Morgan Johnson, a 27 year-old African American male, was last seen at the Value Place Hotel off of Gateway Drive in Plainfield, IN. Mr. Johnson’s previous history of seizures has created much concern for his family because his medication was not on his person, and without it he would require immediate medical attention. Further, Johnson disappeared on the same day his grandfather died, but his family believes although very distraught, Johnson would never miss his grandfather’s funeral Background on Morgan Johnson
Morgan Johnson is originally from Terre Haute where his mother still resides and had recently moved to Indianapolis. Morgan was an employee at Brightpoint, a wholesale distributor in Plainfield. It was believed that Johnson had not yet found a permanent residence, and had been temporarily staying at the hotel in an effort to save money. Description of Morgan Johnson
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Weight: 155
Height: 5’10”
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Last Seen: May 18, 2011 Value Place Hotel, Plainfield, IN
If you have any information, please contact the Plainfield Police Department at (317) 838-3562
19 year old Miguel Scott went missing from Evergreen Park in Bremerton, WA at approximately 10pm on the night of October 27, 2011. Scott had allegedly been at the park with some friends, who report the last time they saw him was around 10pm that night.
Scott’s mother, Rosemarie Herrera, stated that Miguel had never run away before and she doesn’t think he would, as he had plans to finish school and enter into the Navy. Miguel’s mother also said she had heard rumors that Miguel might be in debt to some people, but that it was never proven.
Friends said when they last saw Miguel, he was in good spirits. Cell phone records indicate his last usage was at 6:56pm the night of October 27, and that he has not logged into Facebook as he would normally do daily.
Rewards have been offered.
Anyone with any information regarding Mr. Scott’s disappearance or if anyone sees him they are urged to contact the Bremerton Police Department at (360) 473-5220
Description of Miguel Scott
Gender: Male
Race: Asian
Age: 19
Physical: Jaw wired shut due to recent surgery, scar on left side of his chin
Alexis Mills is a Volunteer for the MissingPersonsNetwork.org and a recent graduate of Purdue University
Kevin King, a 58 year old man suffering from multiple mental and medical issues, disappeared from his residence in Gilford, NH on June 9, 2011. King suffers from confusion and dementia, as well as hearing loss and also diabetes. King’s niece, a resident of Manchester, NH, reported him missing and noted that his vehicle and wallet are accounted for.
King is believed to have left his residence on foot, and is thought to be near Old Lakeshore Road in Gilford, NH.
If you have any information, please contact the Gilford Police Department at (603) 527-4737
Description of Kevin King
Gender: Male
Race: Caucasian
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 180
Christian Hall vanished at age 15 from his home in Corpus Christi, TX on November 4, 2005. Six years have passed without any word from the teen classified as an Endangered Runaway in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database and profiled an age progression of what he might look like now on the website of the National Center for Missing Exploited Children.
Christian Glen Hall
Christian was sighted in the company of an adult David Todd Andrews, who also went by the name Captain Dusty. They were last seen on Andrew’s 54-foot yacht Gypsy II, docked by the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway that connects Laguna Madre and north Padre Island with the Texas mainland. Christian apparently periodically worked on Andrew’s boat as a deck hand. It is believed Christian left willingly with Captain Dusty. A missing child report was not made by his mother until January 2006.
David Andrews’ Gypsy II 54 ft. yacht
Prior to their disappearance, Andrews had told his family that he had recently been informed Christian was his biological son which has been dis-proven. The two had indicated they were bound for the Key West, FL approximately 650 miles away but never arrived.
After their departure, on November 26th, it is reported a radio transmission was made by Andrews reporting his boat was taking on water and the engine on the vessel was not working. Around the same time, a civilian boater also reported to the US Coastguard they had seen the Gypsy II in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 65 miles southeast of Cameron, off the coast of Louisiana but said the two men on board declined assistance. The US Coastguard conducted an extensive search of the area to include Falcon flyovers of the area but there were no signs of the boat. Statements from the US Coast Guard indicate heightened concern when a boat does not arrive at its destination especially during that time period following Hurricane Katrina and Rita that left a lot of floating debris in the water. Authorities also reported there had been a storm in the area the evening of the Mayday radio call.
