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
Karina Michelle Gaitan
Karina, date, approximate 1998; Age-progression to age 35 (date, approximate 2019)
Date Missing 07/18/1998
Missing From
San Antonio, Texas
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
Hispanic
Date of Birth 10/02/1984 (38)
Age 13 years old
Height and Weight 5'6, 160 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A black mid-calf length t-shirt dress with pearl buttons on the front and cap sleeves, a black skirt or pair of wind shorts with white stripes on the side, and black slip-on Reebok beach sandals with white lettering.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Hispanic female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Karina may wear purple-tinted contact lenses or eyeglasses with tortoiseshell frames and brown or yellow lenses. At the time of her disappearance, her hair is styled in bangs and her fingernails and toenails were painted. She has a cross-shaped burn scar on her right hand between her thumb and forefinger. Karina's nickname is Twiggy. She wears a shoe size 6 or 7.
Details of Disappearance Karina was last seen at approximately 1:00 a.m. on July 18, 1998 in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas. She was at Las Brisas Apartments on Blanco Road and Vista View at the time. She apparently sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night to meet friends at a nearby apartment complex, but they stated she never showed up. She has never been heard from again.
Karina did not take her purse or other personal belongings, and she left the front door unlocked, suggesting she planned to come home within a short time. Karina never returned, however.
She was a student at Eisenhower Middle School in 1998, and lived with her mother and older brother. Her mother stated she had no history of running away and, at the time of her disappearance, she was excited about an upcoming family vacation.
Some agencies classify Karina's disappearance a runaway , but the circumstances of her disappearance are unclear and foul play is possible.
Investigating Agency
San Antonio Police Department
210-207-7660
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Texas Department of Public Safety
San Antonio Police Department
The Heidi Search Center
The San Antonio Express-News
NamUs
News 4 San Antonio
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