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

David Douglas Potts II






Potts, date, approximate 2006
Date Missing 10/29/2006
Missing From
Florissant, Missouri
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 10/22/1985 (36)
Age 21 years old
Height and Weight 6'3, 180 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A dark blue or black hooded Carhartt jacket with a torn pocket, a t-shirt, new blue jeans, new black and white Vans sneakers, a silver watch and a silver band on his pinky finger.
Associated Vehicle(s) Gray Ford Contour (accounted for)
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue/hazel eyes. Potts has a muscular build and a dog bite scar on his nose. He has the following tattoos: a Confederate flag and the words "rise again" at the base of his neck, Chinese characters that mean "drink" on his left forearm, and a skull and crossbones with green eyes on the small of his back. He has poor vision and normally wears wire-framed eyeglasses, but he did not have them with him when he disappeared. Potts may shave his head. He has caps on his front teeth and his four wisdom teeth have been extracted. He has previously broken his left femur and fractured his collarbone.
Details of Disappearance Potts was being pursued by the St. Ann police and the Missouri State Highway Patrol when he crashed his car on the Blanchette Bridge westbound on Interstate 70 in Florissant, Missouri at 2:30 a.m. on October 29, 2006.
Potts was driving a friend's gray Ford Contour at the time; he was at the wheel because he thought his friend was too drunk to drive. The police saw the vehicle weaving and tried to stop it, suspecting the driver was drunk. Instead of stopping, Potts led the police on a chase with speeds approaching 130 miles per hour.
After he crashed his car, Potts exited the car and ran, pursued by an officer, and jumped over the bridge rail. It's unclear whether he landed on the catwalk or fell into the Missouri River below. He has never been heard from again.
Since he went missing, Potts hasn't picked up any of his checks or used his bank accounts. He was carrying his wallet and identification cards at the time of his disappearance. Police initially considered him wanted, rather than missing. It wasn't until November 1 that they accepted a missing persons report.
On November 5, searchers did a water and land search, dragging the river near Blanchette Bridge, but they didn't find anything of interest. His friends stated Potts is a good swimmer.
Potts's mother was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time of his disappearance and said he regularly checked on her and it is uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning. Nevertheless, some of his loved ones believe he left of his own accord to start a new life; he had allegedly told family members he wanted to change and would do "whatever it takes."
The other theory is that Potts drowned in the Missouri River and his body was swept away by the current. His disappearance remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
St. Louis County Police Department
314-889-2341
Other
Missouri State Highway Patrol
Missouri Missing
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
NamUs
The Criminal Report Daily

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