When speculating on the cause of the pair’s disappearance, one must consider the many dangers while in open waters. Some of the most common are weather related disasters, human error, failure to conduct proper maintenance, collision with a submerged object, even piracy can be causes of Maritime disasters and disappearances.
INTERNET SKEPTICS DEBATE OVER DISAPPEARANCE OF BOAT
Adding to the mystery and speculation of the pair’s disappearance were reports Andrews reportedly skipped bond on two charges of DUI. It is also reported Kidnapping charges were also filed against Andrews.
Skeptics on various Internet sites debate whether the Gypsy II really sank or if the pair may have even sent out the Mayday call to divert attention then quickly changed their route to another destination so Andrews could escape authorities and lived undetected. Regardless, there have been no signs of the two, leaving Christian’s family desperate for answers. The following YouTube Video was posted four long years ago by Christian’s family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8C413H_nxI
CHRISTIAN GLEN HALL
CASE NUMBER: R0602001
DOB: 07/09/1990
RACE: White
HEIGHT: 5’ 7”
WEIGHT: 120lbs
EYES: Green
HAIR: Brown
CHARACTERISTICS: Scar on upper lip.
DAVID TODD ANDREWS AKA: CAPTAIN DUSTY
DOB: 06/08/1966
RACE: White
HEIGHT: 5’ 11”
WEIGHT: 200lbs
EYES: Hazel
HAIR: Brown/Black
CHARACTERISTICS: Scars on both legs
CONTACT:
Corpus Christi Police Department
Detective J.R. Rodriguez
TEL: 361-886-2854
Texas Department of Public Safety
TEL: 800-346-3243
The Dumping Ground
On December 5, 2011, personal possessions of Shannan Gilbert, a young woman missing since April 2010, were located in thick undergrowth of a swampy area on the shore in Long Island, NY. Suffolk County Police announced they had recovered a purse containing Shannan’s identification, a cell phone, a pair of shoes and clothing believed to have belonged to the missing woman. The discovery of personal belongings prompted intensive searches of the area that included investigators with machetes, dive teams, canine searches, a bulldozer, an amphibious vehicle, even ground penetrating photography equipment provided by the FBI assisting Suffolk County Police was used to search for and eventually retrieve Shannan’s remains.
After Shannan’s disappearance in 2010, authorities began search efforts in the area she vanished but made the grisly discovery of decomposed and dismembered remains of ten bodies dumped along the isolated beach parkway leading to Jone’s Beach. The discoveries created media frenzy and world-wide news reported authorities believed a single serial killer had been using the area for nearly twenty years to discard remains of prostitutes. Additional news reports cite possibly up to three killers may be responsible for the murders, though one would have to conclude coincidence that as many as three killers would use the same dumping ground.
Shannon Gilbert
Eight women, the remains of a young Asian man wearing women’s clothing and a female toddler were all found hidden in the deep thicket and bramble alongside the road. Only half of the victims have so far been identified. With the exception of the toddler, believed to be related to one of the female victims, all are believed to have been prostitutes.
Authorities Speculate
On December 13, 2011, with an official positive identification still pending from the medical examiner’s office, Suffolk County Police Commissioner, Richard Dormer, held a press conference. Dormer announced to reporters remains had been located and believed to be that of Shannan Gilbert and went on to explain if the remains were that of Shannan, the probable cause of death was accidental. Dormer stated the location where the remains were located were indicative that Shannan had attempted to make her way through the wetlands and surmised she had been trying to get to the causeway where she would have seen lights in the early morning hours but the rough terrain would have made it impossible for her. Dormer then offered condolences to Shannan’s family.
Despite Dormer’s hurried public announcement, Mari Gilbert, Shannan’s mother, maintained she would hold out hope until an official announcement was received from the medical examiner confirming the identity of the remains. On December 17, four tortuous days later, confirmation was received the skeletal remains were those of her daughter.
