Arkadiy Tashman: Out of the Darkness walk team in his honor

Update - 10/17/08 - The Out of the Darkness Walk raised a total of over $13,000 and had a great turnout! For more details, see http://www.ny1.com/Content/Top_Stories/86412/hundreds-walk-through-the-rain-for-suicide-prevention/Default.aspx.
Out of the Darkness Community walks are a project of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (When Arkadiy disappeared, he left behind a possible suicide note.)
This particular Out of the Darkness walk is being held in Staten Island. Information below from http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&eventID=634&teamID=6519:

The Sheds' Fundraising Page
Staten Island Walk
September 28, 2008 at Clove Lakes Park
So there's a walk going on in
Staten Island at Clove Lakes Park on September 28th.
I registered to be part of the walk and set a fund raising goal of $750. If
we can get more money, great, if not, even being there is still nice
gesture.
If you register for the walk you don't HAVE to donate anything, but even
one dollar is helpful. All the donations go towards Ark's family and other
families out there who have lost loved ones to suicide or disapearances.
I started a team for the walk called 'The Sheds' so if you register for the
walk, sign up to be part of that team.
Please come out and walk with me on September 28th, even if you don't want
to walk, at least register for the event so that we could show his family that
we haven't forgotten about him.
To all people that didn't know Ark, he was an amazing person and extremely
generous, and if you have a heart, or even if you just have nothing to do that
day, sign up and walk anyway.
AFTER THE WALK:
i think it would be nice if everyone part of 'The Sheds' team went over to
the sheds or something. I understand the sheds have been taken down, but it's
the thought that counts. Maybe we'll just set up a picnic at clove lakes and
hang out or go over to a diner or something. It will all be figured out, the
important thing though is the walk.
Donating online is safe and easy! To make an online donation please search
for one of the participants and then click the "Support This Participant" button
on their page. Donations can only be made to individuals, but the total each
participant raises goes toward our team goal.
Thank you for visiting the The Sheds fundraising page!

So far they have raised $525. Online donations can be made at the link above.
One of the people on the team is his sister and the others apparently are his friends.

Meanwhile, if you know anything about what happened to Arkadiy, please call the New York City police at (212) 694-7781 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

You can print a poster of Arkadiy at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1007600&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US. (Be sure to change your Page Set-up to "Landscape", or some information will be cut off.)

Arkadiy's sister's blog: http://arkadiytashman.blogspot.com/
MySpace page for Arkadiy: http://www.myspace.com/teens_just_dont_run_away

Audrey Herron: Riding for Audrey 2008

The following article was originally published by The Daily Mail Online but seems to have been taken down. So, instead, I have copied it from a post on the Crime and Justice forum (http://www.crimeandjustice.us/forums/index.php?showtopic=62&st=20).

After six painful years, search for Audrey continues
July 20, 2008
EARLTON — It’s been more than half a decade since Audrey May Herron
disappeared without a trace, leaving family and friends desperately wondering
what happened to the mother of three. But six years later, they continue to hold
out hope, and add to the reward for information leading to a solution to the
heart-breaking mystery.
On Saturday, the sixth annual Riding for Audrey was held, an annual
fundraiser and awareness campaign designed to ensure the community does not
forget her, and with the hope that someone may remember something.
Well over 100 motorcycle riders completed a ride that started at Brennan’s
on Route 81 in Earlton on Saturday morning, headed out to The Hideaway in
Athens, then on to Blackthorne Resort in East Durham, Gardner’s Brass Rail in
Greenville, and then back to Earlton.
“It means a lot that so many people came out to raise money for my mother,
and to help find her,” said Herron’s daughter, Sonsia Rae Court. She was 10
years old when her mother disappeared. Her siblings, Katie and Quinn, were just
4 and 2 at the time.
Proceeds from the ride, and the fundraising activities that followed, were
donated to the Audrey May Herron reward fund, and to the Center for Hope, an
organization that helps families search for and find missing loved ones.
“We hope to get Audrey’s face out there so one day, someone may come
forward with information that may help find her, and at the same time, help this
organization that helps so many others,” said Michelle Turk, Herron’s
sister-in-law.
Audrey May Herron, 32, of Freehold disappeared on Aug. 29, 2002 when she
headed home from her job in a Catskill nursing home. She started making her
regular trek home — 12 miles away — but never arrived. She has not been seen
since, despite an extensive air and ground search by State Police, friends and
family. Her 1994 Jeep Cherokee has also disappeared.
Since then, there has been no credible evidence or clues to Herron’s
whereabouts, despite investigations by state police, the FBI, and even a private
investigator hired by Herron’s family. However, her friends and family continue
to search for an answer, and to maintain a tireless effort to keep her name and
face in the public eye with the hope that someone, somewhere, may have valuable
information.
Herron’s friends and family also hope to shine a light on the plight of
other families with missing loved ones, and the fears and frustrations they face
every single day.
“This is something that really needs to be supported. The missing person
problem is only getting bigger. You see stories about missing people in the news
all the time, but you never hear about the people who have been missing for a
long time,” said friend Maria Ferencz. “If someone knows something, how long are
they waiting to come forward? She has three kids who want to know what happened
to their mother. It’s just not fair.”
Anyone with information about Audrey May Herron’s disappearance should call
the New York State Police at (518) 622-8600.

You can print a poster of Audrey at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300201S.

Audrey's website: http://riding4audrey.com

Audrey's guestbook: http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestbook/2199754005/

Audrey's guestmap: http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=2199754005

Photos from Audrey's poster.

CUE Center's 2008 On the Road to Remember Tour update

Among the many missing persons (and a few homicide victims) who are being included in the tour are a few that have been posted on this blog: Audrey May Herron (from Catskill, New York), Audrey Lyn Nerenberg (from Brooklyn, New York), William "Billy" Smolinski, Jr. (Waterbury, Connecticut), Cynthia Day (East Saint Louis, Illinois), and Jason Jolkowski (Omaha, Nebraska). In total there are 110 missing people and six murder victims featured.

So far there are stops planned in the states of North Carolina, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee.

For a complete list of both stops and featured people, as well as some background information on the event, see http://www.angelsthatcare.org/OTRT__List_and_Info.doc.

Note: Locations for missing people are according to those given in the document, so they may different from what is stated elsewhere on this blog.

