|
Missing Melissa Ann Collins 
Melissa, approximately 1991; Age at the time of disappearance: -progression to Age at the time of disappearance: 36 (approximately 2009); Raymond "Sweet Pea" Smith Date reported missing : 08/08/1991 Missing location (approx) : Akron, Ohio Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : Biracial, Black, White DOB : 11/25/1973 (47) Age at the time of disappearance: 17 years old Height / Weight : 5'3, 120 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A gold chain necklace and a nose ring. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Biracial (African-American/Caucasian) female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Melissa has a scar on her upper left arm. Her ears and nose are pierced, and she wears eyeglasses. Her nicknames are Lisa and Lisaboone. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Melissa and her infant daughter, Jasmine, were last seen in Akron, Ohio on August 8, 1991. At 4:00 p.m., Melissa's mother dropped her daughter and granddaughter off at Melissa's apartment in the 100 block of Westwood Avenue. At around 7:30 p.m., Melissa and Jasmine left to walk to a grocery store four blocks from their residence. Neither of them has been seen again. It's uncharacteristic of Melissa to be out of touch with her family; she usually spoke to her mother daily by phone. Even when she ran away for a month while she was pregnant with Jasmine, Melissa called her parents to let them know she was safe. Her mother described her as a very trusting teenAge at the time of disappearance: r. She didn't have a driver's license in 1991 and relied on her mother for rides. When her mother went to Melissa's apartment after the disappearance, she found no indications that Melissa had planned to leave with her baby. Her purse was in the bedroom, her clothes were freshly washed and folded, and there was a stock of diapers for Jasmine, as well as baby bottles already filled with formula and waiting in the fridge. Melissa's mother doesn't believe she would have left without taking her belongings and Jasmine's baby supplies. She also never cashed her last welfare check. The last person to claim he saw Melissa and Jasmine is also the prime suspect in their cases. Raymond "Sweet Pea" Smith Jr. was staying with a woman who sublet her apartment to Melissa at the time. A photo of him is posted with this case summary. Smith said he saw Melissa and Jasmine leave the apartment that evening, and he himself left shortly after they did. When he returned to the apartment a day or two later, his clothes were stained. A witness thought the stains looked like blood, but this wasn't reported to the police until after it was no longer possible to locate the clothes for testing. Smith had a history of violence, drug abuse and mental illness, with prior convictions for crimes ranging from drug offenses, Gender : ual imposition and aggravated assault. Melissa had told her mother she was afraid of him and that he had made unwanted advances towards her. Shortly after Melissa and Jasmine disappeared, Smith and the woman whose apartment Melissa sublet moved to a new home on Raymond Street. In February 1992, six months after Melissa and Jasmine disappeared, Smith died by suicide in the basement of his Raymond Street residence, at the Age at the time of disappearance: of 37. He left behind a note which said only "To whom it may concern" on it; the rest of the paper was blank. The motive for his suicide is unclear, but he was facing serious criminal charges and didn't want to return to prison. He was never charged in connection with the Collinses' disappearances; in fact, the police never even interviewed him about it. The Collins cases are still unsolved, but foul play is suspected due to the circumstances involved. Other information and links : ncy Akron Police Department 330-375-2530 September 2021 updates and sources The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Akron Police Department 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 not known. 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�5% 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. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s 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. Child Quest International Inc. The Akron Beacon Journal |