Based upon Dormer’s comments during the press conference, it is speculated Shannan may have fallen and drowned. Shannan’s mother also confirmed Shannan did not know how to swim. Currently, the official determination of cause of death is still pending. Due to advanced decomposition, experts agree the exact cause of death may be impossible to determine.
Shannan-Gilbert
Shannan Gilbert
Though Shannan was confirmed to have been involved in prostitution and her remains found just east of the other bodies, police continue to offer conjecture Shannon’s death is unrelated to the other homicides. Shannan’s family, other victim’s family members that were recovered and identified and even residents in the area where the bodies were located are not so sure the crimes are unrelated and questioning why authorities would so quickly dismiss a connection between the multiple homicides.
The Night of Shannan’s Disappearance – Mystery Remains
The night Shannan vanished, witnesses said they saw her running from a home in Oak Beach. It has been confirmed in April 2010, 47-year-old Joseph Brewer responded to an ad Shannan had placed on Craig’s List, a social networking site commonly used by prostitutes to solicit clients.
Brewer claims a sexual encounter did not occur. He told the New Jersey Star-Ledger that Shannan began asking him odd questions about transvestites, leading him to believe she was a man and claims he asked her to leave when she began acting erratically.
Michael Pak was Shannan’s driver that night and affirmed he drove her to Brewer’s residence at approximately 2a.m. and waited until 5 a.m. until he received her call. Upon receiving the call, Pak claims he went to Brewer’s apartment to get Shannan and witnessed Brewer attempting to grab her from behind but she escaped his grip and began cowering behind a couch inside the residence.
According to Robin Sax, an attorney hired by the Gilbert family, Shannon made a panicked call to 911 that lasted 23 minutes. “She told 911 she was in fear and they were going to get her, they were going to kill her.” Sax adds, “They is the big question. Who are they?”
According to both Brewer and Pak, Shannan was acting irrational and paranoid and ran out of Brewer’s residence to a neighbor’s home down the street. Gustav Coletti, a retired insurance fraud investigator, told the Star Ledger he heard banging at his door. When he answered and asked Shannan what was wrong she just responded, “Help me, help me, help me.” When Coletti informed Shannan he called police and they were on their way, she then bolted out of his home.
Pak claims he searched the neighborhood but never found Shannan. Coletti recalled seeing a man driving a black SUV stopping and going as if he were searching for something. Coletti’s statements to police indicate he spotted Shannan hiding under a boat in his yard suddenly running away with the man in the SUV following behind her. She then seems to have vanished into thin air.
Despite her trail going cold the evening of her disappearance, questions regarding who Shannan was fleeing from only deepens the mystery. Was she the one who almost ‘got away’ only to fall victim to the terrain and tragically drown?
Just Another Prostitute
Nearly one year later, news stories describe how the search for one missing New Jersey prostitute resulted in the discovery of ten bodies and providing some families with answers to what happened to their missing loved ones. The stories also brought attention to the high-risk lifestyle that accompanies those working in the sex trade industry and highlighted the dangers of advertising on sites like Craig’s List where there is little oversight to help ensure the safety of the site’s users. However, the news reports appeared to sidestep what the families of those branded as prostitutes went through during the years prior to discovery of the bodies.
24-year-old, Melissa Barthelemy vanished July 12, 2009. Melissa had made a move on her own from Buffalo to New York City after graduating from beauty school. Her family believed she was doing well working as a hairdresser but following her disappearance, shocked to find out she had been working as an online escort.
melissa barthelemy
Melissa Barthelemy
Approximately a week after Melissa’s disappearance, Amanda, Melissa’s 15-year-old sister received a call from Melissa’s cell phone. Relieved and excited, expecting to hear her sister’s voice, Amanda found herself speaking to a man who authorities believe was Melissa’s killer. During the call, the man said sexually explicit things to the child and began describing horrific things he was going to do to her. It wasn’t until the third phone call police finally requested a tap on the phone. On August 26, 2009 the male caller made his last call to Amanda and reportedly admitted to killing Melissa. He also warned Amanda he knew where she lived and would come and kill her too.
