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

Carol M. Cooper



Cooper, date, approximate 2004; Terry Birmingham
Date Missing 09/17/2004
Missing From
Kansas City, Missouri
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 02/25/1918 (104)
Age 86 years old
Height and Weight 5'0, 100 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A black skirt, a gray and black sweater, and white sneakers. Carrying a black carpet bag.
Medical Conditions Cooper may be suffering from headaches, depression and dementia. She was in good physical condition at the time of her disappearance.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Gray hair, brown eyes. Cooper wears a hearing aid. She has a pronounced German/Austrian accent.
Details of Disappearance Cooper was last seen at her residence at Armour Homes, an assisted living center in the 8100 block of Wornall in Kansas City, Missouri on September 17, 2004. She left there on foot and never returned. She has never been heard from again.
On December 24, 1999, nearly five years before she went missing, Cooper was beaten, raped and robbed of $225 by a stranger in her home in the 4700 block of Jarboe Street in Kansas City. She described the perpetrator is described as an African-American male in his mid-thirties, 5'10 and 160 pounds.
Authorities got a DNA profile of her attacker and filed six "John Doe" felony charges against the individual. Based on his DNA, investigators determined the man had also attacked two other elderly women in the Kansas City area, one incident occurring as recently as 2005.
In August 2007, Terry U. Birmingham was arrested in connection with the attack on Cooper. A photograph of Birmingham is posted with this summary. He went to trial in January 2010 and was convicted of forcible rape, robbery and burglary.
The attack distressed Cooper severely and she began experiencing headaches and depression after it occurred. It is unclear whether attack or Birmingham had anything to do with her later disappearance, but authorities do not think she left of her own accord or planned to harm herself.
Cooper had an active lifestyle in 2004 and utilized public transportation to get around. She frequented the Independence Square and the County Club Plaza areas of Kansas City, and liked to attend cultural events. She swims and walks extensively. She has not used her passport, credit cards or bank accounts since September 2004.
Foul play is not suspected in her , but authorities believe she may be deceased.
Investigating Agency
Kansas City Police Department
816-234-5136
816-234-5000
Other
Kansas City Police Department
The National Center for Missing Adults
KCTV 5
The Kansas City Star

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