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

Melissa Alaniz




Melissa, date, approximate 1987; Age-progression to age 41 (date, approximate 2015); David Wood
Date Missing 03/07/1987
Missing From
El Paso, Texas
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
Hispanic
Date of Birth 03/17/1974 (48)
Age 12 years old
Height and Weight 5'2, 105 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A black t-shirt with the Iron Maiden band logo, black and white checked jeans, white socks with red and blue stripes on top, and white sneakers.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Hispanic female. Black hair, brown eyes. Melissa's ears are pierced..
Details of Disappearance Melissa was last seen in El Paso, Texas on March 7, 1987. She went out to play video games at a convenience store off Rushing and never returned to her residence in the 10400 block of Orpheus in the northeast part of the city. She has never been heard from again.
Two weeks earlier, Melissa had run away from home after a family argument. She returned after only two days, however, and authorities don't believe she left of her own accord again when she went missing in March 1987.
That same year, several other females disappeared from El Paso, and most of them were later found murdered and buried in the desert. The victims were all small, slender young women in their teens and early twenties. Melissa and two other girls, Marjorie Knox and Cheryl Vasquez, are still missing. Melissa knew at least one of the murder victims; they attended H.E. Charles Junior High School together. That victim also knew Marjorie. Vasquez had also formerly attended H.E. Charles Junior High School.
David Leonard Wood, a serial rapist who was paroled in January 1987, was later convicted of murdering six of the El Paso victims, though he maintains his innocence to this day. He was sentenced to death in 1993, but his sentence remains under appeal, as his lawyers allege he is mentally retarded.
The murders of El Paso girls and women stopped after Wood's October 1987 arrest for rape. He has not been charged in connection with Melissa's and it's unclear whether he was involved. A photo of Wood is posted with this summary. Melissa's disappearance remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
El Paso Police Department
915-832-4445
Other
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Serial Killer Crime Index
The Austin American-Statesman
The Houston Chronicle
The Las Cruces Sun-News
The El Paso 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