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

Marcia Ann Forsberg







Marcia, date, approximate 2010; Richard Forsberg; Marcia's 2001 Volkswagen
Date Missing 02/01/2010
Missing From
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 07/01/1949 (73)
Age 60 years old
Height and Weight 5'10, 150 pounds
Medical Conditions Marcia had previously been treated for breast cancer, but had been in remission for years by the time of her disappearance.
Associated Vehicle(s) Silver 2001 Volkswagen Beetle with the California license plate number 4TIM403
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes. Marcia's name is pronounced "mar-SEE-ah" and her maiden name is Litoff. Her ears are pierced.
Details of Disappearance Marcia's loved ones last saw her sometime in February 2010. She lived in Rancho Santa Margarita, California with her husband of 39 years, Richard Gustav Forsberg.
A photo of Richard is posted with this summary. When neighbors asked him where Marcia was, he gave various explanations for her absence: he said she stayed indoors because she had allergies, that she had gone on vacation to Arizona and would be back in time for their 40th wedding anniversary celebration, and that he and Marcia had separated.
After six months of being unable to reach Marcia, her neighbors contacted the police, who went to interview Richard. Richard stated he hadn't seen Marcia since March 13, but he never filed a missing persons report. Authorities also learned that Marcia hadn't used her credit cards, bank accounts or cellular phone.
The next day, when the police went back to the Forsberg house to interview Richard, he had vanished along with Marcia's silver 2001 Volkswagen Beetle with the California license plate number 4TIM403. A photo of the car is posted with this summary. Investigators found Richard in a Palm Springs, California hospital a few days later; he had been admitted as a patient after he tried to take his own life with an overdose of prescription sleeping pills and muscle relaxants.
He stated he had killed Marcia during an argument at their home on February 9, the day after the 42nd anniversary of their first date, something they celebrated every year. He stated he bludgeoned her in the head with a small statue and decapitated and dismembered her body before he rented a motor home and used it to transport the corpse to the Lake Piru Recreation Area near the Los Padres National Forest. There he burned the remains in a campfire.
The couple's marriage had been troubled for several months prior to Marcia's death, strained over her health issues and his infidelities. Richard was charged with first-degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait. At his trial, his defense argued he had killed his wife in a fit of anger and was guilty only of manslaughter. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 2012 and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Foul play is suspected in Marcia's due to the circumstances involved. Her body has never been recovered.
Investigating Agency
Orange County Sheriff's Department
714-647-7000
Other
California Attorney General's Office
CBS News
The Los Angeles Times
The Mercury News
KPSP 2
The Orange County Register
The Ojai Valley News
Nordhoff Union High School Class of 1967
Rancho Santa Margarita Patch

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