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

Sharon Nugent



Nugent, date, approximate 2007; James Guilford
Date Missing 02/06/2007
Missing From
Syracuse, New York
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
Black
Date of Birth 02/06/1980 (42)
Age 27 years old
Height and Weight 5'5, 210 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A black puffy trench coat.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes. At time of her disappearance, Nugent was wearing a shoulder-length burgundy and black wig. Her ears are pierced.
Details of Disappearance Nugent was at her birthday party at the Rolling Green Estates apartments in Syracuse, New York on February 6, 2007. She left between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m.
Her boyfriend, James Guilford, stated she went to their residence in the 200 block of Genesee Park Drive afterwards and left for work at 5:00 a.m. She was employed with Express Personnel Services, a temp agency, at Syracuse Stamping. Nugent never arrived at work and has never been heard from again.
Her snow-covered vehicle was found abandoned in the parking lot of an apartment complex at east Fayette and Croly Streets on February 9. It was towed to a police crime laboratory for analysis. The car had apparently been in the parking lot for several days. The location is a few blocks from Nugent's home.
Guilford and Nugent have three young children together. A photograph of Guilford is posted with this summary. He reported Nugent as a missing person two days after she was last seen. That same day, he took the children and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where his mother lives.
Authorities became suspicious of him because of the abrupt move. In late March 2007, about six weeks after Nugent vanished, Guilford returned to Syracuse for a family court hearing. He was then arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Nugent's disappearance.
Investigators stated they found a large amount of blood on a mattress in the master bedroom of Nugent's home, along with signs that someone had attempted to clean it up. There was blood on the walls and ceiling, which had been painted over.
Blood was also found on a hammer Guilford took to Georgia with him. DNA testing proved the blood was Nugent's. Guilford led investigators to the Hilltop Apartment Complex in the 1800 block of east Fayette Street and said he had disposed of Nugent's remains in a dumpster there.
Authorities believe he beat her to death inside their home. At his 2008 trial, he testified in his own defense and asserted his innocence, but he was convicted of murder.
Guilford appealed his conviction on the grounds that his confession should not have been admissable at trial, because he interrogated for 49 hours straight with little food and no sleep. He got a new trial, but was convicted again in January 2014 and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
There has been no activity on Nugent's cellular phone since she went missing. Her mother stated it is uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning, and especially without her children. Her employers described Nugent as a reliable worker. She had been working for the temp agency since September 2006 and had never been late.
Foul play is suspected in her due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
Syracuse Police Department
315-442-5222
Other
The Syracuse Post-Standard
WSYR 9
News 10 Now
WCAX-TV
Newsday
CNY Central

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