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

Brenwanda C. Smith







Smith, date, approximate 1997; Smith's uniform logo; Juan Covington
Date Missing 02/18/1997
Missing From
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
Black
Date of Birth 05/31/1972 (50)
Age 24 years old
Height and Weight 5'9, 135 - 150 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A gold ring on the middle finger of her right hand, a light blue uniform shirt and dark blue uniform pants. A SEPTA logo was on her shirt sleeve; an image of the logo is posted with this summary.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Light brown hair, brown eyes. Smith's hair was styled in braids at the time of her disappearance. Her nickname is Brennie. Smith's ears are pierced.
Details of Disappearance Smith worked as a bus driver for SEPTA, the public transit system, in 1997; she had held the job since 1994. She was a hold-down operator, meaning she substituted whenever other drivers were sick or on vacation.
Smith reported for work at 4:00 a.m. on February 18, 1997. At 12:00 p.m. day, she was involved in a minor traffic accident and had to fill out an accident report at the depot. She completed her shift at 1:30 p.m. She was last seen at the Luzerne depot near Old York Road and Luzerne Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 7:00 p.m., several hours after her work day ended.
One of her coworkers offered her a ride home, and she stated she already had a ride she was waiting for. She did not have a car of her own, and usually got rides from coworkers or her father, or took the bus home. Smith apparently never arrived at her apartment and has never been heard from again.
Some have speculated that Juan Covington, a diagnosed schizophrenic, former SEPTA employee, and serial killer, may have been involved in Smith's . A photograph of Covington is posted with this summary. He had asked Smith for a date, but she rejected him, and she disappeared shortly after arguing with him at the SEPTA yard.
In 2005, Covington admitted to shooting five people over the course of eight years, killing three of them and wounding two. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three of life in prison. It's worth noting that, while he freely confessed to the five shooting incidents, he has not admitted any involvement in Smith's disappearance, and the circumstances of his known murders are much different than the circumstances surrounding Smith's .
Covington has not been charged in Smith's disappearance, and investigators stated there was no evidence he was involved in her . The fact that she knew him may have been entirely coincidental.
Smith's remains unsolved. Her parents describe her as a responsible individual who would not have left without warning. She graduated from Central High School. Prior to taking the SEPTA job, she attended business school and worked at a bank.
Smith worked long hours and saved her money to move from Philadelphia to a new apartment in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania; she completed the move shortly before her disappearance and Cheltenham police are investigating her .
Investigating Agency
Cheltenham Police Department
215-885-1600
Other
Brennie's Friend
Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Serial Killer Central
20/20
NamUs
CrimeWatchers.Net

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