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

Kali Soleil Athukorala




Kali, date, approximate 2009 (two years after her mother abducted her)
Date Missing 12/01/2007
Missing From
Belchertown, Massachusetts
Missing Classification Family Abduction
Sex Female
Race
Asian, Biracial, White
Date of Birth 08/25/2007 (15)
Age 4 months old
Height and Weight 1'6, 26 pounds
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Biracial (Asian/Caucasian) female. Black hair, brown eyes. Kali has scars on her legs. Her last name is pronounced "ah-thu-KOR-ala." She is of Polish and Sri Lankan descent.
Details of Disappearance Kali's mother, Sandra Clarissa Zemialkowski, took the child to the Dominican Republic in December 2007. She told Kali's father, Dhanika Athukorala, that it was a two-month visit to relatives, and Dhanika consented to this. Zemialkowski failed to return with Kali in February 2008, however, and Dhanika sought a court order to compel her to give Kali back.
After some negotiation, the parents agreed that Sandra was to set up a webcam so Dhanika could keep in touch with Kali, and she was to bring Kali to the United States for a visit one week every three months. In addition, Dhanika would be permitted to travel to the Dominican Republic to see his daughter whenever he liked.
Sandra didn't abide by the agreement, however, and obstructed Dhanika's access to the child. He was only allowed to see Kali a few times, and never for overnight, which was contrary to what Sandra had promised. Her attorney in Massachusetts told the family court judge she had no intention of coming to court or taking Kali to see her father.
The judge then granted custody of Kali to Dhanika, and ordered Sandra to return her by April 13, 2009. Sandra never did, and Dhanika hasn't seen or had contact with his daughter since the custody ruling.
Sandra and Kali are believed to be living with Sandra's parents, Walter R. Zemialkowski and Clara Violeta Zemialkowski, in the Dominican capital city of Santo Domingo. Both Walter and Clara are United States citizens, like their daughter. Sandra is apparently working as a veternarian at the Pet Land Veterinary Hospital in Santo Domingo.
Dhanika is trying to arrange for Kali's return to the United States under the of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, an international civil treaty which the Dominican Republic signed in 2007. The Dominican Republic has refused to take action, however, saying Sandra was within her rights when she moved there with Kali and because Sandra and Dhanika were never married, Dhanika has no say as to where their daughter lives.
Kali's disappearance remains unsolved; although her whereabouts are known, she is classified as missing because she is not with her custodial father.
Investigating Agency
Belchertown Police Department
413-323-6685
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The Amherst Bulletin
Bring Kali Home
The Daily Hampshire 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