billy’s Law) with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. You can contact your legislator by clicking here.
The Doe Network
Along with NamUs, those of missing loved ones may find The Doe Network very useful in their search for closure.
Based in Tennessee, The Doe Network is a 100% volunteer organization devoted to assisting investigating agencies in bringing closure to national and international cold cases concerning missing and unidentified persons.
Members receive and accept tips regarding cases featured on their site. From there, all relevant information is forwarded to the proper investigating agencies.
Need Help?
Lauth Investigations and Thomas Lauth are experts in helping families locate missing loved ones.
While each missing persons case is different and results will vary, Lauth has been helping families for more than 20 years and boasts nearly an 85% success rate.
If you or someone you know need assistance, call them today at 1.800.889.FIND or 317.951.1100.
According to the U.S. Department of State, more than 150,000 U.S. citizens cross into the Mexican border every day. While millions of Americans SAFELY visit Mexico each year for study, tourism and business—government authorities still warn people to practice caution when visiting our neighbors to the south.
U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, such as kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery by organized criminal groups in various Mexican states—U.S. Department of State
Several years ago, Mexico’s attorney general compiled a list showing that more than 25,000 adults and children have gone missing in Mexico in the past six years, according to unpublished government documents.
In a report by Agence France Press, at least 648 American citizens were murdered in Mexico between October 2002 and December 2012. This represents more than 40 percent of the almost 1,600 American victims worldwide over the same period. Bottom line…more Americans have been murdered in Mexico than any other country in the past decade.
Recent arrest made in American’s murder
Pictured: Harry Devert (Via Help Find Harry/Facebook)
Last year, human remains found in two plastic bags near a beach in southwestern Mexico were later identified as her son, Harry Devert, 32, a New Yorker who left his job as a trader in finance for a transcontinental motorcycle journey from the United States to Latin America.
It wasn’t until several weeks ago that Mexican authorities finally made an arrest in the case. Adrian Reyes Cadena, a Mexican drug gang leader, is now charged with Devert’s murder. According to authorities, Cadena thought Devert was a U.S. agent and murdered him.
Pictured: Adrian Reyes
Divert’s gang, known by the name ‘Guerrero Guard’ and ‘El Tigre,’ is alleged to have also overseen 2013 kidnapping and disappearance of two federal police officers and kidnapping of Italian businessman in 2014.
Just last week, the father-in-law and brother-in-law of former Miss USA Ali Landry were found dead in Mexico after reportedly being kidnapped and held for ransom.
The bodies of Juan Manuel Gómez Fernández and his son, Juan Manuel Gómez Monteverde, were said to have been discovered inside a vehicle in a remote region of Veracruz.
Two family members of celebrity Ali Landry were killed last week in Mexico after being kidnapped and held for ransom. (Via alejandromonteverde77/Instagram)
The men were reportedly kidnapped while leaving their Gulf Coast home in Tampico, Tamaulipas, on Sept. 4. A ransom had been paid for their release, according to the report which cited Televisa, but the kidnappers didn’t keep their word.
At this time, authorities have not announced any arrests in the case.
Thousands of women disappearing in Mexico
Women have become the target of many crimes throughout Mexico. The state of Mexico, home to the country’s capital, is now the most dangerous place for women in Mexico. In 2014 alone, 400 women disappeared from the area.
Human rights groups and families of victims have been demanding a gender alert since 2010 amid growing evidence that the area has become the most dangerous place to be female in the country.
A shocking 1,258 girls and women were reported disappeared and at least 448 murdered in the area in 2011 and 2012, according to figures obtained by the National Citizens Observatory on Femicides.
The organization also reports that at least least six women are targeted and killed every day in Mexico. Of those, less than a quarter are investigated. Of those investigations, fewer than 2 per cent lead to a sentence.
Other Americans Missing in Mexico
John Edward Parks: Owned aquarium/pet store in Matamoros, MX, and disappeared in 2013 during the battles between the Mexican military and the Gulf Cartels and Zetas in that city, beginning on Nov.5, 2010. US Consulate has only verified that he is not in any hospital in that city or surrounding cities, and nothing more. They say they are not able to do any searching themselves but must rely on the Mexican authorities.
Roberto Muñoz and his family: In 2013, Roberto, his wife Cecilia and their grandson Armando Salinas had gone to Mexico to visit relatives over the holidays. But just as they were beginning their trip home, family members lost contact with them. Border records show that they never crossed back into the United States.
Mario Perera Riveroll: It was a routine day for labor attorney Mario Perera Riveroll, defending American companies in a civil court across the Rio Grande in a Mexican bordertown. During a courtroom break in June 27, 2006, Perera told his co-workers that he would return after copying documents in a case. Perera, a naturalized U.S. citizen, climbed into his car, then drove off — and disappeared. Neither the lawyer nor his car have been seen since.
Safety Tip for Visiting Mexico
Leave your valuables at home. Bringing them with you will make you more of a target.
Tell a relative (or a person you trust) your travel itinerary and details. Make sure they have enough details to be able to get a hold of you.
Ask at the receptionist at the hotel if there are certain parts of the city you should avoid for security reasons.
Blend in as much as possible. Take a short shopping trip and look at how people your age are dressed and try to mimic the “dress code”. If you look like a tourist it’s pretty much like yelling “rob me”.
Don’t hail for taxis, especially in Mexico City. Ask the hotel to call one for you.
Lauth Investigations and Thomas Lauth are experts in helping families locate missing loved ones.
