Missing Media Solutions

Police Issue Warning to Parents of Virtual Kidnapping Scams

2018-04-22T22:45:00.001-07:00

You receive a phone call and hear the voice of someone you don’t recognize. They tell you they have your child and will kill them unless you pay a ransom – they direct you not to call police or you will never see your child again.

What would you do?

The FBI and law enforcement throughout the country are issuing "virtual kidnapping" warnings to the public. Read more here.

Crossing Paths With Evil: The Murder of Adrienne Salinas

2018-03-08T15:22:00.001-07:00

Rick Salinas, father of Adrienne wants his daughter remembered.

Did college student Adrienne Salinas cross paths with serial killer Bryan Patrick Miller AKA Zombie Hunter? Read more.

Read Chilling True Crime Stories

2018-02-27T01:39:00.000-07:00

Visit our website and read the chilling true crime stories of cases throughout the country at www.missingleads.com.

Gangs in the Workplace: They are More Sophisticated Than You May Think

2018-02-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

The days of red and blue handkerchiefs, baggy pants, graffiti, rap-music, and drive-by shootings are no longer such a popular sub-culture. Believe it or not, the new kind of gangsters hold college degrees, work and hold jobs in offices, warehouses, even government positions and police departments. They are a more sophisticated criminal and have infiltrated corporate America too.

No more baggy pants. Today, you are more apt to find a gang member wearing black patent leather shoes.

If you think this is not a possibility in your own company, think again. No industry or company is exempt. A University of Chicago study found gangs have increasingly adopted a clean-cut appearance while replicating techniques used by organized crime.

Described as “very sophisticated and well organized” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), they estimate there are 33,000 violent street gangs with 1.4 million members nationwide. You can safely double that number if you count affiliates and wannabes. That number has risen steeply, up from 1996 where an estimated 400,000 gang members were accounted for in the University of Chicago study.

Well-known companies, Chicago Police Department, the United States Post Office, major pharmaceutical companies, and even the Social Security Administration has found gang members within their ranks carrying out complex illegal operations that net millions annually.

According to the FBI 2015, National Gang Report (NGR) gangs have gained employment in the U.S. Military, law enforcement, corrections, and even the judiciary.

From the Streets to a Global Crime Empire

Typically, gangs are known for drug trafficking, robbery, gun trafficking, intimidation rackets, prostitution, human trafficking, fraud and other crimes you may think would not infiltrate a common company. They are. However, increasingly gangs are concentrating their efforts on white-collar crime due to weaker sentencing guidelines and ease of making money.

Now, the term “gang activity” involves identity theft, credit card fraud, prescription drug fraud, trafficking stolen goods, money laundering, mortgage fraud, Social Security Administration fraud, tax fraud, and counterfeiting, securities marketing manipulation. Where there is access, there will be individuals willing to participate in capitalizing and even selling their access to those interested in exploiting the system.

During 2014, grand larceny accounted for 40% of all crime.

In New Jersey, the 111 Neighborhood Crips used a machine to make gift cards that they distributed to grocery stores, pharmacies and other stores.

Grand larceny accounts for 40% of all crime in the United States during 2014.

In 2015, the Outlaw Gangsta Crips in NYC made approximately $500,000 in a paycheck fraud scheme by obtaining a legitimate paycheck from an employee and used the information to create and cash counterfeit checks.

From 2004 through 2009, fraud investigations alone increased 33%, bringing losses associated with those schemes into the billions of dollars.

According to Fox Business, Gangs such as the Bloods, Crips and La Nuestra Familia that are undertaking white-collar crime are recruiting members that possess the necessary skill-sets, according to the FBI.

When you think gangster, images of Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, maybe even Snoop Dog, may come to mind, not the impeccably dressed executive working in a high finance position. Or, the nicely dressed woman at the bank who knows how much you deposit weekly or the amount of company payroll.

In a Workforce Magazine article, “Have Gangs Invaded Your Workplace,” during 1995, California, Silicon Valley firms alone were hit with more than 50 armed robberies of microchips and electronic components with the average heist netting the robbers $400,000. “There’s a growing level of sophistication and opportunism,” says Keith Lowry, a detective in the High-Tech Crime Unit of the San Jose Police Department.

