#1
More than 500,000 people go missing every year in the United States alone. That's according to data from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the country.
NamUs' site notes that between 2021 and 2025, an average of 532,727 missing persons records annually were entered into the National Crime Information Center. It adds that many individuals reported missing are found alive and well, but some become long-term missing persons. Then there are those found deceased but unidentified.
"Over 11,000 sets of unidentified human remains were held in medical examiner and coroner offices throughout the U.S. according to the 2018 Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners," reveals NamUS. It's a scary statistic.
#2
#3
9 year old girl walks out of her house around 3am with a backpack and just starts walking down the road in a thunderstorm. Multiple cars pass her, but when a motorist tries to help, she runs into the woods. Never seen again.
Investigators find some of her belongings the next day, but no leads. A year and a half after she disappears, her backpack is found wrapped in trash bags and buried at a construction site.
No new leads until 2024 when some new search warrants were issued. Still no trace of her.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, nearly 30,000 children were reported missing in 2024 alone.
The Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) says that about 90% of those cases were resolved, adding that a vast majority of missing children cases turn out to be runaways. Despite this, investigators are trained to treat each case as a missing minor and possible abduction until they learn otherwise.
#4
She was on a call with I believe her cousin(?) and you can hear she starts realizing the man is taking her from where she was wanting to go, she starts asking him where he's taking her and he tries lying to her then the call gets dropped. That's the last anyone has heard or seen of her, and people believe she was a victim to an active serial criminal that's been preying on women from Edmonton.
#5
She's the same age as me and from my hometown. She went on a yoga retreat with a bunch of people in Guatemala. The group rented kayaks and went out on a lake. Everyone returned on their kayaks except her, and immediately flew home. All of them are refusing to speak on the matter.
#6
The whole scientology thing is weird but this is peak weird.
Children go missing for various reasons. Some are taken by a person known to them, such as a parent, other relative, or family friend. Others run away to meet an online acquaintance or to escape their home life. Then there are those reported as missing in order to cover up horrific crimes.
Some children, especially babies, are kidnapped by people who want to raise them as their own. There are also cases of very young kids, or those with developmental disabilities, wandering off and getting lost. And there are children who get snatched by complete strangers.
#7
In 1991, she was abducted from a payphone booth while on the phone with her boyfriend. He heard her screaming and also heard the voice of the person who is presumed to have kidnapped her.
So her boyfriend hops in his car and starts racing toward where she is. At some point on that route, a truck passes by headed the opposite direction and he hears her screaming from the truck. He attempts to turn around to chase the truck, but his car breaks down. She's never been found.
#8
#9
The FBI's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) Team steps in when a child is believed to have been abducted by a stranger. They're ready to deploy at a moment's notice.
"Rapid is part of the team's name for a reason," reads the FBI's site. "When a child is missing, time is a central factor."
There are number of reasons why... Based on past cases, as well as interviews with victims and perpetrators, the FBI warns that children abducted by for the purpose of a*****t are usually harmed within minutes of the abduction.
#10
Jodi was a news anchor in 1995. On the day of her disappearance, a coworker called Jodi at 4 AM when they noticed that Jodi was late for work. Jodi answered the call and said she had overslept, but was on her way. She never showed up. When police were called, they found signs of a struggle outside her apartment near her car including a bent car key and her shoes, leading them to believe she had been abducted.
It’s been over 30 years, and she’s never been seen or found. It’s still an active investigation.
#11
#12
Just learned about her story, basically she vanished one night and they found only her arms in a dumpster, still unsolved.
"Time is also critical in recovering the abducted child alive," says Special Agent Jenifer Sparks, who leads the FBI's South Central CARD Team. Sparks reveals that historically, in cases where children are abducted and not found alive, 74% pass away within three hours of being taken. 90% don't make it to 24 hours.
Thankfully, the FBI says child abductions by complete strangers are rare. "In roughly 19 years, the CARD Team has deployed for 225 child abductions, an average of 12 a year," notes the agency.
#13
#14
* Johnny Gosch, 12 years old, disappeared while delivering the Des Moines Register on September 5, 1982 at
42nd Street & Marcourt Lane, West Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
* Eugene Martin, 13 years old, disappeared while delivering the Des Moines Register on August 12, 1984 at
Southwest 12th Street & Highview Drive, Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
* Marc Allen, 13 years old, disappeared while going to visit his friend on March 29, 1986 at Emma Ave, Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Overall distance, 13 miles, and a 23 minute drive between each. Gosch disappeared exactly a 4 minute drive away from the Interstate 80 and Interstate 35 interchange. While Martin & Allen disappeared just a short mile away from each other.
#15
If your child ever (God forbid) goes missing, you should call your local law enforcement agency immediately.
Provide them with your child’s name, date of birth, height, weight, and descriptions of any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses, braces or scars. Explain when you noticed your child was missing, what clothing they were wearing, and any other important details that could help with the search.
"Request law enforcement authorities immediately enter your child’s name and identifying information into the FBI’s National society/">Crime Information Center Missing Person File," adds the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's site.
#16
Being a parent of a 2 year old right now, I can’t even begin to imagine what that child went through. How scared he must of been. I hope the case is solved in my life time.
#17
#18
If you're in the United States, once you have called the police, you can also call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678).
If your child goes missing at home, experts at that center advise that you search through closets, piles of laundry, in and under beds, inside large appliances, inside vehicles (including trunks) and anywhere else that a child may be able to crawl or hide.
If your child goes missing in a mall or in a store, notify the store manager or security office. Then immediately call your local law enforcement agency. "Many stores have a Code Adam plan of action in place," reveals the center.
#19