Arkadiy Tashman: DNA test results negative

About a month and a half ago I had posted that Arkadiy's family's DNA was tested against that from an unidentified body.

Anyway, the following message was posted on the Yahoo! ColdCases group on May 15 (Sorry I am so late in providing this update!):

The DNA samples of Arkadiy's family that were tested against the remains
that
his sister Natalya had been contacted about are not the remains of
Arkadiy
Tashman according to te DNA results. The samples taken from Arkadiy's
family
will, as a result, be making it's way to the National Database.
Paul Thompson,
Friends of Arkadiy

Please call the New York City police at (212) 694-7781 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you have any idea what happened to Arkadiy.

Natalya's blog for Arkadiy: http://arkadiytashman.blogspot.com/

MySpace page for Arkadiy: http://www.myspace.com/teens_just_dont_run_away

You can print a poster of Arkadiy at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1007600&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US.

Photo from Arkadiy's poster

Arkadiy Tashman: Sister on "Missing Pieces" show; DNA test results pending

Transcript of episode from http://missingpiecesshow.homestead.com/MissingPiecesEpisode91Archive.html:

TODD MATTHEWS (Missing Pieces Host): I’m Todd Matthews. This is
Missing Pieces, and tonight we have Natalya, and Natalya, I’m not even going to
attempt to say your last name. I’m going to let you pronounce it.
NATALYA
VOSKRESENSKAYA: (Guest, sister of missing Arkadiy): My last name is
Vos-kresen-skaya.
TODD: Oh, wow, with my Southern accent, I would have
butchered that, terribly, so…and I don’t want to do that, it’s a beautiful name.
You are the sister of missing, ‘Ark’ Tashman?
NATALYA: Yes.
TODD: Okay,
now what is his first name? How do you pronounce his first name?
NATALYA:
Arkadiy (Ark-ah-dee).
TODD: Arkadiy. Okay. I’ve read a lot about him, you
know you have a friend, Paul Thompson, and he’s a member of our ‘Cold Cases’
group, and he has kept us very informed of your case. I’ve watched it for quite
a while, and I read a note where you said, ‘”Every time I post a flyer, I see
your face. I still look into tall, young guys’ faces, trying to spot you when I
walk on the street. Come back, I MISS YOU SO MUCH.” - Natalya’ – and that’s what
you said about your brother.
NATALYA: Yes.
TODD: And he has been missing
since January 26, 2005, and he was 17 years old, from Staten Island, New York.
He’s nearly 6’2”, 170-180 pounds; light brown/ash blond hair, gray/blue eyes. He
had a pierced right ear and scars on both arms. What happened in this case?
NATALYA: I wish we knew what happened because, all of a sudden, he never
came home. He went to see his friends. He went to his friends’ house, and my Mum
woke up in the middle of the night realizing that he never came home.
TODD:
Uh huh.
NATALYA: Unfortunately I was not in town at that time, so I was not
aware of this, and the next morning they called the police, and the police came
in and they found a note. They found a note on his desk. It was a bit of a
disturbing note that alluded to possible suicide that he might have committed,
but to be honest with you, we don’t really believe that he committed a suicide,
and usually when people commit suicide, and believe me, by now I’m an expert at
that, they don’t hide their bodies.
TODD: Not on their own, you know, that’s
sort of a very hard thing to do.
NATALYA: Absolutely, and we still have not
heard anything or…we had some possible sightings, which I personally checked out
each one of them, but then people would be convinced, “No, it’s not him,” after
I would come to the place with lots of pictures and I would speak to people that
suspected it might be my brother, but then they would assure me that it’s not
him after seeing a couple of different pictures. Unfortunately, we have not had
anything, but we are still going on.
TODD: So, you have this note that
alludes to suicide, though, do you think that there’s a possibility that he was
forced to write it? Or, that he didn’t write it? Or, that he wrote it to cover
up the fact that maybe he was just going to take off?
NATALYA: Ah, it was
definitely his writing. It was definitely his writing, but honestly, we’ve
been…and I’ve been talking to all of his friends, all of the people that
surrounded him, beside us, the family. Um, no, we don’t believe he was forced
into writing this and, yes, it did seem that he wrote it of his own will.
TODD: You know, I have a 16-year-old son, and I like to think that I know
him. I like to think that he’s happy and well-adjusted and having no problems,
you know, and of course you don’t want to think that, and my brother is younger
than myself and my son will talk to him sometimes, and it’s only through that
that I realize that he does have problems and concerns and worries, and I think
I know him well enough that I would know it, but I think I know him so well and
love him so much, that I don’t want to know it, that I don’t want to consider
the possibility that he has problems or confusions, but it’s a hard world to
grow up in as a teen right now.
NATALYA: Yeah, actually, and especially for
a teenager right now, it’s really hard. First of all, it’s really hard for them
to know who they are and it brings a lot of problems, when they don’t know who
they are, they start trying different things…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA:
…and they are afraid of the future.
TODD: And who can blame them, you know?
It is scary.
NATALYA: Yeah. No, I’ve been one. I’ve been a teenager.
TODD: We’ve been there.
NATALYA: Yeah, we’ve all been there, and I
remember, I was thinking, “Okay, so once I graduate from this school, okay, I go
to college, but who am I, what am I going to do? What’s going to happen to me?”
and all those choices that all of a sudden they have to make in their lives,
it’s scary, and I understand it but unfortunately, I think, sometimes people
close to teenagers, we might just overlook…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …some
of their challenges.
TODD: I was lucky and unlucky all at the same time. You
know I planned on college growing up, and I thought, you know, it was scary
because you really didn’t know which direction to go in, and then the girl that
I ended up marrying, she was a year younger than me, her home burned and her
family was going to move away, so I had to hurry up and we had to move forward,
so college changed, we got married and began life. So, I think we jumped into it
so quickly, that I didn’t have time to think or worry, and then we just had to
get busy with life, and for me, it worked out really good. I’m happy, and I
wouldn’t change a thing. I wouldn’t go back and change a thing; I’ve been
married 20 years, this year, so it’s a very good thing for me, but you know, in
this world today, 20 years later, I would hate to think that my son would even
try to take that route.
NATALYA: Yes, I understand what you’re saying. I
actually can relate to the situation because I got married very early, in
college, and I have not regretted this, and we’ve been married for quite a long
time and we have two beautiful kids, but unfortunately, I think the world has
changed so much since 20 years ago…
TODD: Oh, yes.
NATALYA: …and kids
have much more options, but I think they’re afraid of this world, and I believe
that right values in life are not being taught in school.
TODD: And I get to
talk to kids Ark’s age all the time, you know, that’s the main group that I