Gang members are becoming harder to weed out in the hiring process, much of the time because we commonly think of “gang members” as looking like street thugs, and these old stereotypes are costing companies billions annually.

Weeding out white-collar gang members has become increasingly difficult.

Any company can become a target or an opportunity to engage in illegal activities, like dealing drugs, theft of property or personal information, extortion. Gangs have learned they can make a lot more money by being well-dressed, educated, and articulate.

For instance, electronics firms are easy targets. A microchip or computer processor weighing less than an ounce can score several hundred dollars on the street. The sentence for being charged with a stolen microchip much less than selling less than an ounce of drugs.

Some gangs plant members within a company with a specific goal such as infiltrating dispatching, shipping or the financial departments. They can also pose as temporary workers or work for outside vendors to gain access to numerous companies.

In addition, the growing trend toward outsourcing can often lead to less control over merchandise, files, and information.

According to a Fox Business article “From the Streets to Cyberspace: U.S. Gangs Turn to White Collar Crime,” the FBI says, “Gangs are more adaptable, organized, sophisticated, and opportunistic, exploiting new and advanced technology as a means to recruit, communicated discreetly, target their rivals and perpetuate their criminal activity.”

Facebook has become the preferred method for gang members to communicate according to the FBI. “The proliferation of social networking websites has made gang activity more prevalent and lethal – moving gangs from the streets to cyberspace,” says the FBI.

Arming Your HR

Much of the solution lies in ensuring human resources procedures are effective. Of course, background checks and screening procedures are vital but is there more that can be done to detect potential criminal trying to infiltrate your workforce? The first thing to keep in mind – you get what you pay for and being lax can also cost you.

Local criminal checks are almost worthless, and a full criminal screening can pay off. In addition, many applicants may have earned their GED in prison and with some digging, these individuals may find it harder to infiltrate your company.

Many companies cut corners and haphazardly follow procedures when screening applicants and dealing with the aftermath can result in costing more when you compare it to properly vetting applicant the first time around.

Additionally, letting your applicants know you will be conducting a thorough background, previous employment, driving records, verifying degrees, criminal record check, and reference checks can also discourage many applicants from pursuing the position in the first place, which ultimately saves your company time and costs associated with the screening process.

What is important to consider is applying an effective screening procedure to contractors, consultants and temporary employees depending upon how much access they may be granted, and time spent at your company.

Trusting that a “temp agency” is conducting the appropriate background checks is a potential liability for your company.

Educating your employees about how to spot gang activity and how to deal with it also is crucial. Some companies have found having training sessions and employee meetings add to their success combatting gangs in the workplace.

Experts agree loyalty to gangs overrides loyalty to an employer. Even though they may try hard to blend in they may still slip occasionally and there are some recommendations on even subtle things to monitor.

1. Does your employee reside in a known gang area?
2. Is your employee responsible? Too much time on the phone or arrive late?
3. Does your employee go by a nickname and have nicknames for friends?
4. Do the clothes, colors or insignias stay consistent?
5. Does your employee have visitors at work, friend or family?
6. Have you noticed any graffiti in or around your workplace?
7. Does your employee use verbal, hand or walking mannerisms that could be associated with gang activity?
8. Is your employee on parole or probation?

Being a girlfriend of a gang banger or being a current or former gang member is not against the law, but it could be a sign of other activity that could be detected if your HR department is cognizant of the many issues that face companies if infiltrated.

Working with undercover PI's can help a company strengthen security.

Using PIs to Combat Gang Intrusion in the Workplace

Private investigators are a commonly used tool in the arsenal to combat “gang intrusion” along with malingering, theft or fraud in the workplace.

Along with surveillance and providing evidence, they can also evaluate your HR department’s policy and procedures through undercover placement or working along with the HR department to tighten up the reigns to reduce incidents of crime.

Many times, it is recommended to have a private investigator apply for employment without informing anyone in your company to best determine where weaknesses exist in the hiring process.

Were all the references called? What questions were asked? Were the proper background checks completed?

It may be necessary to start at the beginning of the hiring process. In addition, private investigators can be placed in certain departments where there have been discrepancies identified to collect evidence that is admissible in a court of law. It is an extra layer of protection when investigating activities at your company without detection without violating privacy laws.

