Challenges of Finding the Missing
Challenges of Finding the Missing Dianne Derby WSAV News 3 Thursday, April 20, 2006 In nearly every local case of a missing adult the person has simply walked off. That's according to Savannah-Chatham police. But whether that person disappeared of their own free will or by foul play investigators face a number of challenges. "By the time they get to me the pressure is really on," said Frederick Agency private investigator Ron Palefsky. Palefsky knows a lot about the pressure to find a missing person. He said he's often a last resort for families desperate to find their loved ones. "The parents will say to me 'I just want them to know they're okay'," said Palefsky. But giving them that answer isn't always easy. "It just comes down to old-fashioned detective work," Palefsky said. "It's knocking on doors--asking questions." Palefsky said in cases where people want to walk away there is no paper trail. It's something Palefsky said is very frustrating. "You never want to go back to a client and say 'I'm sorry I can't solve this'," Palefsky said. Solving missing people cases becomes even more frustrating for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's medical examiner, Dr. Jamie Downs, who may collect evidence from a body but have no other details. "You're looking at it as one person--I want to find this one person," said Downs. "What we get is we have this unidentified body--who is it?" And without a missing person reported answering that question is a big challenge. "We have to start the universe of possible identities which is literally to us everybody in the world," said Downs. Reporting Missing People Being on your side we wanted to tell you what steps you should take if your loved one should ever go missing. Savannah-Chatham police said before filing a police report you should check that the person is not with relatives, friends, or at local hospitals. When making a police report investigators say it is very important to have a recent photo. You will also be asked to give a full description including any special features like tattoos. In Savannah parents can also have finger prints and pictures taken of their children. To schedule an appointment call your local precinct crime prevention officer. http://www.wsav.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSAV/MGArticle/SAV_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835497097&path=!frontpage