target if I go do the high school lectures, we talk about career development,
and it’s this age, and it is such a confusing age. You know, had your brother
expressed some confusion to you guys, or was this…?
NATALYA: Yes, actually,
yeah. And I always remember that when I learned that he was missing, you know
you start going back, you start scrutinizing every moment that you had with the
person, and before he went missing, I would say three months before he went
missing, for a month, most evenings he just was sitting on the balcony, it’s a
beautiful evening, we’re talking, and all of a sudden he said, “Natalya, to be
honest with you, I don’t see myself living after I’m 18 years old.” And I looked
at him, and I think later I realized, I dismissed that saying too quickly, but I
looked at him and I said, “Arkadiy, what are you talking about?” and he said,
“Natalya, what am I going to do?” And, you know, he is an extremely bright
person, extremely bright, and very smart and very humorous, but he had been
having troubles with his school, not because he was educationally challenged,
no, just because he had been missing some classes and he was hanging out with
friends, so he was left in ninth grade for the second time, and then he just…I
don’t think he realized he knew that he can change everything in his life.
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: He was afraid of his life, even though he was an
extremely brave person, and I just said that he ‘was’…and I still believe that
he ‘is.’
TODD: He was at a very scary point in his life, you know, jumping
into the adult world from school, you know jobs are so hard to find, there are
just so many challenges out there now, so I can imagine somebody being afraid.
NATALYA: Yeah, and I also think they’re afraid of not standing up to our
levels.
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: I’m afraid that they think they might
disappoint us with some of the choices. Honestly, I think all I could have…if I
could do something differently…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …I would just
have maybe half an hour conversation with him and tell him that it doesn’t
matter what he does in life; it doesn’t matter. I know who he is and I love the
guy that he is. It doesn’t matter if he might not have a career or if he would
work at McDonald’s, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter as long as, you know, I
loved him, I love him very dearly; I don’t think, kids at that age, they know
how much we love them.
TODD: No, they really don’t, and you know there are
times when I’m harsh with my son because I’m trying to push him in a direction
and you have to keep telling him the same things over and over, and you have to
get really firm with them, and then I feel guilty, then I think, “I can’t feel
guilty because I must make him succeed. I must make sure he’s okay if I’m not
here.”
NATALYA: Yeah.
TODD: And I know that’s probably confusing to him,
you know, and (sighs) just the troubles of being a teenager.
NATALYA: Yeah.
TODD: Now, you, like me, you have a very distinct accent. I’ve got a
Southern accent and you’re Russian, I do believe, right?
NATALYA: Yes, I am
Russian.
TODD: Were you born in Russia?
NATALYA: I was born in Russia. I
went to college in Russia and I moved here 11 years ago.
TODD: Now, your
brother, was he born there, or here?
NATALYA: He was born in Russia. When we
came here, he was 8 years old, and it was very challenging for him, especially
the first year was really hard, he went to school and he never spoke English,
and you know, just the whole fitting in procedure, it was really hard.
TODD:
Do you think that created a whole set of unique challenges for him?
NATALYA:
Yes, and also he saw our parents were struggling. They dropped all their lives
in Russia and they came here and everything was just starting over again, and
it’s pretty hard to do, you know, when you certainly got used to certain
lifestyles. But, to be honest with you, I think he got assimilated into the
American world fairly quickly.
TODD: Uh huh. Well, you are in New York and
it’s quite a melting pot there.
NATALYA: Yeah, you’re absolutely right.
TODD: I went there; I was there recently in New York, earlier this month in
fact, and it was hard to find an American in some places there. Most of the
people were…because I talked to a few people and I knew by their accents, they
weren’t from here.
NATALYA: Yeah.
TODD: So, he wasn’t alone. He wasn’t
like an isolated person, like he might be here. Here, in my area, most all these
people are born, and they’ve been here for…their families have been here for
generations, so he might feel more foreign here, but New York, definitely
somebody from a foreign land can blend in rather easily.
NATALYA: Yeah,
absolutely, and especially his English…his Russian was degrading because he was
only using it at home…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …and English pretty much
became his first language.
TODD: Hmm. So, now tell me about the parents?
NATALYA: My parents…I’m half-sister to Arkadiy…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …so there is no confusion, but it doesn’t matter, when he was born,
I was much older than he was and he was pretty much my first child. So, our
mother, she’s in a wheelchair, and she’s been in a wheelchair since she was 2
years old, and his father, I call him father, I started calling him father when
I was 6 years old, so I consider him my father as well, even though he’s not my
biological father.
TODD: So, now obviously, this is very difficult for them,
and that would be a stupid question to ask if it’s a difficult process for them,
but you know, they’re from a foreign country as well, you know, how are they
coping with this?
NATALYA: Um…
TODD: Because you seem to be the
spokesperson, from everything I’ve read or seen, you…
NATALYA: Yes.
TODD: …seem to be the person taking the lead in what’s happening.
NATALYA: It destroyed them, to be honest with you. It completely destroyed
them because it’s not like there have been some precedents to Arkadiy’s
disappearance, no, he never ran away from home, and he didn’t have a fight with
parents, no, everything was just another regular day. It destroyed them because
they don’t know why, and how could that happen? And, of course, everyone is
blaming themselves. My Mum is blaming herself that she did not do something to
prevent it, and my Dad is blaming himself and it’s just…
TODD: Well, it’s
easy to look back and do that, you know, you have to think, “What did I do
wrong? What could I have done? How could I have loved them more? How could I
have prevented this?” You know, that’s all the normal things that somebody goes
through in this situation, obviously.
NATALYA: Yes, and other times, they’re
trying to understand; maybe they…maybe at some point they were too hard on him,
maybe…it’s all ‘maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe’…maybe there is something we
could have done differently and he would be still here with us. There’s this
part in this that, while we still believe he’s alive, we can get mad at him…all
of a sudden, in the hardest moments, all of a sudden, and my Mum does the same,
we’re like, “How could he do that do us? Doesn’t he love us?” and, you know,
this act of selfishness, those words of selfishness…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …they kind of make us feel better, but it’s just a self-deception,
to be honest with you.
TODD: But he was an avid skateboarder, from what I’m