When a company suspects criminal activity, it is advantageous to hire a professional who will work with police if the legitimate criminal activity is in fact, detected. Abuse of sick leave or malingering that costs companies billions of dollars a year is enough to warrant the hiring of a private detective to legally document the behavior.

From filming a guy talking about starting his new business and hinting at using the employer’s database, to a meat manufacturing plant taking a cut of the supplier’s delivery to the employee watching porn on the company computers, a private investigator can take the care needed to conduct an internal investigation legally, ultimately protecting your company.

Written by Kym Pasqualini

Freelance Writer and Guest Crime Writer for Lauth Investigations International

Disappearance of Relisha Rudd: Is She Still Alive?

2018-02-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

Relisha Rudd, age 8, has been missing since February 26, 2014, from Washington, D.C. The strange circumstances regarding her disappearance prompted a nationwide search during 2014 that only created more mystery.

To read the full story click here.

Jehovah's Witness Wanted by U.S. Federal Marshals

2018-02-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

Frederick McLean, pedophile wanted by U.S. Marshals

Frederick McLean is wanted by the U.S. Marshals for child molestation.

A wanted pedophile fugitive and self-proclaimed Jehova's witness has used those he has met in various churches to prey upon children.

We can help protect children by sharing his information.

Read about his charges here and how you can help.

ARREST made in murder of Fort Collins Woman

2018-02-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Kimberlee Graves

UPDATE: Arrest made in the murder case of Kimberlee Graves.

Khalid White was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a corpse, sexual assault, and identity theft.

To read the update click here.

#Murder #Arrests #FortCollinsPD #MurderArrest #MissingLeads #KimberleeGraves #IdentityTheft

For the "True Crime Addict" You Know!

2018-02-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Purchase one of our Tshirts and be entered into our monthly book giveaway!

YOU COULD ALSO WIN A BESTSELLING "TRUE CRIME" BOOK!

Your purchase helps us, help others.

For more information click here.

It's a WIN, WIN!

2018-02-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Join our True Crime Scene Team on Patreon!

This is a way to support our work and a worthwhile cause.

Get a cup in return for your support and access to true stories of long-term missing persons and unsolved homicide victims.

You will also be entered into our monthly raffle to win a best-selling book or T-shirt.

Your support matters!

Click here.

Retired and Active Law Enforcement - Submit Your Unsolved Case to Us!

2018-02-01T19:00:00.001-07:00

Submit your unsolved cases to us!

Retired or active law enforcement - if you have an unsolved homicide or missing person case you would like profiled on www.missingleads.com, please send us an email at info@missingleads.com with a brief write-up on your case and your contact information.

Canadian Pharma Billionaire and Wife’s Murders Unsolved, Family Hires Team of Private Investigators

2018-01-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

Murder of Pharma Tycook Barry Sherman and wife unsolved.
Canadian Pharma Billionaire and Wife’s Murders Unsolved, Family Hires Team of Private Investigators To read article click here Please share! #BarrySherman #PharmaTycoonMurder #HoneySherman #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedHomicide #PrivateInvestigator #LauthInvestigations #MissingLeads https://goo.gl/tHNUmd

The Murder of Natalie Bollinger, Clues Left on Facebook

2018-01-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Murder victim may have left "clues" to her own murder on Facebook. To read the story, please click here.

#NatalieBolinger #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedHomcide #COUnsolvedMurder

It took nearly 50 years to identify murder victim Reet Jurvetson

2018-01-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 1969, the days of the "Flower Child," Reet Jurvetson left her home in Canada.

She traveled to Hollywood, Calif., and within two months dead.

It took nearly fifty years to identify Jurvetson and a murder investigation to ensue.

To read the Reet Jurvetson story click here.

Murder of Kimberlee Graves, Police Seeking Clues

2018-01-18T19:06:00.004-07:00

Kimberlee Graves

January 9, 2018, the murder of 41-year old Kimberlee Graves has police asking the public for help.

Read more here:

Murder of Kimberlee Graves

Opioids in the Workplace, Is Your Employee a Drug Trafficker?

2018-01-10T19:47:00.002-07:00

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sales of prescription opioids quadrupled during 1999 to 2014. Referred to as an opioid crisis in America, it seems we all know someone battling an addiction to prescription medications.

Opioids include prescription pills (including Vicodin, Oxycontin, and Percocet), as well as heroin and fentanyl, a drug that can be injected, taken as a lozenge or through a skin patch.