The common complaint made by several of the families of the Long Island victims was the lack of response they received from authorities when reporting their loved one missing. Lynn Barthelemy, Melissa’s mother, attempted to make a missing person report for three days without success. Finally, family attorney, Steven Cohen contacted NYPD in an attempt to make a report and said he was told, “She’s a hooker. She’s a prostitute. She was – she’s an escort and we are not assigning a detective to this.”
A family left feeling alone in the limbo of ambiguity. Though reports were eventually taken, the Long Island victims would never be mentioned in news headlines that captivated the country like the disappearances of Natalie Holloway, Laci Peterson or Chandra Levy. Shannan and Melissa didn’t fit the typical ‘Damsel in Distress’ case of a young missing woman commonly seen in the news headlines. The families of the Long Island victims quickly became aware empathy for missing prostitutes is minimal. In fact, it wasn’t until news of the horrific discoveries of body after body and the suspicion a serial killer was on the loose that the two words ‘Missing Prostitutes’ finally were printed on the same the front page of newspapers.
Not Just Prostitutes
The ‘hooker headlines’ finally spurred national attention but surely broke the hearts of the families of the victims who were missing a daughter, sister, mother, father, granddaughter, son, brother, aunt or uncle. It appeared the Long Island victims lives were now defined by words that lessened their value as humans who already suffered an undeserved fate dumped in an isolated personal graveyard of a human predator.
Stereotypes are used far too often and can’t begin to appropriately define the value of a human life. In fact, by using stereotypes it can reduce the compassion felt for the victims and even hinder efforts to recruit the support necessary to effectively search for the missing person.
Labeling victims is dehumanizing and can create a lack of public empathy for the victims, media and even within the investigating law enforcement agencies. Diminishing a victim’s importance in society can even hamper efforts to educate the public which is key to ultimately saving others from becoming victims.
Lessons Learned
During my nearly twenty years serving as founder and former CEO of the National Center for Missing Adults, I learned to be an effective advocate we must speak out for those who are unable to speak for themselves. Early on in my career, two young women who were best friends vanished and later found murdered, one body placed on top of the other discarded in a remote desert location. While working closely with a Glendale Police Sergeant shortly after their disappearance, I urged the Sergeant to meet with the families at a restaurant rather than the precinct. He reluctantly agreed to accompany me. The families shared stories and the devastation they were experiencing could not be ignored.
Upon the Sergeant’s retirement he informed me that one experience had changed the way he handled all missing person cases. From that day forward he said he no longer permitted his investigators to refer to any missing person as a case and required them to always refer to a missing person by their name. He thanked me but I thank every victim’s family I’ve ever been honored to serve for showing me that maintaining strength and courage is possible while enduring the unimaginable and that tragedy does not discriminate . . . it can happen to anyone.
Reducing the dehumanization can start by simply acknowledging every victim has a family who loves them regardless of where they come from or the choices they may have made. Most importantly remember the victims – for every one has a name and all grew up with dreams.
Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder, National Center for Missing Adults
& Social Network Advocate
Missing Persons Advocacy Network
Phone: 800-889-3463 (FIND)
It has been reported, 5-year old Jhessye Shockley wandered out of her Glendale residence on October 11, 2011 and vanished. She had been with her siblings, ages 13, 9. and 6 who had been watching her. Jhessye’s mother, Jerice Hunter, reported her child missing to Glendale Police Department after she said she had returned home from running an errand and could not find Jhessye. She reported she had left to run to a local check cashing business locking the door behind her and returned to find the door unsecured. A beautiful little girl who dreamed of being a ballerina seemingly has disappeared into thin air.
Since Jhessye’s disappearance, Glendale Police have conducted an intense investigation but have indicated leads are just not panning out. When a child goes missing it is initial investigative procedure to closely examine the family dynamics and substantiate information provided by family members in order to rule them out as suspects. The investigation into Jhessye’s disappearance has been no different. Recently, information about, Jhessye’s mother, Hunter, focused the ensuing investigation closer to home.
Soon after the child was reported missing, Hunter was pleading for the help on local and national news broadcasts and investigators began interviewing Jhessye’s siblings and other family members. Despite begging for the public to help bring her child home, it is reported that Hunter has been less than cooperative with police, even refusing a polygraph test.