reading, and it seems like law enforcement are kind of looking in these
communities; maybe he’s found some refuge there.
NATALYA: I was hoping…when
he went missing, we actually, we pooled a lot of people to help us look for him,
and believe me, I’ve been used to life in New York and everything seemed normal
there, but when we started researching and walking through some of the shelters,
through some of the troublesome areas of New York, we discovered a whole
underground world…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …and it was scary. It was
scary. And we met some people who would say, “Oh, yeah, I had a whole bunch of
teenagers and sometimes they stayed with me for a couple of days and then they
move on,” and there is a possibility, and I’m hoping that that’s what happened,
that that’s what’s happening right now.
TODD: I mean, I can see a kid that
age take off and then maybe have a change of heart in a short period of time,
but a lot can happen to somebody in a very short period of time. So, you think
it’s possible, maybe he did decide to just take an adventure and then maybe
simply get caught up in something that kept him from coming back?
NATALYA:
I’m praying that that’s what happened. I am praying, and do you know what would
make it much easier for me? If I knew that he had his green card or passport
with him.
TODD: But now, recently, you’ve done something with DNA.
NATALYA: Yes, and it happened just last week, finally, I do think, and I’m
not trying to blame anyone, but I do think that the way this process is going,
is wrong on many levels because they’ve been keeping me in suspense for months
after they requested the DNA to be formed. But, we mailed our DNA; I actually
took…performed three tests on me and my mother and my father, and we mailed it
back to the crime lab.
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: I do know for sure that
they have a body that they suspect is my dear Arkadiy, even though they’re not
telling that to me, but I’m pretty much aware of how this process has been run,
so now we’re just waiting. The hardest part, of course, was to convince my
parents that this was just a routine thing, they do it after three years, and
I’m doing everything I can to shield them from all the pain because I know how
it is.
Every time you start hoping, maybe you’ll find him there and when you
realize that he’s not there, and it’s like you’re losing him all…
TODD: All
over again.
NATALYA: …all over again, and we’ve been through this ‘all over
again’ so many times, and I’m trying to shield them as much as possible from
that.
TODD: So now, you’re actually preparing yourself for the possibility
that this could be your brother?
NATALYA: Yeah, but I’ve been preparing
myself for so long so it’s…
TODD: Just usual business of the day; you’ve had
three years to be preparing yourself for this.
NATALYA: Yeah. Unfortunately,
it’s never…I’m afraid this will never be usual, but this is just one of those
many times when you cry…it’s a rollercoaster, then all of a sudden you’re on top
of your hopes, “No, there is no way something is going to happen,” and you fly
back down again.
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: But, I believe…I love life…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …and it’s hard for me to believe that my brother
did not love life the way I did, and I know he did love his life as well, but
I’m just hoping that he’s not one of those unidentified bodies.
TODD: Do you
think, like you said you have a love of life and you hope he did as well, maybe
it wasn’t a choice, is it possible maybe he had a degree of depression? Maybe he
needed to be on some type of medication, and it happens a lot, with people
having to cope with society, you know sometimes you can’t.
NATALYA:
Unfortunately, maybe because I never believed in depression…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …that something like that exists. Once I was given an explanation
about what depression is, it’s like you wake up in the morning and you don’t
want to go to work, then I said, “Oh, aha, that I’m having.” But if he had any
type of depression, I’m afraid that if it’s true, I failed to recognize it.
TODD: I mean, we all go through depression, you know, periods of depression,
who doesn’t? You know sometimes you wake up, “This is a bad day and I don’t know
how I’m going to fix things.” You know, I worry about my son who’s getting older
and he’s going to leave home and you can get depressed real easy, but it’s when
you stay depressed.
NATALYA: Yeah. I think, yeah, unless it’s really
something like a chemical imbalance, I wish people can always do something about
something about depression, just force yourself to keep going forward…
TODD:
Yeah.
NATALYA: …and that’s the best cure, unless it’s really something,
because depression is more of a mental state, but as long as you don’t give in
to it.
TODD: In this situation that you’re in, is that what you’re doing,
forcing yourself forward? Is that how you are able to go forward? I mean, this
is, honestly, I wouldn’t want to trade places with you. I wouldn’t want to have
to go through what you guys are going through personally, and I don’t know how I
would deal with it.
NATALYA: If you…I would actually say exactly the same if
you were talking before Arkadiy disappeared, but it was extremely hard to suffer
for the first three months, it was extremely hard because all I could
concentrate on was searching for Arkadiy. I was getting probably four hours of
sleep a day, I was lucky if I was getting that, but otherwise I called that
wasting precious time.
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: I thought, “If I find him,
everything is going to be…everything will be magically fixed.” Everything, even
in my life, I thought everything would be magically fixed, but then when three
months went by and he was still…he still had not been heard from, I tried
different things. I tried diving into work. I tried everything, but what helped
me a lot was that, finally, the following summer after his disappearance, my
husband and I, we bought a house and we moved my parents in…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …and now, it kind of gives the feeling that we’re more full of a
family. We’re a very, I think, we’re a very good family, and I also gave birth
to my second son; I was pregnant when Arkadiy disappeared.
TODD: And that
helps, having a busy family when you’re actually trying to tend to others’ needs
and you’ve got a baby that’s very demanding, I’m sure, no doubt about it.
NATALYA: And it keeps my parents from falling apart, to be honest with you.
They are babysitters during the day when my husband and I are working; they are
babysitters and it really keeps their minds partially off of the tragedy, but
it’s always like a shadow in a corner…
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: …that
Arkadiy huge shadow, which sometimes we try to pretend, especially when we are
together, you know, we don’t want to bring each other down, otherwise my Mum can
break down and if she breaks down, I go right after that.
TODD: Do you find
yourself trying to avoid talking about it?
NATALYA: Not avoiding, but…yeah,
you can say it, avoiding, but still, or if we talk about it then it’s joyful;
something like, “Oh Mum, can you imagine, maybe he’s somewhere? What if he has a
child by now?”
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: (Sighs) Wishful thinking.