Nationwide 1 in 4 people who are prescribed opioids will struggle with addiction. The depth of the problem is highlighted in a disturbing CDC post, “Almost all prescription drugs involved in overdoses come from prescriptions originally; very few come from pharmacy theft. However, once they are prescribed and dispensed, prescription drugs are frequently diverted to people using them without prescriptions. More than three out of four people who misuse prescription painkillers use drugs prescribed to someone else.

In addition to the personal toll to the addicts and the American family touched by opioid abuse, the CDC also estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, loss of productivity, absenteeism, increased injuries, addiction treatment, theft, criminal justice involvement, and legal liabilities.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates 68.9 of all drug users are employed.

The Drug Enforcement Agency estimates employed persons who misuse opioids account for 64.5% of medically related absenteeism and 90.1% of disability costs.

The use of opioids in the workplace is a growing battle for American business. According to a National Safety Council (NCS) survey, 57 percent of employers perform drug tests. However, more than 40 percent do not test for synthetic opioids like oxycodone, one of the most abused narcotics on the market making accurate national statistics unreliable.

An NCS survey also found 29 percent of employers reported impaired job performance due to use of painkillers, with 15 percent citing injuries due to drug use. Up to 70 percent of employers said their workforce has been negatively affected in one way or another.

The Impact of Drugs in the Workplace

Use of drugs impairs decision making and causes physical impairment, a deadly condition when at work. It causes an overall decline in employee morale, an unsafe working environment and increases employer liability.

It is estimated at least one of six employees use drugs at work and the toll on the workplace costly:

· Addicts are 1/3 less productive as their counterparts

· Five more times likely to cause accidents

· Are absent up to 20 times more often

· Five times more likely to request worker’s compensation

· Contribute to 40 percent of all industrial work fatalities

· Health care costs for addicts is three times higher than other employees

· Admitted to selling drugs to coworkers

· Admitted to stealing from employers and coworkers

It is estimated 70 percent of 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs are employed. It is safe to assume if you have drug abusers on the job, you probably also have drug dealers operating within your company.

As a drug dependency increases, it is common for addicts to buy drugs from friends or coworkers and even steal from their companies, co-workers, and clients.

Experts have also found the number of heroin addicts have increased and common for an opioid user to transition to using heroin when they begin running out of pills and money. Heroin is significantly cheaper than opiates and can be easier to obtain. Heroin laced with fentanyl is becoming increasingly popular because it can be 50 times stronger than heroin.

The drug dealer of today is no longer the shady guy driving a pimped-out Cadillac, meeting his clients in a dark alley or badly lit street corner. Dealing drugs to coworkers are preferred over standing on the corner selling to strangers and for a drug trafficker, less risky.

At work, a dealer has a clientele that has a job and can afford the drugs, and someone they can establish trust with while selling under the radar of management in the restroom, parking lot, lunch-room or cubicle.

Oftentimes workplace dealers will sell drugs on credit or a “front” according to the book Undercover Investigations in the Workplace by Eugene Ferraro. Drugs are sold to an employee with the agreement of paying later, usually on payday. Co-workers make the perfect client for a drug dealer and quite a lucrative business, with one Oxycontin pill demanding up to $50-$80 per pill on the street according to a CNN Money article Prescription Drugs Worth Millions to Dealers.

According to Ferraro, “We have caught employees-dealers (earning less than $10 an hour from their employer) who never carried less than $10,000 cash to work.”

Paydays are usually the biggest days for drug trafficking activity. However, to pay for drugs, addicts often turn to their employers to fund their habits.

With addicts in the workplace, there is a higher incidence of theft of equipment, tools, products and part inventories where drug trafficking and abuse is occurring. Aside from being at increased risk, both abusers and drug dealers are more likely to become involved in additional criminal behavior, stealing from their employers and fellow employees.

What are the signs of drug trafficking and abuse in the workplace?

Are they driving an expensive car that is far beyond the means of what they make working? Flaunting money? Are your employees leaving without notice to meet clients? High turnover and absenteeism or meeting in the bathroom or parking lot? What may appear on the surface look like comradery, could be the sign of something more.

41-year old Robert Avery worked as the Parental Involvement Director at a Gadsen, Ala., Head Start program. Instead of offering educational and health services to low-income children, Avery was arrested for selling the prescription drug “roxycontin” to undercover agents from the program facility.

