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

Justin Phillip Harris



Justin, date, approximate 2004; Age-progression to age 29 (date, approximate 2019)
Date Missing 02/15/2004
Missing From
Casper, Wyoming
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 08/20/1990 (32)
Age 13 years old
Height and Weight 5'0, 110 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description Possibly a gray jacket and black snowboots.
Medical Conditions Justin was taking psychiatric medications at the time of his disappearance, including anti-depressants; he may not have the medicine with him. He is mentally disabled and functions at the level of a six- to seven-year-old.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, green eyes. Justin wears eyeglasses.
Details of Disappearance Justin was last seen at the R.L. Mills Home, the group home for boys where he resided in the 100 block of east H Street in Casper, Wyoming. At 7:00 a.m. on February 15, 2004, workers at the home found his room empty after he failed to show up for breakfast. His bed was found stuffed with clothes to give the appearance that he was sleeping in it.
Justin's mother had willingly turned him and his younger sister over to the custody of the state. He been through several failed foster care placements before he was placed in the R.L. Mills Home in the summer of 2003.
His father, Phillip Harris, a truck driver who had fought for custody of him, initially said he believed his son ran away to be with him. Phillip theorized that Justin was either still in the Casper area, or tried to go to Swink, Oklahoma, where his father lives. He had repeatedly run away from his various foster homes in the past. Later, Phillip said he thought Justin hadn't run away from the group home but had, in fact, become the victim of a crime, and that the group home was trying to cover this up.
Phillip denied that Justin suffered from any kind of disability, but these assertions were contradicted by the staff at the R.L. Mills Home, who said he required constant supervision and could not function without his psychiatric medications. They stated he'd been doing well at the facility, however, and was also succeeding at school.
Justin's remains unsolved. The R.L. Mills Home, which served adolescent boys with a variety of emotional and behavioral problems, was closed in 2011 due to financial constraints.
Investigating Agency
Casper Police Department
307-235-8278
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The Casper Star-Tribune
City of Casper, Wyoming
Vanished Children's Alliance
The Casper Star-Tribune
True Crime Magazine
The Billings Gazette

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