TODD: Well, do you think it’s possible that he might have gone back to
Russia?
NATALYA: His Russian was not so good. I think he would feel much
more of a stranger in Russia than here but, again, I’m not dismissing anything.
I did not even dismiss a chance that he might be in Bolivia with some global
radicals.
TODD: Yeah, well, you’ve got to hang onto anything, anything that
you have that’s a hope, you know, you’ve got to hang onto it.
NATALYA: Yeah,
even if people are scammers and all they are trying is to get money out of you.
By the way, here is one advice, do not believe and never, never, ever…God forbid
something like that happens, someone who is claiming something in exchange for
money, no. Check it out, do not dismiss it, check it out, I almost had to
believe it, but apparently it was a scam.
TODD: So, what’s next now? You’re
waiting for the DNA, and obviously you’ve got to wait that out.
NATALYA:
Yeah.
TODD: Um, where from there? If this is not him, what happens next?
NATALYA: I will do my best to get our DNA profiles into the National DNA
Database so that any other remains that were found across the country, can be
compared against ours. And, what’s next? The same, next. I will take one of
those overnight works to prevent teenage suicide and I’ll continue getting the
word out; printing more business-card-sized posters, and just giving them out.
There are many people, good people, that are willing to help, and there are many
people that are not ignorant to someone else’s tragedy, so everything is going
to go the same. We’ll be hoping, waiting, searching…it’s just never stopping,
never stopping, and it’s a part of my life now. I don’t even know how to live
any differently, to be honest with you.
TODD: It’s amazing what somebody can
get used to.
NATALYA: Yeah. Yeah, it is, but it just…it’s part of life now.
TODD: Well, for the next part of the show, we’re going to interview Paul
Thompson, and I think he’s been a good support system for you guys. He’s
certainly let a lot of people know about you. That’s where I came to know about
you. He’s a good cheerleader for you.
NATALYA: Oh, he’s much more than a
cheerleader. He contacted us, maybe two weeks after my brother’s disappearance,
because he contacted us because he saw a flyer, one of the flyers we had been
posting in our never-ending search for Arkadiy, and he got in touch with another
family that had a missing teenager, so we kind of could compare our notes.
TODD: Uh huh.
NATALYA: “Did you report the missing child there?” “Yes, I
did.” “Oh, by the way, I did it there, did you do it?” and, you know, how better
to put posters, where, how to print it, how to get the word out, and people to
connect to, local government and everything. So, he’s been…he even went to the
extreme, when we thought that Arkadiy might have committed suicide, so we were
going through local park areas, searching through woods, pretty much, he was the
one who was walking with us.
TODD: Now, what did you think about a stranger?
Now, you know he’s a nice guy now, but then, when you heard from just somebody
out of the blue, how was that?
NATALYA: Can you please repeat your question?
TODD: You know you just heard from this guy, Paul, and now you know he’s a
really great guy, but you know, you just got a phone call from him, and was that
strange?
NATALYA: No, it wasn’t strange because for those first two weeks
that I was looking for Arkadiy, I received, maybe two or three calls of support,
the rest were pranks, and all of a sudden, getting someone normal on the phone,
and my phone bill was skyrocketing…$1,000 every month because TV, newspapers,
radio stations, they were giving out my cell phone number, that’s how I was
asking them to do because I did not believe that police would not overlook
something, you know, I’m really used to relying on myself. And all of a sudden,
and I’d been getting so many prank calls and so many really nasty calls, and it
was really good for a change, to get a call from someone normal. I even had
calls, people would try to lure me into some places, it just was horrible, but I
have good, tough skin, and thank God.
TODD: Now, why do you think that
somebody would do that? Actually be so cruel as to call you and do that, why?
NATALYA: One reason I can tell you, and that’s probably the only phone call
that I answered, some of the guys gave me a call and they said, “Oh, if I was
your…” they thought he was my son because I was looking for him, but they were
saying horrible things, but one of them said, “If I was your son, I would have
killed myself,” and the only thing I could reply was, “You wish you were my son
because what you are doing right now just tells me that you’re afraid that if
you disappear, no one is going to be looking for you, that’s what you are afraid
of. And you’re jealous of Arkadiy because someone, there is a family that loves
him so much, they don’t care, they will go through everything in search for
him.”
TODD: Whatever it takes, right?
NATALYA: Whatever it takes,
seriously. And we hired private investigator, and believe me, I don’t think
there is anything we have not done.
TODD: Oh, my.
NATALYA: But Paul was
the very first honest person who is not looking to gain anything from our
tragedy, and who has a really big heart, and is doing everything he can to help
us.
TODD: That he is. That he is. I see a lot of evidence of things that you
might not even know about that he tries to do. He always takes the time to tell
somebody.
NATALYA: Yeah.
TODD: He just never told me how to pronounce
your last name.
NATALYA: I don’t think he can too.
TODD: I don’t think
he can either.
NATALYA: But it actually has a really good meaning in
Russian, it means sunny. Yeah, I know, sunny should be something short, but I
guess we never make it too easy for people.
TODD: Well, it’s been really
good talking to you. I’m going to get the second half of this from Paul, and get
some feedback from him, and we’ll say goodbye to everybody and then you and I
will talk just for a few more minutes. I’ve got a couple of things I want to ask
in private, but we’ll say goodnight to the audience and I’ll be right back with
Paul. Goodnight everybody.
NATALYA: Goodnight.
This concludes the first
part of this episode of Missing Pieces.
Please stay tuned for Part 2 -
Interview with Paul Thompson with the 'Cold Cases' group.
TODD MATTHEWS
(Missing Pieces Host): And joining us for the second half is a friend of mine,
Paul Thompson. Welcome Paul.
PAUL THOMPSON: (Guest): Hi Todd.
TODD: How
are you doing?
PAUL: I’m doing fine.
TODD: Okay. I just did the first
part for the interview; I just finished with Natalya. I can’t pronounce her last
name and I don’t think you can either, but she did for us, Arkadiy’s sister.
PAUL: From what I understand, it’s Voskresenskaya.
TODD: Oh wow, it was
a long name, but no matter, we’ll spell it out right on the show, but lovely
lady, and I love her accent. We talked about you a little bit in that episode.
You know, she said that you were one of the first normal people that contacted
her; she’s gotten a lot of rough phone calls at first when her cell phone number
was posted and she’s really happy with you. She had a lot of nice comments about
you. And I know it’s scary and I said, “Was it scary hearing from somebody?” I
said, “He’s a stranger just reaching out from the blue,” and she said that she
was very open to it because you were one of the first normal people that really
tried to care and you walked beside of them often. Now, what made you pick up
that phone and call this family?