Even police departments are not immune. November 20, 2017, Jellico Police Department Dispatcher and Fireman Robert Rookard, was arrested in “Operation Thanksgiving Harvest” for selling drugs at work.

Robert Rookard arrested for drug trafficking at work.

In August 2017, more than a dozen Atlanta USPS workers were rounded up for running an illegal drug distribution operation. Sixteen employees working at post offices across Metro Atlanta were arrested for accepting bribes in exchange for delivering kilogram packages of cocaine.

When the FBI received a tip that drug dealers were running packages of drugs through the mail system, they began an 18-month sting putting a fake drug dealer on the street to see how many postal workers they could get to sign up. In a bribery agreement, workers agreed to provide special addresses to the drug trafficker, intercepting and delivering the packages to the dealer, who just happened to be working with law enforcement. The number of postal workers who agreed to participate astounding.

While some companies may assume there is no liability for the actions of an employee, one company is feeling the devastating effects.

October 13, 2017, Chicago Tribune article “Oak Park appeals board upholds pantry's closure after employee accused of selling heroin” it was reported The Village of Oak Park in Chicago, closed the Austin Food Pantry after 55-year old store manager Edgar Lucas was arrested on 17 counts of heroin sales and possession at the establishment. Charges include 5 counts unlawful delivery of a controlled substance determined to be heroin. In the aftermath, the city revoked their business license.

In an appeal, the store owners stated they had no knowledge of the employee’s drug activities and appealed the decision, but Village of Oak Park trustees upheld the decision to permanently close the business. In a written ruling, trustee Cara Pavlick said Austin Pantry owners were "negligent, reckless and careless at a minimum in allowing their business to be operated as a place for the sale of illegal narcotics on numerous dates."

Austin Pantry closed permanently for drug trafficking arrest of an employee.

Drug use and trafficking are often difficult to spot and many times even harder to prove. However, every employer and Human Resources department has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for all employees, immediately addressing any infraction or suspicion to reduce liability within the workplace and protect your company.

Private Investigators – A Weapon in Battle to Reduce Illegal Drug Use

An internal investigation sometimes involves drug-testing – some use dogs – and some use undercover operatives. Wall Street and other large corporations began using private investigations long ago and the demand ever increasing.

General Motors reported that substance abuse by some of its 472,000 employees and their dependents cost the company $600 million in 1987. To combat the problem GM instituted undercover operations at 10 mid-western plants and at that time said it would not hesitate to use such investigations in the future. That was then, and drug use in the workplace has only increased.

While employers are encouraged to practice a covenant of good faith and dealing with all employees, protecting the workplace should be the primary goal, and many times requires professional private investigators who will work along with law enforcement to ferret out drug use and other illegal activity.

Conducting a private investigation not only reflects your company is being proactive, careful documentation can help achieve a conviction and reduce liability.

Thomas Lauth, owner of Lauth Investigations International specializes in undercover investigations for both blue-collar and white-collar companies. Having spent over 20 years in the field as a private detective, he believes diligence is key to combatting workplace crime. “One can never be too careful or diligent when protecting their company. When working with clients, we tailor our investigation to the needs of the client.”

When hired by a client, Lauth’s investigative team provides an assessment and tailors the investigation to the needs of the client company. Working with human resources, the business is profiled to determine the best course of action.

The most effective way to detect drug trafficking and abuse in the workplace is to conduct a covert investigation planting an investigator within the company. Typically, the investigator goes through the hiring process like any other employee, informing minimal staff, allowing the undercover private investigator to protect their identity and integrity of the investigation.

From there the investigator fits in with employees, developing friendships to gain information about drug activity. In Lauth’s experience, “Many times, our investigators uncover additional illegal activities, resulting from the initial investigation,” says Lauth.

Periodic background checks can also assist companies in identifying employees who are high risk for illegal activity. “At Lauth Investigations we recommend conducting background checks of all employees, not just newer employees but those who have worked for the company even 5-10 years. Much can change after the hiring of an individual," Lauth says.

For those who may be concerned office morale may be damaged, Lauth points out a background check can be conducted legally without the employee’s knowledge.

