The Role of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in Missing Person Incidents

The Role of the Ohio Attorney
General’s Office in Missing
Person Incidents
Brent Currence
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Special Operations
Ohio Attorney General’s Office
Today’s Discussion
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Scope & Scale
Legislation
BCI & MPU Overview
Case Studies
Vision
WHO ARE OUR MISSING CHILDREN?
• Lost, Injured or Otherwise Missing
(Endangered)
• Runaway/Thrownaway
• Family Abductions
• Non-Family Abductions (including
stereotypical kidnappings)
Who Are Our Missing Adults?
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Disability
Involuntary
Endangered
Catastrophe
Lost, Injured or Otherwise Missing
Under 21
21 and older
All Ages
Total
550,424
128,436
678,860
Juvenile
500,892
107
500,999
Endangered
16,548
32,971
49,519
Involuntary
9,611
9,897
19,508
Disability
6,340
23,225
29,565
Catastrophe
183
262
445
Other
16,850
61,974
78,824
Female
294,691
49,967
334,658
Male
255,711
78,461
334,172
Unknown
22
8
30
NCIC Breakdown
• 2011- End of the year
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85,158 active missing person records
37,371 missing under 18
9,832 missing between age of 18 & 20
37,995 Missing adults
• 678,860 missing persons entered in 2011
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322,598 used MPC field in NCIC entry
316,743 coded as runaway
9,596 abducted by stranger
384 abducted by parent
Unidentified Persons
2011 NCIC files
• Total Active Unidentified Persons 01/01/2011
– 7,721
• Total entered during 2011
– Deceased persons- 743
– Catastrophe victims- 36
– Living victims- 251
– Total for 2011- 1,030
• Records cleared- 848
Scope and Scale
• Current Ohio Stats
– 1066- 703 children/ 363 adults currently
are entered missing in Ohio
– 18,000 to 20,000/ year children entered
into NCIC
– Adults????
– 44 found deceased
– Over 7,000 active unidentified nationwide
Ohio Missing Found Deceased
• Of the 44 found deceased, 17 had alert issued
– 1 AMBER Alert
– 0 Endangered Missing Child Alerts
– 7 Endangered Missing Adult Alerts
– 9 local media alerts
• 35 were adults (24 males, 11 females)
• 9 were children (6 males, 3 females)
Ohio Missing Found Deceased
Causes of Death
Adult Males
Adult Females
Homicide
Suicide
Weather
Accidental
Homicide
Suicide
Weather
Accidental
5
11
1
7
6
4
1
0
Ohio Missing Found Deceased
Causes of Death
Juvenile Males
Juvenile Females
Homicide
Suicide
Weather
Accidental
Homicide
Suicide
Weather
Accidental
1
2
0
3
3
0
0
0
Summary
• Suicide is most common cause of death (17)
– Most common with adult males
• Homicide is 2nd (15)
– Most common with adult & Juvenile females
• Accidental is 3rd (10)
– Most common for juvenile males
– Includes drug overdose, hit-skip crashes, other
types of car crashes, drowning
Understanding The Stats
• Missing adult males threatening suicide should require
an immediate and thorough investigative response.
• Missing adult and teen females with no explanation of
disappearance are high risk to being a victim of a
homicide.
• Infants reported missing is being used by parents to
cover up a homicide or accidental death.
• Adult males living high risk life style are susceptible to
accidental death. Many were under the influence of
alcohol and/or drugs.
