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

Eugene Wade Martin




Eugene, date, approximate 1984; Age-progression to age 49 (date, approximate 2019)
Date Missing 08/12/1984
Missing From
Des Moines, Iowa
Missing Classification Non-Family Abduction
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 08/17/1970 (52)
Age 13 years old
Height and Weight 5'0, 110 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A gray and white striped midriff t-shirt with red sleeves, blue jeans and blue Trax sneakers with white diagonal stripes.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Eugene has a scar on his right knee. One of his wrists has a healed fracture. His nickname is Gene.
Details of Disappearance Eugene was last seen between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. on August 12, 1984 in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. He was preparing to start delivering his morning newspaper route at the time. He normally delivered the papers with his older stepbrother, but his stepbrother was not with him that day.
Witnesses saw Eugene talking to a man between 5:00 and 5:15 a.m. at southwest 12th Street and Highview Drive. The man is described as clean-cut, and he appeared to be in his thirties. He has never been identified. They were reportedly engaged in friendly conversation.
Eugene's route manager called his family at approximately 7:15 a.m. to report that Eugene's newspaper sack had not been retrieved from the corner of southwest 14th and Highview Streets. The manager called the family back 15 minutes later around 7:30 a.m. and reported that the papers were still unclaimed. Eugene's father then called the authorities. Eugene has not been seen nor heard from again.
Eugene disappeared from the same vicinity where John Gosch was last seen in 1982. It is not known if the two s are related, but both boys were newspaper carriers in the Des Moines area.
Eugene enjoyed football, fishing, skating, watching television and playing video games at the time of his disappearance. His father and stepmother divorced sometime after he went missing, and now both of his parents are deceased. His remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Des Moines Police Department
515-283-4864
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Child Protection Education of America
Websleuths
The Des Moines Register
Iowa Cold s

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