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

y Joanna Brooks








y, date, approximate 2008
Date Missing 01/29/2008
Missing From
Tiburon, California
Missing Classification Lost/Injured Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 05/03/1990 (32)
Age 17 years old
Height and Weight 5'6, 124 pounds
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. y was born in Poland; her birth name was Joanna Neilacna.
Details of Disappearance y was last seen on January 29, 2008. She left her Tiburon, California home at 5:00 a.m. and never returned. Video surveillance cameras at the Golden Gate Bridge showed y parking her car at the north end and walking onto the bridge on the east sidewalk. She smoked a cigarette, climbed over the rail and jumped. y left a note behind at home saying, "The Saab is parked at the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm sorry."
y was born in Poland and spent the first months of her life in an orphanage. She was born prematurely and had to spend an extended time period in the hospital, and her twin sister died at birth. She was adopted by an American couple in July 1991, and they took her back to the United States in August.
She was a senior at Redwood High School at the time of her disappearance, and a very good student. She had obtained early admission to Bennington College in Vermont, her first-choice school, where she planned to study journalism and environmental science.
y was taking a heavy academic load that included advanced placement classes, and she was stressed over her coursework. In addition, she had recently had a fight with her parents and they cut off her allowance and driving privileges.
Her family stated her emotional problems became evident in middle school. Her parents took her to several therapists, who all suggested different diagnoses and methods of treatment, but y was uncooperative.
She seemed much calmer and happier in the year before her death, however. In spite of her history, her loved ones don't think she was seriously depressed and they characterized her presumed suicide as an impulsive act. y's body has never been found.
Investigating Agency
Tiburon Police Department
415-789-2800
Other
California Attorney General's Office
I Heart y
y Brooks Remembrance Page
San Francisco Magazine
The Marin Independent Journal
The Bridge - Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge

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