“Background checks can reveal drug offenses, fraud, theft and other criminal activity that is on the record with a police department or court and one of the most important steps a company can take to protect their company.”

For more information contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations317-951-1100.

Written by Lauth Investigations Feature Writer Kym Pasqualini.

Where "True Crime" Meets Justice

2017-12-28T18:06:00.001-07:00

Where "true crime" meets justice! www.missingleads.com #TrueCrime #Fugitives #UnsolvedMurder #MissingLeads

Amazon Gift Cards Supports Crime Victims

2017-12-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

You can now support MissingLeads.com by purchasing Amazon Gift cards through our partnership with Amazon.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Every gift you give, helps us give a voice to victims of unsolved homicide and missing persons. Please consider helping today by visiting the link below, then clicking on the Amazon link!

https://www.missingleads.com/partner-in-crime

The Collector, a Serial Killer and Beauty Queens

2017-12-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

In our new article, we revisit the 1983 disappearance of "Scarface" and "Spring Break" actress Tammy Lynn Leppert and the many others the "Beauty Queen Killer" preyed upon.

Visit www.missingleads.com/blog/ to read the full article.

Upcoming Article - The Collector, a Serial Killer and Beauty Queens

2017-11-27T14:00:00.004-07:00

“The Collector, A Serial Killer, and Beauty Queens,” is my upcoming article about the 1983 disappearance of Tammy Lynn Leppert, a beauty queen, model, and actress in the movie Scarface.  
In the article, I revisit the events that led up to the day Tammy vanished and her possible connection to serial killer Christopher Wilder, dubbed the Beauty Queen Killer.
After weeks of researching books, police reports, archived articles, documentaries, and extensive map research, I am finally done! 

Tammy is not forgotten!
Make sure to read this upcoming article and others on www.missingleads.com

Help Find a Dangerous Fugitive Wanted by US Marshals

2017-11-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

You can help us find a dangerous fugitive.

Find out why this former police officer Daniel Heirs is wanted by the US Marshals by visiting our website at www.missingleads.com.

#findfugitives #missingleads #truecrime

Become Our Partner in Crime

2017-11-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

In partnership with "true crime" authors, we tell the stories of unsolved homicides, long-term missing persons, and aid in the search for America's most dangerous fugitives. We are looking for Partners in Crime so please visit our website at www.missingleads.com.

We are looking for feedback on the new website so please visit our site and leave us a note about what you think.

Missing Women, Humboldt Mystery

2017-10-31T11:14:00.003-07:00

Somewhere in the beautiful and foggy forests of northern California lie the answers to the disappearances of many women in Humboldt County. Click here for more.

I Am Back!

2017-10-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

In October 2014, I was in the hospital after a left hemispheric brain stroke. I was learning how to use my right arm and hand again. I was barely walking. In these years following, I have struggled cognitively and often wondered if I would ever write again. I worried I could never return to crime victim advocacy which is where my heart has been for over twenty years. The good news is I have faced the battle head on and won! My work is not done!

#StrokeWarrior
#TrueCrime
#MissingLeads

A sister's mission - Justice for Mikelle Biggs

2016-05-31T15:49:00.001-07:00

Mikelle Biggs
Missing January 2, 1999

It has been 17-years since 11-year old Mikelle Biggs vanished from her Mesa neighborhood on January 2, 1999. Her disappearance sparked the largest search for a missing child in Arizona's history.

Mikelle would have turned 29-years old today. The day Mikelle vanished, her younger sister Kimber, now 26-years old, had been outside walking the family dog while Mikelle had been riding Kimber's bicycle. The girls had been waiting for the ice-cream truck and Kimber recalls becoming cold and going inside her home for only a few minutes.

In in interview on March 31, 2016 with Angela Schuster of Cronkite News, Kimber recalls the moment she discovered her sister was gone, "It's almost like a Twilight Zone kind of thing. It was gray and foggy, and all I saw was my bike in road."

Mikelle's disappearance has weighed heavy on Kimber's heart. Growing up, Kimber was trying to cope with Mikelle's disappearance and the impact it had on her family that no words can adequately describe.

While experiencing fear that is common to someone with a missing family member, Kimber was also plagued with guilt thinking it had been her fault her sister had been abducted - fellow students at her school had not made coping any easier, even asking Kimber why she had left her sister alone.