Ohio Missing Person Laws
• O.R.C. 2901.30 Missing Child Report
– LE shall take report if parent, legal custodian, caregiver or
guardian reports a child missing
– Shall take prompt action to locate the child
– No rule or policy permitted that discourages reporting
– Immediate entry of child’s information into NCIC
• O.R.C. 2901.42 Missing Adult
– Required to have procedure to respond
• 18 to 21 years- immediate NCIC entry
• Over 21 Red flags present- up to 7 days to enter into NCIC
• Over 21 No red flags- up to 30 days to enter into NCIC
Ohio Bureau of Criminal
Investigation (BCI)
• Serves as the State’s official crime lab serving the
criminal justice community
• Also provides expert criminal investigative services
to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies
upon request
• 3 main divisions
– Identification Division
– Investigations Division
– Laboratory Division
BCI Investigations Division
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Crime Scene Unit
Criminal Intelligence Unit
Cyber Crimes Unit
Special Investigations Unit
Missing Persons Unit
Technical Operations Unit
Crimes Against Children Unit
National Perspective
• Created with USDOJ request
• Every State has a Missing Persons Unit or
Clearinghouse
– Officially created in 1992
– Many differences is operations and responsibility
• Ohio originally focused towards missing children’s
issues and stats
• Expanded responsibility in 2008
• Involved in many different missing person issues
Resources Utilized
• Law enforcement
– State- BCI, OSHP, CART, other clearinghouses, local task
forces
– Federal- FBI, ICE, US Marshal’s, US State Dept.
• Non-profit
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NCMEC
NamUs
Let’s Bring Them home
National Runaway Switchboard
Team Hope
A Child Is Missing
Ohio Missing Persons Unit
• Assist law enforcement with missing children
investigations
– Act as intermediary between law enforcement and parents
– Phone calls
– Post photos ( 2011-98% & 2012- 98.9% clearance rate) &
poster system
• Receive tips and leads
• Locator
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Access to all BCI Units and coordination of other resources
MySpace/Facebook and other social websites
Lexis Nexis/TLO and other public records
Coordination of investigations involving other jurisdictions
Ohio Missing Persons Unit
• Provide guidance and recommendations
– Investigative guidance
– Legal advice
– Resource recommendations
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Training
Notification system for AMBER Alerts
Issues Missing Adult, Endangered Missing Child Alerts
Save a life!
Overview of Operations Flow
• Call for assistance
• Obtain information on missing and all involved
– Confirm report has been taken, entered into NCIC
• Utilize information resources to develop possible
locations, suspects, further criminalization
• Evaluate needs and provide resource
recommendations
• Utilize tools to publicize case or issue alerts
• Long term cases
What Are The Alerts:
• All of the alerts are an “additional tool” to use
to help locate a missing child or adult “at risk”
of serious physical injury or death
• All of the alerts utilize the media to help alert
the general public of this missing person
• The alerts can also use other partners to
broadcast the information
• Basically is a broadcast “Media Release” sent
to all media outlets statewide
Basic Understanding of Each Alert
• AMBER Alert
– This alert is for “abducted” children
– It is designed to be issued quickly, because if “bad guy” intends to kill
the child, the child is usually killed very quickly after the abduction
• Missing Child Alert
– Alternative to AMBER Alerts if your case does not meet AMBER
criteria, but child is still “at risk” and can be any type of missing child
– Not released as quickly as AMBER and does not use all the same
resources
• Missing Adult Alert
– For Elderly (65 yrs. and older) or for any adult with a mental disability
– The mental disability must be diagnosed by a medical professional
AMBER Alert
• Law Enforcement confirms child is under 18 yrs. of age.
• Law enforcement believes the abduction poses a credible
threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death
to the child.
• There is sufficient descriptive information about the child, the
suspect and/or the circumstances surrounding the abduction
to believe that activation of the alert will help locate the
child.
• A law enforcement agency determines that the child is not a
runaway and has not been abducted as a result of a family
abduction, unless the investigation determines that the child
is in immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death.
Endangered Missing Child Alert
• Victim under 18 years of age
• Missing Child – Runaway, Lost Non-Witnessed /
Non-Confirmed Abduction, Child is missing with
circumstances unknown
• Child’s missing status confirmed by law
enforcement and victim is in danger of serious
bodily harm or death.
• There is enough descriptive information concerning
the circumstances, suspect, vehicle, and victim
where the public would be able to assist.
