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
Dorien Deon Thomas
Dorien, date, approximate 1998; Age-progression to age 32 (date, approximate 2021); Sketch of possible assailant
Date Missing 10/26/1998
Missing From
Amarillo, Texas
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
Biracial, Black, White
Date of Birth 05/06/1989 (33)
Age 9 years old
Height and Weight 4'0, 60 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A red shirt and jeans.
Associated Vehicle(s) Aqua bicycle with very small white tires and rims, white handlebars, a black seat, a chrome-colored connection pole extending from the seat to the frame, a rusty chain, and the words "Free Style" on the side
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Biracial (African-American/Caucasian) male. Black hair, brown eyes. Dorien is of mixed racial ancestry; his grandmother was Caucasian and the rest of his relatives are African-American.
Details of Disappearance Dorien resided in an apartment complex in the 1300 block of northwest Ninth Avenue in Amarillo, Texas. He was last seen on October 26, 1998. He reportedly filled his bicycle tires with air and began riding around the neighborhood, possibly intending to get a snack. Dorien has never been heard from again.
His aqua bicycle was similar in fashion to a girls' bike. It was outfitted with very small white tires and rims, white handlebars, a black seat, a chrome-colored connection pole extending from the seat to the frame, and a rusty chain. The words "Free Style" were imprinted on one side of the bicycle. It disappeared with Dorien and has never been recovered.
The circumstances surrounding Dorien's disappearance are unclear. He was reported as a missing child after more than 24 hours had elapsed since his disappearance. Authorities have been unable to determine if he was abducted or if other factors were involved in his .
Dorien was one of the children who discovered the body of Gloria Ann Covington in August of 1997, more than one year prior to his disappearance. Dorien was playing in Hilltop Park in Amarillo with friends when they came across Covington's remains behind the YMCA building. She had been stabbed to death.
Covington's friend witnessed her murder and was assaulted herself during the crime. She said that Covington was attacked inside a light-colored pickup truck before her murder. Linda Gayle Jackson was killed one month after Covington's death. Witnesses reported that she entered a vehicle similar to the truck involved in Covington's . Both women's homicides remain unsolved.
A friend of the victims was beaten by an unidentified Caucasian man in September 1998. She said her attacker had red hair pulled in a ponytail, blue eyes and a mustache. The victim stopped at Dorien's mother's residence for assistance after the incident. She said that Dorien was home at the time and was seen by the suspect.
The victim claimed that the assailant threatened to harm her again in the future. She believes that the individual may have been involved in Dorien's . A sketch of the man is posted with this summary.
Authorities have been unable to determine if Dorien's disappearance is related to the unsolved murders. Several of Dorien's relatives initially believed a family friend took him to Dallas, Texas after he disappeared. The individual called authorities shortly thereafter and was not involved in Dorien's . Extensive searches of the Amarillo area produced no clues as to his whereabouts.
Dorien is described as a streetwise boy who knew his way around the neighborhood. Foul play is suspected in his . Some agencies state that he disappeared near his grandmother's residence.
Investigating Agency
Amarillo Police Department
806-378-3038
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Child Protection Education of America
America's Most Wanted
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Amarillo Globe-News
KAMR NBC-4
The Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation
KAMC 28 TV
KCBD News Channel 11
KLBK 13 TV
NBC News
Brandon Thomas
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