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.



Missing Person Photos

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

Jana Carpenter-Koklich
missing 2023 updates
missing 2023 updates
missing 2023 updates
missing 2023 updates
missing 2023 updates
missing 2023 updates
missing 2023 updates
Jana, date, approximate 2001; Bruce Koklich, date, approximate 2001
Date Missing 08/20/2001
Missing From
Lakewood, California
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 01/01/1960 (62)
Age 41 years old
Height and Weight 5'7, 130 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A blouse and skirt.
Associated Vehicle(s) White 1996 Nissan Pathfinder SUV (accounted for)
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Jana has a half-inch scar above her right eye. Her ears are pierced. Some agencies may spell Jana's last name "Carpenter Koklich." Some agencies may refer to her as Jana Koklich and/or Jana C. Koklich.
Details of Disappearance Jana was last seen by her friends after an Eric Clapton concert on August 17, 2001. Her husband, Bruce Koklich, told authorities that his wife returned to their home in the 2200 block of Lewis Street in Lakewood, California late that evening. A photo of Bruce is posted with this summary. Jana's friends stated that she did not drink alcohol during the concert, as she had an early morning appointment with her personal trainer on August 18.
Jana's trainer said that she never called to cancel the appointment and never arrived as scheduled. She had not missed an appointment with her trainer in two years. Her mother said that she called Jana during the day on August 18 and left several messages on her answering machine at home, but Jana never returned the calls, which was very uncharacteristic of her.
Jana and Bruce worked together as realtors with RE/MAX International Inc.'s Seal Beach Office in California. Bruce claimed that Jana was extremely busy from August 18 - 20 and overlooked the calls and appointment with her trainer. He said that he last saw his wife when he departed from their residence between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. on August 20.
Bruce said he looked at several properties and arrived at their office in the 3900 block of Atlantic Avenue at approximately 8:30 a.m. He said he attended a funeral from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. when he returned to the office.
Bruce stated he became concerned about Jana when she did not arrive at work by 11:00 a.m. and called her cellular phone, which she normally kept turned off, and their residence. He drove to their home after she failed to answer his call; a coworker insisted on accompanying them and noticed Bruce had to deactivate the burglar alarm before going inside. They realized Jana was missing.
Bruce said he summoned an unidentified friend from the Long Beach Police Department and called the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at approximately 3:00 p.m.
An extensive search produced no evidence as to Jana's whereabouts. Her white 1996 Nissan Pathfinder SUV remained missing until August 27, when authorities discovered it was parked in a vacant garage in the 2400 block of California Avenue in the Signal Hill area of Long Beach, California, approximately four miles from the Kokliches' residence, in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. The backseat of the vehicle was soaked in her blood.
The teens threw Jana's purse and phone on top of an apartment building; both were later recovered. They sold the gun. They did not realize the SUV was involved in a possible murder investigation until a week later, when they came forward with their evidence.
A local minister advertised for the return of the gun, no questions asked, for a $100 reward, and someone gave it to him anonymously. He turned it over to the police.
Bruce and Jana's employees stated that they did not believe Bruce was connected to Jana's . They described the the couple's marriage as a good relationship and said he would never have harmed his wife.
Bruce said a group of his co-workers searched the surrounding areas for signs of Jana on August 20 and spoke to a witness who claimed to have seen a woman in the back of an SUV earlier in the day. Authorities said they were unable to locate the witness for questioning. Bruce also stated that he believed Jana may have been the victim of a possible carjacking, a scenario investigators dismissed.
Bruce had two polygraph examinations scheduled with authorities, but he never arrived for either appointment. He stated that his attorney and friends in law enforcement recommended he avoid the lie detector tests, calling them unreliable.
Jana's family said that it's extremely uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. Her father, former California Democratic state senator Paul Carpenter, was ill with prostate cancer and died in late January 2002.
Jana was very close to both of her parents, who were divorced; she was their only child. Jana's stepmother said that she and Jana's father believed that Jana had been murdered sometime after August 17. They pretended to support Bruce publicly until December 2001 in the hopes that he would divulge information concerning Jana's whereabouts.
Carpenter told reporters in 2001 that he believed Bruce murdered Jana because she wanted a divorce and he did not want to split their marital assets. He would have lost 51% of their jointly owned business in a divorce. He had also taken out a $1 million insurance policy on her life.
Bruce was arrested and charged with Jana's murder on January 31, 2002. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in court in early February 2002. Authorities said that a small amount of Jana's blood was discovered in the bedroom of the couple's residence, and a pillow and sheet were missing; they believe Bruce shot her there.
According to prosecutors, Bruce had visited prostitutes throughout his marriage and didn't support Jana's wish to adopt a child. After her disappearance he solicited several female acquaintances for sex, including his own eighteen-year-old niece; he asked her to model Jana's underwear and invited her to live with him.
The trial began in February 2003, but the jury deadlocked and a mistrial was declared in March. A new trial began and Bruce was convicted of second-degree murder in October 2003. He was sentenced to fifteen years to life in prison.
Jana's body has never been located, and authorities said that they have not located any evidence to suggest that it ever will be. Foul play is suspected in her due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
562-866-9061
Other
California Attorney General's Office
The Long Beach Press-Telegram
MSNBC
The Associated Press
The Sacramento Bee
The Modesto Bee
CBS-2
KABC
The Los Angeles Times
The San Francisco Chronicle
North American Missing Persons Network
NamUs

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.



Missing Person Photos

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