Endangered Missing Adult Alert
• The local investigating law enforcement agency
confirms that the individual is missing.
• The individual is 65 years of age or older or any adult
that has a mental impairment.
• The disappearance of the individual poses a credible
threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm
or death to the individual.
• There is sufficient descriptive information about the
individual and the circumstances surrounding the
individual's disappearance to indicate that activation
of the alert will help locate the individual.
Runaway Case Study
• 12/28/2012, 15 year old girl reported missing
• Circumstances
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Missing was having issues with parents
Missing spent a lot of time online, few local friends
She took her cell phone, but it was turned off
Took hard drive out of computer
• Agency took report, searched house, interviewed
friends and family
• Search warrant for Facebook
– Suspect 20 yr. old male in Indianapolis
Runaway Case Study
• Agency receive little cooperation from Indianapolis
Metro PD
– Served search warrant on 20 yr. old
• We were contacted to assist
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Posted on website and issued alert
Created profile of suspects and neighborhood
Sent SIU Agent
Utilized CIU for phone analysis
Created new profile
Contacted NCMEC & Indiana Clearinghouse for assistance
Runaway Case Study
• Information posted on AGO, NCMEC and Indiana
websites
• Follow up on tips and leads
• Interviewed clerk at gas station, cell mapped, review of
station video, process station
• Indianapolis Metro PD stopped at suspects house 3
times per day
• Coordinated meeting with all involved and was going
to recommend search teams for State Park
• Friend of 20 yr. old called and she was recovered on
1/16/2013
Missing Adult Case Study
• 97 Yr. old Edna Clay was reported missing by
her daughter on 7/25/12 9:44 p.m.
• LAST SEEN: At her residence in Vinton County
on July 25, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
• DETAILS: Edna Clay suffers from Dementia and
has poor eyesight. She is very physically fit
and walks daily. Family believed she was a
victim of criminal activity. Edna had $200 on
her.
• Endangered Missing Adult Alert issued
7/26/13 11:42 a.m.
Missing Adult Case Study
• 7/25/12
– Searched residence
– Had officers conduct search of area
– Temperatures were very humid and around 100 degrees
• 7/26/12
– Officers, Fire, EMS and Buckeye K-9 conducted ground
searches
– OSHP had a plane with FLIR overhead
– Follow up on tips and leads, SIU investigator sent
– We recommended utilizing Search and Rescue Teams
Missing Adult Case Study
• 7/27/12
– Search and Rescue Teams arrived
– Severe weather continued hampering efforts
• 7/28/12
– Weather cleared, but very hot and humid
– Search efforts continued
– She was located alive at 2:54 p.m.
– She had fell down a dry creek bed, broke her arm and
other injuries.
– She was life-flighted to OSU hospital
Our Role With Search & Rescue
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Partnership
Creating committee to oversee
Pushing the use of teams
Point of contact for calls
Training or credentialing of teams
Training of law enforcement
Helping teams make contacts
Search and Rescue Teams Role
• Be the search resource to help with locating a
lost or missing person
– Statewide structure
– Call out as individual teams
– Participate in CART
• Maintain professional standards and training
– Essential for in court and trust of law enforcement
• Need to est. relationships & trust
Resources
Ohio Missing Persons Unit
 www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/MissingPersons
 www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/OpenInvestigations
National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children
 www.missingkids.com
National Center for Missing Adults/ Let’s Bring
Them Home
 www.lbth.org
Resources
The Ohio AMBER Plan
 www.ohioamberplan.org
Ohio Missing Adult Alerts
 www.missingadults.ohio.gov
The Charley Project
 www.charleyproject.org
The Doe Network
 www.doenetwork.org
National Runaway Switchboard
 www.1800runaway.org
NAMUS
 www.namus.gov
For more, Contact me at:
information
Brent L. Currence, Manager
Missing Persons Unit
Special Operations
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Office
[email protected]
1-800-325-5604