Hunter Smith

Date of Award

5-2024

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Academic Program

Forensics BS

Department

Criminal Justice

First Advisor

Marie Danforth, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Kristi Johnson, M.S.

Advisor Department

Anthropology and Sociology; Criminal Justice

Abstract

The most recent estimates put the number of active missing person records at 97,127. Over the past eight years, child active records have decreased by 2,530, while adult active records have increased by 14,696. While there is no clear explanation for this trend, a common theory is that there are multiple federal and state laws requiring the entry of missing people under the age of 2; however, very few, if any, extend to adults. Additionally, there is a lack of standardization across available policies and procedures for where these cases should be reported, the time frame for doing so, and what information needs to be collected.

To address these issues, 10 law enforcement and medicolegal officials were interviewed, in conjunction with the synthesis of current information available, to create a handbook for use in these types of investigations. The purpose of this handbook is to improve success rates of finding and/or identifying adult missing and unidentified persons. This is achievable through two methods. The first involves using this handbook as a training aid for law enforcement agencies to educate their officers on the proper questions to ask, what databases can be utilized, and what resources are available to them. The second is the use of this handbook by law enforcement personnel as a resource and field guide throughout the investigation process. Finally, this handbook will be distributed to law enforcement nationwide, and it is hoped that it will aid with missing person casework and increase awareness of the issue.

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