PAUL: Well, at the time, I was involved
with searching…helping another family, who live about two blocks away from my
home, search for their 14-year-old daughter, back in the beginning of 2005, in
January, and this is when he disappeared, when Arkadiy disappeared, and after a
few weeks, about four weeks after he disappeared, the mother of the young girl
who we were searching for, came across one of Arkadiy’s flyers on a supermarket
window, about a half a mile or so from where I live. She responded, I guess, and
called her up or…I don’t remember exactly how the initial contact happened, but
she told me about the flyer, and then she asked me, since I was doing so much to
help them, could I possibly do whatever I can to help Natalya and her family by
making contact with them too. I don’t remember if I actually called her, or what
exactly happened, but I think that the contact was through the girl’s mother,
then we met up later on at her house, which is, again, two blocks from where I
live. So, the initial contact between me and Natalya, from what I remember, came
when I met her at the young girl’s house with the mother, who I was assisting at
the time. And ever since then, it’s been like almost nonstop, we try to help in
whatever way we can. It’s not only me helping Natalya, there are quite a few
other people, like on the side and in the background, that I don’t even think
that Natalya has even talked to, but she has met a good friend, Carlos, who has
been quite active over the past two years helping me, and she met a few other
people that help me also.
TODD: Well, she’s a really nice lady. I think
they’ve done a lot to try to find him and there are a few things that I think I
might be able to help her with. I’ve got a couple of resources for a couple of
things that she is trying to achieve and I think I’ll be able to help her with
it. We talked privately for a little while before we connected up with you and
hopefully I’m going to draft you to help me with that…some of those things, so
I’ll definitely be talking to you more after we get done with the interview.
They’ve got a lot of things they can do yet, you know. So, they got a lot done,
but there are still quite a few things more that they can do, and I think she
wants to move forward and try anything.
PAUL: That’s right. Exactly.
Especially since, up to this point, it’s been rough not having even the
slightest bit of answers that she’s actually looking for.
TODD: Uh huh. It
must be tough, you know, coming here from a foreign country, for her parents,
and then this happening. You know, they’ve been here for quite a while but,
still, you know, can you imagine? I just can’t imagine what they’re going
through, but we’ll keep trying. You know, Paul is a long-time member of ‘Cold
Cases,’ I’ve known you for quite a while, and that’s how I actually heard of
this case, as a matter of fact, was through you, so you definitely have done a
lot to try to help this family, and I hope you will continue to do. In fact, I
know you will, I’ve no doubt about that.
PAUL: I’ve already made it clear
with everybody who is involved with helping me help them, that I’m going to be
right by Natalya’s side in her search for her brother for as long as it takes to
find out what happened, regardless of what the results are and regardless of how
long it takes, I’m going to be here until they get their answer, for sure.
TODD: And I think she’s prepared either way for this, you know, which ever
way this DNA test goes, I think, you know, like she said, “I’ve had three years
to prepare myself.” You know, I don’t know how soon the results are going to
come back, but we’re definitely going to have her back or, worse case scenario,
we probably would ask you to come back and help update our listeners as to
what’s happened and I’m hoping that she’s going to get good news between now and
then, obviously, so all we can do is keep looking, and you know we will.
PAUL: Definitely. And of course we can’t forget about all the other people
on ‘Cold Cases,’ there are some, besides myself that get involved in the overall
searching as well, I mean, just my being a ‘Cold Cases’ member, doesn’t mean
that I’m the only one on ‘Cold Cases’ that cares.
TODD: I mean, we have a
lot of good people, we have a mix, and I’m honest, we have a lot of people
because it’s a public message board and sometimes it’s difficult with some of
the things that we encounter there because there are people there sometimes that
are negative, and it’s hard to deal with it, but it’s the reality. You know,
just like Natalya got prank phone calls at first, it happens, and if you’re
going to deal with the public, it’s going to happen, and I think we’ve dealt
with these things in stride and we’re able to still move forward and find good
people, and usually if I ask somebody to help me do something on ‘Cold Cases,’ I
usually send them private notes so that we can do it without somebody
interfering, and we’ve managed to do that quite well, I think. We often have to
do that.
PAUL: Most of the time, or just about all the time, when that
happens, it’s definitely for the better, because there are some things that you
just can’t talk about and some things you can.
TODD: But it’s a good gauge
to public reaction. You know, if we see how people are going to react in ‘Cold
Cases’ and other public boards, you’ve got some idea of what to expect when you
into a national media, what you’re going to hear from the public, so I think it
helps prepare us. I’ve certainly learned a lot. I take a lot of things in
stride. I’ve seen a lot of people get upset with ‘Cold Cases’ at times because
they’re not really expecting some of the feedback, but I guess I’ve gotten used
to it over the years and sometimes it can get quite interesting, but I’m still
encouraged and I know it’s going to work out.
PAUL: I know we’ve seen our
share of interesting ‘happenings.’
TODD: Yes, we have. We have, you know,
and I’ve got people that would like nothing better than to do away with me, I
think, at times, and I don’t even know why; I don’t bother anybody. You know, I
don’t think I bother anybody, but it seems like some people just want to take
you down, no matter what. I don’t know why, but I think we’re trying to help
people and I know you are.
PAUL: Well, it’s like that in the real world too.
TODD: Yeah. I mean, it’s a slice of reality and that’s why I always think
that if we can’t handle it in ‘Cold Cases,’ we certainly are not going to handle
it in the real world very well.
PAUL: Exactly.
TODD: So, well, Paul, it
was good to have you here. We’ll have this out to the public and I’m counting on
you to help circulate it.
PAUL: Definitely.
TODD: All right. We’ll talk
to you soon. I’ll see you in ‘Cold Cases.’
PAUL: I’ll be here to the end,
whatever that end may be, you know.
TODD: Uh huh. We will try. All right,
we’ll say goodnight to everybody and I’ll be in touch with you a little later.
PAUL: Yes, definitely. Have a good night.
TODD: All right. Goodnight
everybody.
PAUL: Thank you for having me, and of course, Natalya as well.
Arkadiy Tashman's Vitals:
Date of Birth: October 12, 1987
Date Missing: January 26, 2005
Age at Time of Disappearance: 17 years old
Missing From: Staten Island, NY
Height: 6' 0" to 6' 2"
Weight: 170 to 180 lbs.
Hair Color: Light Brown to Ash Blond
Eye Color: Light Gray/Blue
Piercings: Right ear
Scars/Marks: Scars on both arms
Clothing: Green baseball cap, light gray sweatshirt or sweat jacket, blue
jeans, black shoes.
Jewelry: Hoop earring.