Due to the time that has passed since Jhessye’s disappearance there is much concern for her safety. In fact, it has been reported that Sgt. Coombs from Glendale Police Department has stated it is not likely the child will be found alive. Given the new developments in the case, even statistically speaking the likelihood of Jhessye being recovered alive grows slimmer day by day.
Court documents that have been released have shed some light on the outcome of the police interviews of the remaining children. According to the documents released publicly, Jhessye’s older sister told police that she found her little sister in her mother’s closet, unresponsive, eyes bruised and her hair pulled out. She also states her Hunt thoroughly cleaned the apartment and her shoes in the closet after Jhessye’s disappearance. There is also a major discrepancy in the time frame the little girl may have vanished and Hunt’s delay reporting Jhessye missing. The older sibling indicates she had not seen her sister since September but Hunt only reported Jhessye missing on October 11th.
Police also discovered that Hunt has a prior history of child abuse and a report made to Child Protective Services as recent as April 13, 2011. During the initial police interview of the three siblings, all reported they saw Jhessye the day she was reported missing and told investigators they were told to help clean leaves in the rear yard but never saw their sister again.
All three remaining children were removed from the home by Child Protective Services and placed in foster care. It was while talking to the foster mother that the 13yr old sibling admitted her mother had told all the children to lie about Jhessye’s disappearance. She then admitted that Hunt had returned home one day and found Jhessye in the living room with a young neighbor boy and became furious calling 5yr old Jhessye a “Ho.” The older sister claims her mother proceeded to take Jhessye into her bedroom and she could hear her little sister screaming.
In the days following, the older sibling said Jhessye was kept in her mother’s bedroom closet but when her mother would leave she would take her little sister out and give her food and water, placing her back in the bedroom closet so Jhessye would not get in trouble upon her mother’s return. She further claimed Jhessye had several cuts and bruises to her face and body.
Jhessye’s 9yr old and 6yr old siblings also corroborate their older sister’s story, reporting seeing bruises and Jhessye’s eyes black prior to her disappearance. One of the children described Jhessye as looking like a ‘Zombie’ with her hair pulled out and said the closet looked like a grave and smelled like dead people. According to the children, Hunter placed incense in a purple and green container to hide the odor.
The children also stated their mother spent an entire day cleaning the home using soap and bleach in the closet. Credit card transactions confirm Hunter purchased several food items and bleach at Walgreens on October 9, 2011.
School records also substantiate the children’s claims that Jhessye disappearance occurred prior to the October 11th police report. School records indicate her last day of school was on September 22, 2011 and documented Hunter claimed her daughter had ringworm and then later pink eye but never confirmed by a medical professional.
Hunter was arrested November 23, 2011 and currently held on $100,000 bond. While Hunter is being held on allegations of child abuse, the Commissioner informed Hunter she was the suspect in her daughter’s homicide. Based upon information presented ,Jhessye is not expected to be found alive but her case remains an active homicide investigation.
This will not be the first time Hunter has faced prison time. She served 3 years in a California penitentiary after being convicted of abusing Jhessye’s older siblings. Released last year, Hunter moved to an apartment in Glendale, AZ.
Clearly, Jhessye’s disappearance may have been preventable had the children been appropriately interviewed and removed from the home when a report had been made to Child Protective Services in April. Jhessye’s disappearance follows an announcement by Maricopa County Bill Montgomery that a new Arizona Child Safety Task Force and CPS reform is underway that will assign a special unit of investigators to conduct the initial screening on child abuse calls.
The Arizona Child Safety Task Force conducted it’s first public meeting on November 16, 2011. It has been stated Governor Jan Brewer received a tip that CPS had a backlog of approximately 9,903 non-active but open cases becoming the catalyst to creating the new task force.
Meanwhile, the search continues for Jhessye and we can only hope that her tragic story, along with the so many other children who have died due to child abuse after a report and investigation was conducted by CPS does create the urgency and reform needed to save innocent lives.
Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder, National Center for Missing Adults
& Social Network Advocate
Missing Persons Advocacy Network
Phone: 800-889-3463 (FIND)
