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

Louis Robert Piatt


Piatt, date, approximate 2011
Date Missing 12/29/2011
Missing From
Los Angeles, California
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 10/26/1945 (76)
Age 66 years old
Height and Weight 5'9, 170 pounds
Medical Conditions Piatt may have had a heart attack the day of his disappearance and may be in need of medical attention.
Associated Vehicle(s) Kayak (accounted for), 30- to 40-foot motorboat with a very wide rear stern, a dark-colored hull, a white superstructure and a fly bridge-type enclosure astern
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes.
Details of Disappearance Piatt was last seen alone in a rented kayak one and a half miles off the Malibu Pier in Los Angeles, California on the afternoon of December 29, 2011. He started his trip at 1:30 p.m. and, at approximately 3:00 p.m., he called 911 from his cellular phone. He was breathing heavily and complained of of chest pains.
He stopped speaking and the conversation was cut off before he could tell the operator exactly where he was, and it took an hour for the rescue squad to find him. By the time they arrived, Piatt had vanished and they only found his overturned kayak with a life vest attached. He left his vehicle in a parking lot near the pier.
The Coast Guard's 23-hour search, covering 110 square miles, turned up no sign of Piatt. Witnesses did see a 30- to 40-foot motorboat speeding away from near where he was last seen, just before search-and-rescue helicopters arrived.
The boat had a very wide rear stern, a dark-colored hull, a white superstructure and a fly bridge-type enclosure astern. Investigators would like to identify the vessel, question the people who were on it and find out what, if anything, it has to do with Piatt's disappearance.
Authorities stated there was a possibility Piatt faked his own death for some reason, although they haven't publicly speculated as to what his motive could have been. His family doesn't believe this theory; they stated he was acting normally prior to his disappearance and that he was close to his two teenage sons and wouldn't have abandoned them. They believe he had a heart attack and died while kayaking.
Piatt lived in Pacific Palisades, California and was a real estate executive at the time of his disappearance. He had served as second lieutenant in the Marines during the Vietnam War. His remains unsolved. Authorities haven't ruled out the possibility that he could still be alive.
Investigating Agency
Los Angeles Police Department
213-996-1800
Other
California Attorney General's Office
NBC Los Angeles
Pacific Palisades Patch
Malibu Patch
CBS Los Angeles
The Orange County Register
The Malibu Times

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