Why Do Some Missing People Get More News Coverage?
Why Do Some Missing People Get More News Coverage? Tue Oct 25, 7:48 PM ET Three weeks ago, Christie Wilson, a 27-year-old woman from Sacramento, vanished after spending the night gambling at Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln. This month, several other people also disappeared; however, their cases have not received as much attention. Through e-mails and phone calls, KCRA 3 has heard from viewers who asked how missing person stories are picked to cover. In short, KCRA 3 takes its cues from law enforcement who say they have very specific criteria for calling someone an "at risk" person or -- in more extreme cases -- someone missing under "suspicious circumstances." Wilson's case was cut and dry for law enforcement to classify as a person missing under suspicious circumstances. She was last seen with a man who has a violent criminal history. Her car was left behind. And since Oct. 5, there's been no activity on her cell phone or bank accounts. Other recent cases include Geneva Brewer, a 31-year-old foster mother missing from Rio Linda. Her family claims her disappearance is out of character, but law enforcement officials said there is no evidence showing she's in any danger. To call someone an "at risk" missing person, according to law enforcement, they have to be anyone under 14 years old; anyone who has left without taking life-sustaining medication; or anyone with mental health problems, where they could be a danger to themselves or others. The case of Beverly Paul is one example. UC Davis police are calling her an "at risk" missing person. Paul, a UC Davis graduate student was last seen at Sierra Vista Hospital on Bruceville Road. Friends have told law enforcement she was depressed. The criteria for a more severe situation, where someone is missing under "suspicious circumstances" includes if there is evidence of, or someone witnesses, an abduction; if credit cards or a cell phone shows a halt in activity; or if someone's car is abandoned. "Once we find that vehicle, we try to backtrack and see where that person is in relationship to that vehicle, why it's been left, abandoned, what ever it may be," said Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman R.L. Davis. "Then you have circumstances that dictate a different response because then you have a vehicle that had a person who is no longer with that car." Law enforcement officials said that if you suspect someone is missing, do not hesitate to call 911. You can file a report immediately. KCRA Via YahooNews