Who is a Missing Person? Definitional Problems, Typologies, Prevalence Estimates, and Investigative Issues

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Various national (e.g., NamUs, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) and international (e.g., ICMP, INTERPOL Yellow Notices, DoeNetwork) entities have emerged to address the serious problem of missing persons. Despite increased attention to this issue, ‘missing’ is operationalized differently across agencies and jurisdictions. This has led to wide variability in the estimated prevalence, socio-demographic profiles of the missing, and the situational context underlying a person’s disappearance.

The current study is designed to provide a wider conceptual framework for studying “missing persons” by (1) identifying key criteria underlying these diverse definitions, (2) developing a typology of these various missing cases, and (3) estimating the prevalence of “missing persons” within each of these categories. The results of this typology are discussed in terms of their implications for future research, public policy, and investigative practices in identifying, verifying, and addressing these cases.

Authors

• Kamali'ilani Wetherell, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Terry Miethe, University of Nevada, Las Vegas