Reassurance Mikelle's disappearance was not her fault that she received from her parents Darien and Tracy Biggs had not really been understood by Kimber until years later.

The trauma and "suspended grief" associated with the disappearance of a loved one is not often understood. According to professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Pauline Boss, when a loved one is missing, the ambiguity is one of the worst traumas a family member can experience. "People suffering this kind of loss often blame themselves," says Dr. Boss. The majority of her work is to remind the family members that the situation is not their fault. Dr. Boss is also the author of Loss, Trauma and Resilience.

Mikelle with sister Kimber Biggs.

When Mikelle went missing, Kimber became the oldest child of her younger brother Nathan and little sister Lynelle While there is a an empty space in the Biggs family, Kimber takes her role as big sister very seriously, spending time with her younger siblings, as she knows the pain of losing her own big sister.

Even though it has taken years to process the trauma associated with the loss of her older sister, Kimber has grown into a remarkable young woman who now has a child of her own. She has also mustered every ounce of courage and strength, becoming the primary - and very outspoken advocate for her sister, creating Justice for Mikelle Biggs and publicly speaking in news interviews to gain answers. Even Phoenix Police Department's Missing and Unidentified Unit and Arizona Missing and Unidentified Persons created by Det. Stuart Somershoe, reached out to Kimber to help with the first Arizona Missing Person's Day held October 24, 2015, at Arizona State University's West Campus.

Having known Kimber since she was a little girl, she is a young woman who epitomizes the word "strength" and needs the continued support of the community.

"Society is really rough on the families of the missing. They don't understand quite what to do, and unfortunately what people tend to do therefor is stay away, says Dr. Boss. "Please don't stay away from these families."

The greatest source of strength comes from the heart but also from an external support network. One of the greatest birthday gifts Mikelle could receive is the continued support of her little sister Kimber in her effort to find answers to ensure the Bigg's family receive the justice they are so deserved.

We can support Kimber's effort by sharing the Facebook site Justice for Mikelle Biggs

Anyone who has information about the disappearance of Mikelle Biggs is asked to call Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.

Justice or Mikelle Biggs Facebook link: (https://www.facebook.com/mikellebiggs/?fref=ts)

Please say their names . . .

2016-04-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

I read 'Please Say Their Names' today on the Streeter Family Blog . . .

Please Say Their Names

The time of concern is over. No longer are we asked how we are doing. Never are the names of our loved one mentioned to us. A curtain descends. The moment has passed. Lives slip from frequent recall. There are exceptions: close and compassionate friends, sensitive and loving family. Still look. Still ask. Still listen. Thank God for them. For most, the drama is over. The spotlight is off. Applause is silent. But for us the play will never end. The effects on us are timeless. What can be said, you ask? Please say “their names” to us.

Love does not die.

Their names are written on our lives. The sound of their voices replay within our minds. You may feel they are dead. We feel they are of the dead and still they live. They ghost-walk our souls, beckoning in future welcome. You say, “They were our loved one”; we say, ” They are”. Please say “their names” to us and say “their names” again.

It hurts to bury their memory in silence. What they were in flesh is no longer with us. What they are in spirit stirs within us always. They were of our past but they are part of our now. They are our hope for the future. Please understand we cannot forget. We would not if we could. We know that you cannot know, yesterday we were like you. Understand that we dwell in both flesh and spirit. We do not ask you to walk this road. The ascent is steep and the burden heavy. We walk it not by choice. We would rather walk it with them in the flesh, looking not to spirit worlds beyond. We are what we have to be. What we have lost, you cannot feel. What we have gained you may not see. Please say “their names” for they are alive.

We will meet them again, although in many ways we’ve never parted. Their spirits play light songs, appear in sunrises and sunsets. They are real and shadow, they were and they are. Please say “their names” to us and say “their names” again. They are our loved one and we love them as we always did. More each day.

PLEASE, SAY THEIR NAMES

~ Author Unknown

There are just no words but I do know know how important it is to their families they are not forgotten. Sending much love and HOPE to the families of Stacy McCall, Suzie Streeter and her mother Sherrill Levitt (Springfield Three) who vanished June 7, 1992 from Springfield, MO. Someone knows . . . this is a reminder to them that it is not too late to come forward and the only 'right' thing to do.

Visit http://streeterfamilyblogg.blogspot.com/