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
Melissa Ann Darling
Darling, date, approximate 2011; Jeremy Blake Upchurch
Date Missing 06/10/2011
Missing From
Grant, Oklahoma
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 06/16/1977 (45)
Age 33 years old
Height and Weight 5'8, 190 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A blue and white baseball shirt, jeans, and a watch on her left wrist.
Medical Conditions Darling has a history of drug abuse.
Associated Vehicle(s) Black 2010 Ford Sport Trac with the Texas license plate number AW4-8951 (accounted for)
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, green eyes. Darling has two Caesarean section scars on her abdomen. She has a tattoo of a dolphin on her lower back and a tattoo of a honeybee on her hip. She may use the last name McVay, and some agencies refer to her as Melissa McVay Darling. Her ears are pierced.
Details of Disappearance Darling was last seen at the Choctaw Casino and Resort in Grant, Oklahoma at 1:30 a.m. on June 10, 2011. She left the casino with Jeremy Blake Upchurch and has never been heard from again. Her vehicle, a black 2010 Ford Sport Trac with the Texas license plate number AW4-8951, was found abandoned near Hugo Lake, Oklahoma a few days later; it was locked and had two flat tires.
A photo of Upchurch is posted with this summary; he has a criminal record and is considered a person of interest in Darling's disappearance. Upchurch's date of birth is August 4, 1986, making him 24 years old at the time of Upchurch's disappearance. He's described as Caucasian, 5'8 and 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Foul play is suspected in Darling's disappearance. She left behind two children. Her remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Sulphur Springs Police Department
903-885-3461
Other
Texas Department of Public Safety
NamUs
KSST Radio
The Sulphur Springs News-Telegram
Melissa Darling's Facebook Page
The CUE Center for Missing Persons
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