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

Martha Alice Mertz
Mertz, date, approximate 1961
Date Missing 06/22/1961
Missing From
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Age 47 years old
Height and Weight 5'0 - 5'2, 100 - 120 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A white blouse and black pedal-pusher pants.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes.
Details of Disappearance Mertz was last seen in Lancaster, Pennsylvania at 8:00 p.m. on June 22, 1961. That evening she got into a heated argument with her husband of eleven years. He left their apartment in the 40 block of west Vine Street to get some cigarettes, and when he returned, she was gone.
When she failed to return home that night, her husband went to see Mertz's brother, who ran the furniture business where she worked. After borrowing money from him, Mertz's husband drove to West Palm Beach, Florida to visit his sister and "cool off." Meanwhile, Mertz's sister in Lancaster reported her missing.
She had left home multiple times before after disputes with her husband, but would always contact a relative. This time, she was never heard from again.
Another resident of the apartment building had overheard the argument between Mertz and her husband the night of her disappearance; the witness said it was no different than other arguments she'd overheard, and that she hadn't heard anything to indicate physical violence.Mertz's husband stated she took a suit with her, but he was unable to tell the police what clothing items were missing, and a new outfit she had recently purchased was left behind.
A close friend of Mertz's said Mertz had confided that she was tired of the constant arguments with her husband and that someday she would leave and no one would know where she was. She left behind her last two paychecks and her vacation pay, and never touched her bank accounts, which contained a total of about eight to nine thousand dollars; the money was distributed to her heirs when she was declared ly dead seven years later.
Little information is available as to Mertz's fate. Her disappearance remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Lancaster Bureau of Police
717-735-3362
Other
NamUs
The Lancaster New Era

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