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Missing Michael Zapletal 
Michael, approximately 2007 Date reported missing : 08/15/2007 Missing location (approx) : Maple Hill, Kansas Missing classification : Lost/Injured Missing Gender : Male Ethnicity : White Age at the time of disappearance: 9 years old Height / Weight : Unknown Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A white shirt. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian male. Brown, blue eyes hair. Michael's nickname is Mike. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Michael was last seen in the Kansas River near Maple Hill, Kansas during the early afternoon on August 15, 2007. He was on an outing with his father, three of his brothers, and four friends. The river's current at the time was somewhat faster than normal, about twelve to fifteen miles per hour. Michael and two other children were wading in about two feet of water on a sandbar by the river's edge, about 250 yards west of the Maple Hill Bridge. The sandbar collapsed just before everyone was about to return to shore. All of the children were rescued with the exception of Michael; he disappeared from sight in the water and has never been heard from again. He is assumed to have drowned. An extensive search of the river, lasting several days, turned up no sign of him. Michael, one of five boys in his family, was an altar boy at Saint John Vianney Catholic Church in the 14600 block of Waterman Crossing Road south of Maple Hill. The family had begun attending the church in 2004; it's one of only about 160 in the country where Mass is still conducted in Latin. Michael was supposed to begin the fourth grade at the parish school, where his father taught fifth and sixth grades, on August 22; the start of the school year was delayed by one day because of his disappearance. His family held a funeral service for him in September 2007, but his body has never been never found. Other information and links : ncy Shawnee County Sheriff's Office 785-251-2253 September 2021 updates and sources Texas EquuSearch The Topeka Capital-Journal KAKE 10 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. WIBW 2 The Lawrence Journal-World October 12, 2004. November 18, 2016; picture added, Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : and Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : updated. |