Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Photos

A’Shia Monique Jenkins


A'Shia, date, approximate 2003; Kenneth Jenkins
Date Missing 02/11/2003
Missing From
Baltimore, Maryland
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
Black
Date of Birth 12/04/2002 (19)
Age 2 months old
Height and Weight 1'9, 8 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A purple snowsuit, a purple hat, a pink t-shirt, and yellow socks.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes.
Details of Disappearance A'Shia's father, Kenneth Gabriel Jenkins Jr., told police she was abducted at 9:05 a.m. on February 11. A photograph of Kenneth is posted with this summary. He claimed that he, A'Shia, and A'Shia's twin sister got into an unlicensed taxicab and in the middle of the ride, the driver turned around and threatened him with a gun, demanding money.
Kenneth said he was able to get himself and A'Shia's sister out of the car, but it sped off with A'Shia still inside. Kenneth described the car as an older model white four-door Honda Accord with a black interior. He described the driver as an African-American male in his late twenties or early thirties who was wearing black pants, a black and white striped shirt, and black shoes.
An Amber Alert was issued in A'Shia's , but it was canceled after two days. Based on inconsistencies in the story and outside information they had uncovered, police decided Kenneth's story was a fabrication. They began searching landfills for A'Shia's body.
The next day, Kenneth was charged with first-degree murder in A'Shia's . He confessed to accidentally smothering the child in his home in the 2500 block of Francis Street, as he was trying to stifle her crying in the early morning hours on the day of her disappearance.
He said he panicked because he had an outstanding warrant against him for probation violation and feared arrest if he went to the police. Instead Kenneth disposed of A'Shia's body in a dumpster and filed the abduction report.
A'Shia's body has not been located and is believed to have been unknowingly incinerated by the South Baltimore Refuse Energy Systems. In addition, Kenneth's taped confession to authorities was accidentally erased on February 20, when a detective made a mistake while trying to duplicate the audiotape.
He never confessed to having deliberately murdered his daughter; he only stated that she died in an accident at his home. Police were able to recover only part of Kenneth's statement. The erased confession was the only direct evidence implicating him.
Kenneth initially pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, child abuse, and making false statements to police, but in December 2003 he entered an Alford plea to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter. An Alford plea does not admit guilt, but acknowledges that there is enough evidence to convict the defendant if the were to go to trial.
A'Shia remains missing. Foul play is suspected in her due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
Baltimore City Police Department
410-396-2100
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Code Amber
The Washington Post
Sunspot.Net: Maryland's Online Community
Baltimore City Paper
The WBAL Channel
The Child Seek Network
. .

Missing Person Photos

A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2 to 5 percent of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.

Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Photos