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 Case Updates with Photos
Amelia Martinez Smith
Smith, date, approximate 2000; Jeffrey Maxwell in 2011
Date Missing 02/03/2000
Missing From
Weatherford, Texas
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 02/15/1948 (74)
Age 51 years old
Height and Weight 5'3, 111 pounds
Medical Conditions Smith has been diagnosed with non-contagious tuberculosis.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Smith wears eyeglasses. Her ears are pierced. Smith's nickname is Amy.
Details of Disappearance Smith was employed at a taxi company in Irving, Texas in 2000. She departed from the business after her shift ended at 10:00 p.m. on February 3, 2000. Authorities believe that Smith drove to her trailer home in Weatherford, Texas alone shortly afterwards. Smith's husband was visiting his mother at the time, and their children were not at the residence either.
Neighbors reported that her trailer home was on fire at approximately 4:00 a.m. the following morning. By the time authorities arrived at the residence, it was fully engulfed in flames. Investigators discovered that someone also attempted to set fire to the interior of Smith's vehicle, which was located near her home. She resided alone at the time and authorities were unable to discover evidence suggesting she was a victim of the fire.
Smith has never been heard from again. Investigators believe that an arsonist was responsible for the fire at her residence. An extensive search of the surrounding areas produced no clues as to her whereabouts.
Jeffrey Allan Maxwell is considered a possible suspect in Smith's disappearance. In March 2011, he was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 62-year-old woman. The woman went missing after her house burned down, and was found alive thirteen days later in a secret compartment in Jeffrey's home. She'd been bound, raped and tortured.
A photo of Jeffrey is posted with this summary. Authorities haven't found any evidence that he knew Smith, but her disappearance was remarkably similar to the 2011 kidnapping. He has long been a suspect in the 1992 disappearance of his wife, Martha, who was never found.
Her husband stated Smith is deeply religious and a responsible person who would not have abandoned her children. Foul play is suspected in Smith's , which remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Parker County Sheriff's Office
817-594-8845
Other
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Associated Press
The Houston Chronicle
The Laredo Morning Times
The Dallas Morning News
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 Case Updates with Photos
