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 Photos
William George Merriman
William, date, approximate 2006; Charles "Chuck" Merriman
Date Missing 06/16/2006
Missing From
East Jordan, Michigan
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Age 53 years old
Height and Weight 6'4, 300 pounds
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Gray hair, blue eyes. William is a weightlifter and has a muscular build.
Details of Disappearance William was last seen at his parents' house on a twenty-acre property in the 11300 block of Phelps Road in East Jordan, Michigan on June 16, 2006. He had an apartment in Hudsonville, Michigan, but was staying in his parents' house for the summer. He has never been heard from again.
William wasn't reported missing until September 2006. His vehicle was left behind at his parents' home, and his bank accounts haven't been accessed since his disappearance. William's mother died in a car accident on June 11, five days before his disappearance, and his father died on October 30, four months later.
Charles Curtis "Chuck" Merriman, William's brother, was charged with his murder in August 2007. A photo of him is posted with this summary. Authorities believe he wrapped William's body in garbage bags and had it taken to a landfill. Charles hadn't been employed in decades and William threatened to evict him from their parents' residence unless he found a job.
When authorities searched the house in October 2006, they found blood inside. A sanitation company had removed furniture, carpet and trash from the home in July. Investigators found a cushion from the home in a landfill in Pinconning, Michigan; it was stained with William's blood. Charles was convicted of second-degree murder in May 2008 and sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison.
William lived alone at the time of his disappearance, and owned a silk-screening business. Foul play is suspected in his due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
Charlevoix County Sheriff Department
231-547-4461
Other
NamUs
The Traverse City Record-Eagle
The Grand Rapids Press
The "No Body" Blog
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 Photos