If you have any information on Arkadiy's disappearance, please call the New York City Police Department at (212) 694-7781 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

You can print a poster of Arkadiy at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1007600&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US.

Please also visit Natalya's blog for Arkadiy at http://arkadiytashman.blogspot.com/ and the MySpace page for Arkadiy at http://www.myspace.com/teens_just_dont_run_away.

Audrey Herron included in New York's Missing Persons Day

Article from http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/apr/07/0407_/. (Teal text coloring added by me.)

Family members hold out hope for missing loved ones
Monday, April 7, 2008
By Cari Scribner (Contact)
Gazette Reporter
ALBANY — More than one person in the crowd of about 150 held a box
of Kleenex on their lap, dabbing at their eyes while listening to presentations
in the Huxley Theater at the New York State Museum Sunday.
Outside in the
lobby, while small children held their parents’ hands and shrieked over the
museum displays of planets, fish and birds, card tables bearing T-shirts,
buttons, brochures and wedding photos stood as silent testament to New Yorkers
gone missing.
“Our Mommy is Still Missing,” was screen- printed on one shirt,
accompanied by hand-scrawled letters from the children of Audrey May Herron of
Catskill, missing since Aug. 29, 2002. “Where is George LaForest?” was
emblazoned on dozens of posters at a nearby table, looking for any clues to the
disappearance of LaForest, who vanished April 21, 2006, in Indian Lake. Many of
the tables displayed Web site addresses for more information, most starting with
the letters www.find ... .
There was also a booth for parents to have child
identification cards made for young ones, who inked their thumbprints and smiled
for the camera without any notion of the serious nature of the photo
cards.
Kim Huskie of East Greenbush had cards made for her son, Jacob Evans,
5, and daughter Sierra Huskie, 15.
“I feel better having this information on
record,” Kim Huskie said. “It’s heartbreaking to think about. When I was little,
we went anywhere; we walked to school and to the park, we didn’t give it a
second thought. We live in different times today.”
The annual New York State
Missing Persons Day is held every year on April 6, coinciding with the birth
date of Suzanne Lyall, who disappeared 10 years ago while a student at the
University at Albany.
The daughter of Doug and Mary Lyall of Ballston Spa,
Suzanne’s parents established the Center for HOPE (Healing Our Painful Emotions)
eight years ago in their living room.
Since then, they’ve been the guiding
force behind generating more avenues for getting the names and faces of missing
people out in the public eye, pushing for tougher legislation, particularly
around school campuses, and bringing families and friends together for
comfort.
“There is tremendous strength and support we gain just from being in
the same shoes,” Doug Lyall said. “There’s a uniqueness of this ambiguous loss
we are faced with; we can describe it to others but not make them
understand.”
According to the New York Sheriff’s Association, there are 3,500
missing persons in New York state, with 1,400 over the age of 18. U.S. Rep.
Kristen Gillibrand told the audience she willl continue working to promote
safety measures for older students.
“We have many laws protecting children,
but on any given day there are thousands of adults missing, and many are
college-age women,” said Gillibrand. “People need to know it happens on college
campuses frequently. I thank the Lyalls from the bottom of my heart for working
to educate people. Most families never get beyond the kind of tragedy they’ve
seen.”

Riding for Audrey 2008 has already been scheduled! It will be held on July 19 at Brennan's School House Inn in Earlton.


If you know anything about what happened to Audrey, please call the New York State Police at (518)622-8600.

Audrey's website: http://riding4audrey.com/

Audrey's guestbook: http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestbook/2199754005/

Audrey's guestmap: http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=2199754005

You can print a poster of Audrey at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300201S.


Photos of Audrey and her car from her poster.

**Some other missing New Yorkers covered on this blog but not mentioned in the article are Samantha Kibalo (Suffern), Arkadiy Tashman (Staten Island), Audrey Nerenberg (Brooklyn), Jeanne Marie Scrima (went missing in Pennsylvania), and Manreet Kaur (Astoria).**Update (7/23/08): Manreet Kaur has since been found alive.

Samantha Kibalo now missing 7 years, Suffern, New York

Here is an account of Samantha's story from the Unsolved Mysteries website (http://www.unsolved.com/0208-Kibalo.html):

WANTED
ANN KIBALO
AGE: 39
DOB: 3/25/63
HEIGHT: 5'0"
WEIGHT: 120 pounds
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Blue
ALIASES: Ann Yermak, Ann Saul, Ann Kaplan
MISSING
SAMANTHA KIBALO
AGE: 3 1/2
DOB: 1/1/99
HEIGHT: 2'9"
WEIGHT: 22 pounds
HAIR: Light Brown
EYES: Brown
Broadcast Date: June 24, 2002
SYNOPSIS: Ann and Mike Kibalo married after dating for nine months. Only
one thing was missing to make their lives complete - a child. Two and a half
years after they were married, Ann gave birth to Samantha and the couple brought
her home to Suffern, New York. But their joy was short-lived. According to Mike,
Ann began behaving erratically almost immediately. She allegedly began yelling
at Mike saying that she didn't need him anymore. The following afternoon, Mike
returned home from work to find all the furniture missing. They baby's room was
also completely cleaned out. Mike called his mother-in-law. He claims Ann
answered the phone and told him the marriage was over and that he would never
see their daughter again. According to Mike, Ann told him that she had called
the police and reported that Mike beat her up and that he was also harming
Samantha. Police later determined that there was no evidence of abuse. Mike
Kibalo sued for divorce and sole custody of Samantha. As the divorce case weaved
through the legal system Ann was ordered by the court to share custody of
Samantha with Mike.
After a weeklong visit with Ann, Mike said Samantha was
returned to him with bruises on her face. Mike immediately took Samantha to the
family pediatrician. The doctor said that the bruise was three to five days old
- which means that it most likely occurred while Samantha was with her mother. A
court-appointed psychiatrist was assigned to evaluate Mike and Ann's fitness as
parents. While no determination was made as to how Samantha got the bruises, the
psychiatrist concluded that there was something odd in the way Ann was treating
her daughter. Over a span of 11 months Ann took Samantha to 7 doctors on 33
occasions. She also reportedly hired 23 lawyers and 11 psychiatrists - according
to some, a classic behavior of a person suffering from Munchausen's Syndrome by
Proxy. The final diagnosis was that Ann had a severe personality disorder with a
mixture of traits from several disorders. Soon Mike Kibalo was awarded full
custody of Samantha.
But the ordeal was far from over. Ann had appealed the
court ruling and she still had a right to see her child. The day before the
court made it's final decision on the appeal, Mike brought Samantha to the
police station for a scheduled overnight visit with Ann. Mike returned the
following day to pick up his daughter but Ann never showed up. All efforts to
find them have failed, leaving Mike Kibalo's life in ruins. Mike fears that his
daughter is in grave danger.
Two months later, police discovered Anne's SUV
abandoned in a Brooklyn parking garage. But a search of the vehicle provided no
clues as to Ann or Samantha's whereabouts. Both have been missing since February
of 2001. Samantha Kibalo would now be three years old. She has light brown hair
and brown eyes. Ann Kibalo is wanted for kidnapping and unlawful flight to avoid
prosecution. Authorities believe she may be traveling with her red Tibetan
terrier named Vodka. She may also be in contact with medical professionals.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Samantha or Ann Kibalo,
please contact the Rockland County Sheriff's Department, the FBI, or call the
Unsolved Mysteries hotline, 1-800-876-5353.

