What to Do When Someone Is Missing: Practical Steps on How to Find a Missing Person

When a loved one goes missing, it is a difficult experience that leaves family and friends searching for answers. Understanding who is reported missing and what steps need to be taken can be critical to starting a search effort, and why not, finding a missing person. Every step, from the initial classification of the missing person to the use of resources and technology, plays an important role in the search and recovery process. 

Who Is a Missing Person?

A missing person is someone whose whereabouts are unknown, and their absence is concerning. There's no single time frame for someone to be considered missing; it depends on the circumstances. Public documents can be a valuable resource in finding missing persons. Amateur online investigators can sometimes uncover clues, but contacting law enforcement should always be the first step.

When Can You Report a Missing Person?

There's no legal waiting period to file a missing persons report. While adults have the freedom to disappear, law enforcement prioritizes cases based on the likelihood of risk. If there's no indication of danger, such as blood at the scene, police may wait to file a missing persons report and begin an investigation until they have more information.

What to Do If Someone Is Missing?

It's important to first consider if the person is truly missing. Could they simply be out of touch for a few hours due to unforeseen circumstances? Is this behavior unusual for them, or do they sometimes go uncontactable for short periods? Has the individual abandoned someone they normally wouldn't leave behind, like a child or beloved pet? If any of these details raise red flags, it's best to start gathering resources and explore ways to track them down. Here are steps you can take to find a missing person:

• Firstly, contact those people whom the missing person usually spends time with or checks in with. Talking to those people immediately spreads the word, multiplying your efforts. Leave your phone number or other contact information and tell people to spread it around so that anyone who sees your missing loved one will let you know. 
• Ask friends, family members, and coworkers to give you information on the missing person’s habits and hangouts, so you have a lot of places to look;
• Check with the police and hospitals to see if the individual is being held, or if someone matching the missing person’s description has been found;
• Circulate information about the missing person’s physical appearance, vehicle, and potential whereabouts (college campus, place of work, usual hangouts);
• Check social media and appeal to those who know the missing person to be notified if they are seen;
• Contact national databases like the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) at the National Forensic Science Technology Center for inclusion so that police across the country will have a description and information;
• Check public records like police arrests, homeless shelter rolls, and, depending on how long the person has been missing, birth and death records, court records, or search by name or alias on RecordsFinder.com to locate new addresses.

Do You Need a Private Investigator to Find a Missing Person?

Police may not be able to locate your missing loved one, but a private investigator is more likely to use all of their efforts to solve your case. Find a trustworthy private investigator by asking police if they know of any who are honest and effective, ask individuals for references, and check with families who have used the investigator in the past.

How to Find a Missing Person With a Cell Phone?

There are a few ways to potentially track a missing person's phone, but it's important to be mindful of privacy and involve law enforcement if necessary.

• Cell Phone Carrier: If you're on the same plan as the missing person, some carriers may provide their last known location data with permission.
• Social Media: Photos on social media platforms might have embedded location data. However, accessing someone's social media account without permission is a privacy violation.
• Law Enforcement: If the police are involved, providing the missing person's cell phone number allows them to "ping" the number and potentially determine its location.
• Find My Phone Apps: If you're close to the missing person and have authorized access to their phone through "Find My Phone" or "Find My Device" apps, you can use those to locate the phone.

How to Find a Missing Person with a Mental Illness?

If someone with a mental illness is missing, contact your local police department immediately. Explain the situation and provide details about their condition, medications, triggers, routines, and a recent picture.

• Gather information like clothing descriptions and frequented locations while contacting law enforcement. 
• Spread the word with flyers and social media posts. 
• Check local shelters, libraries, hospitals, and mental health facilities. 
• Consider contacting the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for assistance. 
• In some cases, local media coverage can be helpful, but work with law enforcement on this decision.

How to Find a Missing Child?

Children are less likely to be considered “missing persons” for reasons that are obvious: they do not have legal rights or usually, cognitive ability, to choose to walk away from their lives and begin anew elsewhere.

Cases involving children under age 18, particularly younger children with few resources or reasons to run away, are treated with extreme urgency. The FBI will often send a highly-trained team of specialists to work on such cases within 24 hours because that’s the period in which victims are most likely to be found alive. About 2,000 children go missing every day, totaling about 800,000 per year, but a majority are either returned home safely or taken by family members (around 200,000 annually), according to the NCMEC. Only about 100 are annually abducted by strangers in stereotypical made-for-television crime scenarios.

If a child goes missing in a store, airport, or business, it should be reported to authorities immediately. There are protocols to follow such as Code Adam that immediately sets employees in motion to find the child. In the common situation in which a noncustodial parent abducts a child, public records such as school enrollment, newspaper articles, or legal name change petitions may help to uncover the child’s whereabouts.

Conclusion

A missing loved one is a terrifying experience. This guide has equipped you with knowledge and actionable steps to navigate this difficult situation. We've explored what constitutes a missing person, debunked the 24-hour waiting myth for reporting, and emphasized the importance of immediate action.

The article provided a roadmap for finding missing persons, including adults with complex circumstances, those with mental illness, and most importantly, missing children. We discussed utilizing technology like cell phone tracking with caution and always involving law enforcement.

Remember, every detail and every minute matters. By acting promptly, collaborating with authorities, and using the resources available, you can increase the chances of a safe recovery. Never give up hope.