While each missing persons case is different and results will vary, Lauth has been helping families for more than 20 years and boasts nearly an 85% success rate.
If you or someone you know need assistance, call them today at 1.800.889.FIND or 317.951.1100.
It’s an alarming statistic. Approximately 2,300 Americans go missing every single day. This includes both children and adults. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that every 40 seconds, a child goes missing in the United States. For families with missing relatives, the pain of a lost loved one is indescribably hard. Their world is forever changed—especially when there’s no closure or explanation as to what led to the disappearance in the first place.
However, the search for missing people has been revolutionized thanks to the rise in social media. Now shares and retweets can help bring missing people home. Hundreds of law enforcement agencies and private investigators around the country are using social media in a way never imagined—to solve cases.
To date, there are more than 1.3 active users on the hugely popular social media site Facebook. There are presently more than 645 million active users on Twitter. Other popular sites include Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram—all with millions of active users as well. With so many active users on each of these sites, the chances of “clues” emerging into a missing persons case increases dramatically.
A prime example of how law enforcement uses Facebook in an attempt to locate missing people. (Courtesy: Horry County Police/Facebook)
INFORMATION GETS DISTRIBUTED FASTER
“Social media enables us to spread the word further, and it has proved more successful for us finding people,” Lt. Raul Denis with the Horry County Police Department recently told Myrtle Beach Online. “It generates tips, it works.”
REACHES A LARGER AUDIENCE
Thanks to the ease of sharing information via retweets, reblogs and “likes,” word of missing persons reaches many more people over a much larger geographical area. Friends and family often make Facebook pages dedicated to the search for those they’re trying to find, and it often yields positive results.
LETS USERS EASILY INTERACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT
Within the last few years, hundreds of law enforcement agencies have created Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, etc. Along with distributing information quicker and reaching more people, social media allows law enforcement to conveniently interact with the community through posts and messaging. By creating an environment where every day people can easily reach authorities, tips or other pertinent are likely to increase.
CAN IDENTIFY A PERSON’S LAST KNOWN LOCATION
Depending a user’s privacy settings, social media posts may include a person’s whereabouts. Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp and several other sites make it possible to share a person’s last known location by “checking in.”
ALLOWS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MISSING PERSON
Many social media sites, like Facebook, will allow users to “tag” other people in their posts. They can also allow someone to see who they are friends with and even what relationship they are to other users. This can be very beneficial to investigators looking to possibly question people who may have known the missing person.
While social media sites are primarily used to communicate with friends and family in a fun and entertaining way, never underestimate their value when it comes to cracking a missing persons case.
FINAL NOTE:
Lauth Investigations and Thomas Lauth work with social media experts to design a social media
advocacy specifically designed for a missing person case. If you or someone you know need assistance locating a loved one, call them today at 1.800.889.FIND or 317.951.1100.
When people think of human trafficking, they often associate it with distant locales like Thailand or Eastern Europe, notes Elena Fesiuk, the director of Tears of Color, an organization working to educate the community about human trafficking. Unfortunately, however, victims of human trafficking — which the organization calls “the modern version of slavery” — are found across the country, closer to home than anyone would wish to acknowledge.
Tears of Color
“North Carolina is a primary destination state,” says Fesiuk: Victims (mostly teen girls) are brought to the state and used for labor and, most often, forced into prostitution, she explains. Most of these women are lured into slavery with false promises of work; many are runaways or come from troubled families, Fesiuk continues. And others are sold into sexual slavery. There are more than 27 million people living in slavery today, 80 percent of which are women, the organization reports.
In an effort educate the community and create a safe space to talk openly about this serious, emotionally weighted topic, Tears of Color will host a concert-for-a-cause called Abolishing: Human Trafficking, slated for Friday, May 7, at The Orange Peel. The evening will feature Americana/roots songstress Shannon Whitworth and pop/rock/classical-opera singer Mariya Fesiuk (sister in-law of Tears of Color’s director). In addition, Center Stage Dance Studio will present a dance piece focusing on the issue of trafficking. Art donated by Blend Photography, Jonas Gerard, Bernie Smolnik Photography, Vadim Bora Studio-Gallery and Mozingo Photography will be auctioned throughout the evening.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the global organization The A21 Campaign, aimed at abolishing injustice in the 21st century, and will also support a Western North Carolina organization called the Hope House Project.
The Hope House shelters teenage women who were victims of human trafficking. The organization provides counseling, therapy and educational support for victims to help them recover from physical and psychological abuse. A video documentary focusing on the story of a young woman recently sheltered at the Hope House — an American teen whose father sold her into sexual slavery for $5,000 — will be screened, and a community discussion will follow.
“Her story is absolutely tragic,” says Fesiuk. “This young girl began working for a pimp — 10 hours a night — starting at the age of 12.” In sharing this story, Fesiuk hopes to “educate the community about this issue and tell people how they can get involved.”
“It’s shocking because you look at these girls and think, you should be getting ready for your prom, thinking about college, living a normal life,” says Fesiuk, who works as a volunteer at the Hope House. “That’s why it’s so important for us to come together and stand up for this cause.”
Abolishing: Human Trafficking will be held on Friday, May 7. The silent auction begins at 6 p.m. and the evening program kicks off at 7 p.m. at The Orange Peel (101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville). Cost: $15. Tickets: theorangepeel.net. For more information, see https://www.tearsofcolor.com, https://www.hopehousenc.com and https://www.thea21campaign.org.
