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
James Donald Lusher Jr.
Lusher, date, approximate 1992; Age-progression to age 33 (date, approximate 2009); Lewis Lent, date, approximate 1996
Date Missing 11/06/1992
Missing From
Westfield, Massachusetts
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 10/15/1976 (45)
Age 16 years old
Height and Weight 5'2, 110 pounds
Medical Conditions Jamie is classified as a special needs child; he is hyperactive and functions at the level of a twelve-year-old.
Associated Vehicle(s) Gray-green Huffy mountain bicycle (accounted for)
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Lusher's nickname is Jamie and almost all accounts refer to him by that name.
Details of Disappearance Jamie was a special needs student enrolled at Westfield Alternative School in Westfield, Massachusetts in 1992. He planned to ride his gray-green Huffy mountain bicycle from his father's residence in Westfield to his grandmother's house in Blandford, Massachusetts on November 6, 1992. He planned to view a bicycle race in Blandford.
The trip was approximately 12 miles. Jamie never arrived as was expected.
A server employed at Friendly's Restaurant in Westfield told authorities that Jamie visited the establishment on November 8, two days after he initially disappeared. A hunter discovered his bicycle abandoned near a pond in a wooded area of the city on November 11. The bike was brand new; Jamie had gotten it for his birthday three weeks before his disappearance.
Authorities drained the pond and conducted an extensive air and ground search, but no evidence related to Jamie's whereabouts was located. He has never been heard from again. Authorities and his family initially believed he was a runaway, but they no longer believe he left of his own accord.
Convicted murderer Lewis S. Lent Jr. was placed near Westfield at the time of Jamie's disappearance. A photo of Lent is posted below this summary. Lent was charged with the murder of another Massachusetts child, as well as the 1993 New York disappearance of Sara Wood. Lent confessed to abducting and killing Sara, but recanted his statements afterwards. He was convicted of her presumed homicide at a later date.
In July 2013, authorities announced Lent had confessed to Jamie's murder in detail. Authorities stated they didn't plan to prosecute Lent, as he is already in prison for life. They initiated a search for Jamie's body in Greenwater Pond, which is 88 acres in size and up to 58 feet deep in places. After three days they couldn't find any human remains or any of Jamie's clothing or belongings, but they haven't given up hope of locating his body.
Jamie's parents were divorced in 1992 and he lived with his father; they had a troubled relationship. His father described his son as a moody, immature teenager who disliked school and had few friends. Foul play is suspected due to the circumstances involved in Jamie's disappearance.
Investigating Agency
Westfield Police Department
413-562-5411
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The Standard-Times
America's Most Wanted
The Union-News
The Doe Network
Child Protection Education Of America
The Union-News
NewsLibrary
The Republican
WWLP 22
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