The numbers for the Rockland County Sheriff's Office are (845) 638-5400 or (845) 638-5440.

Samantha and her mother may be in New York City; Palm Beach County, Florida; Boynton Beach, Florida; Illinois; or New Hampshire. There were also possible sightings of them in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2006.

You can print a poster of Samantha of http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=904495&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US.

Photos on left from Unsolved Mysteries. Age progression of Samantha from her poster.

Arkadiy Tashman now missing three years, Staten Island, New York

Arkadiy's sister has done a post on her blog to mark the third anniversary of his disappearance: http://arkadiytashman.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-been-three-years-ive-never-thought.html. Please read it, as well as her older posts!

A little background on Arkadiy from http://www.crimelibrary.com/missing_children/arkadiy_tashman.html:

Arkadiy Tashman
Seventeen-year-old Arkadiy Tashman enjoyed being called by
his nickname, "Ark". He also enjoyed skateboarding and hanging out with his
friends. Ark is a strapping youth who stood over six feet tall,
and attended Port Richmond High School.
On Tuesday, January 25th, Ark
left his Mariner's Harbor home to visit a friend who lived nearby. He was last
seen sometime around 2:45 a.m. the next morning when he left for home. Later
that morning Ark's parents, Igor and Alla, found an upsetting message he had
left beneath a TV remote control. "Sorry about this. No wake, no funeral," it
read. Disturbing messages were also found on his computer.
Authorities were
quickly notified about the missing youth. "No one has seen or heard from him,"
said Ark's 27-year-old sister, Natalya Voskresenskaya. "He had no problems with
his parents, that's the most confusing part." The missing young man also was not
on any medications. Law enforcement authorities initially believed Ark had run
away and his note implied suicide. It was revealed that the day before the
youth's disappearance, he had broken up with his girlfriend and was very upset.
Family members said Ark had never before threatened to run away, or to commit
suicide. Authorities immediately began to search for the missing youth and asked
for the public's help in locating him.
Ark's family mobilized friends and
volunteers to search for him. They did not believe he was suicidal. "It's
important for us to find him before he hurts himself," said Natalya. Fliers and
posters with his photo and description were circulated throughout Manhattan
and Staten Island. The searches mainly concentrated on Brooklyn, Greenwich
Village, Staten Island and the East Village and parks; areas where they
knew skateboarders loved to hang out. "We put posters all over the places he
might appear," said Natalya. "We can't think the other thing. We can't.
Sometimes you have those horrible images that he's lying somewhere. It's
impossible. There would be a body. People don't just disappear. Maybe if he sees
the poster he'd realize how much we need him. It's really hard to be without
him. Someone's going to see him. He's a cute boy."
His older sister has
created a web site page about Arkadiy, please visit: http://arkadiytashman.blogspot.com/.
The
New York Police Department (NYPD) continued its search throughout the city for
Ark, also focusing on known skateboard areas. Hundreds of people were
questioned, but there were no reported sightings of the missing youth.
Authorities in the NYPD Missing Persons Division have classified Ark as a
missing and endangered person. Arkadiy Tashman was last seen wearing a green
baseball cap, gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and black sneakers. He has
flowing ash-blond hair and a pierced right ear. He speaks fluent Russian and
English. He is an avid skateboarder and might be located in popular places
frequented by young skateboarders, in the Manhattan or Brooklyn areas of New
York. Anyone with information on this case should immediately call the New York
Police Department's Missing Persons Squad (212-473-2042) or (800-346-3543).

You can print a poster of Arkadiy at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1007600&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US.

Once again, the blog for Arkadiy is http://arkadiytashman.blogspot.com/.
MySpace page for Arkadiy: http://www.myspace.com/teens_just_dont_run_away

Audrey Herron now missing 5 years, Catskill, New York

The local media was very good about providing news coverage about Audrey. This particular article and photo of Audrey come from http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/story_links/?SecID=34&ArID=219577:

Missing woman's father speaks out on anniversary of
disappearance

CATSKILL, N.Y. -- Audrey May Herron's father Ray Turk, Sr. said, "It hasn't been easy. What can I say? You just miss her everyday. Everybody says it gets easier, but it doesn't. It gets worse I think."
On the
five-year anniversary of his daughter's disappearance, Turk waxes his wife's car. He says he just tries to keep himself busy -- anything to take his mind off that August night in 2002.
Turk said, "I didn't find out that night or I would have been out looking for her. I didn't get a call until the next morning. I called state police to have them get out there and start looking because they weren't even notified."
Audrey May Herron was a nurse who had left work and was heading home to her husband and children. She never made it. Turk said even though authorities have followed a number of leads over the years, her whereabouts remain a mystery.
Turk said, "I know they are still investigating. They are doing everything they can. Nobody has an answer. