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Runaways are always endangered

One of the most disturbing stories have come out of California is recent days; the escape of a 17 year old child, that was starved, beaten, and chained. Wearing only boxer shorts, he escaped his captors, finding safety in a nearby gym.

Three have been arrested, one, a family member that was on the lam for pleading ‘no contest’ to earlier abuse charges. The other two, parents of four young children, the mother, a Daisy Girl Scout Leader.

While the allegations in this case are so vile, it is not the current crime that bothers me the most about this story, it is the fact that this teenager while in the custody of Child Protective Services has been missing from the group home, he was assigned, for over a year.

We often hear and see on the news missing persons, those who have the ‘right’ look, the ‘right’ family connections, or the ‘right’ amount of financial resources to flood the media with the missing person’s image; but what happens far too many times, those that don’t fit those social profiles slip through the cracks, worse, more often than not, teenagers, especially those that are ‘troubled’ tend to be ignored or very limited effort is put forth to make any attempt to locate them.

In this particular case a missing person’s report was filed with local police when the boy ran away from the group home, but as mentioned in the article linked below…well the police in Sacramento have seen their fair share of runaways, about five reported daily, as a result he was never located…….Until, he escaped.

http://cbs5.com/crime/chained.teen.brother.2.882279.html

It is estimated that about one million teenagers runaway every year, the majority of these runaways are female, and while police willingly admit that these runaways are most likely to become victims of violent crimes, little to nothing is done by most law enforcement agencies to bring these children home.

Another social problem with missing teenagers, it is nearly automatic that they are believed to be runaways, regardless of their family dynamic, grades, character, or circumstances surrounding their disappearance, unless it is witnessed that they are taken against their will, they are pigeon holed and again basically ignored by law enforcement.

This in not meant to be a law enforcement bashing blog, in most cities across the country our public service offices are over worked, under staffed, and sorely under funded; perhaps some become jaded, though I am sure the vast majority are simply over whelmed.

It does however, beg the question, if law enforcement cannot follow up on every runaway that they file a report on, why don’t they then, immediately turn their information to the many groups that do have the resources, and the expertise to perhaps expedite the search for these missing teens. Why are the pictures of these missing children not send to several different groups that search for the missing? Why is it not policy to send these pictures to area schools, churches, youth centers, or malls? The police cannot be everywhere, but fliers can be everywhere, the internet is everywhere..but it is rare that unless a family member, or concerned friend contacts alternative sources, they will never get the information.

The case that began this blog should be a stark reminder to all of us, that a runaway is endangered the minute they leave their home, though the police in Sacramento either due to indifference, or lack of man power, put this case along with so many others, the reality is that this ‘runaway’ a victim of domestic violence, became a victim again not only by those that held him captive, but by the very system that is designed to serve and protect all its citizens–not just the ones that are considered ‘attractive’ or come from a family with enough clout to keep their images out in the public.

Past Articles

An Anniversary · June 28, 2008
HACKED! · June 16, 2008
The Untold Story of Paige Birgfeld · June 9, 2008
Are You Really Ready to Help Find The Missing? · May 11, 2008
The Smiley Face Killers Story Is Heating Up · May 7, 2008
A Child, Still Unknown After 25 Years · May 3, 2008
“Accidental Drowning” Threads on HFTM · May 1, 2008
Mr. Sensenbrenner and The Smiley Face Killers · April 30, 2008
Accidental Drownings or the Smiley Face Killers? · April 26, 2008
They found me in Maricopa County · April 4, 2008
The Amazing Double Life of Paige Birgfeld · February 18, 2008
HFTM Brings One Home! · February 14, 2008
What Happened to Lisa Hatchell? · February 14, 2008
The Laurie Depies Case Haunts Me · February 3, 2008
Amber Wilde Missing Over 9 Years · February 2, 2008
Media and The Missing · January 28, 2008
What Happened to Beaner? · January 15, 2008
Where is Steven Baird? · January 11, 2008
The Confounding Case of Tom Smith · January 11, 2008
Someone Is Missing · January 10, 2008

News

Welcome to the blog of Help Find The Missing! Here, members of our staff post opinions, observations and profiles of missing person cases.

Check back periodically to view new entries, add your commentary and feel free to contact us with topic ideas for a blog entry. Thanks for stopping in!

Information

Someone is missing.

To most of the world, missing persons are distant and detached. Missing persons are the subject of television dramas. Missing persons are footnotes on everyday lives, just another news story that makes little impact.

The media shows us high profile cases, like Stacy Peterson or Natalee Holloway, but only while the case is new, hot and titillating. After a few days, when there is no resolution and there are no new developments, those high profile cases just quietly fade away and disappear from the media spotlight. Once again, a missing person becomes a footnote in everyday life.

That is until someone we know and love goes missing. For every high profile case, made famous by a media splash, there are hundreds more cases of missing people that hardly anyone hears about.

When the missing person is one of our own, we cannot comprehend why the media isn't all over our case. What makes one missing person more important than another, what makes one missing person a high profile case and not another? Why is someone the subject of media scrutiny and not our family member or friend?

No one is really sure why that is, it just is. Every missing person deserves the same attention. What someone is, or was, makes no difference. Every missing person is a daughter, a son, a mother, a father, a cousin and a friend. Those of us left behind have painful holes in our lives that need resolution.

Right here is a place where recognition is made. Here is the place where those of us left behind can tell our stories, nay, tell the stories of the missing. By telling their stories, we tell our own.

Every missing person deserves the same attention. Someone, somewhere, holds the key. That one clue or detail that could solve the case and bring our loved one home. Here is where you tell us your story. Tell us your story, tell us their story. Tell us and we'll tell it here. Let the world know their story.

After all, someone special is missing.

Help Find The Missing Blog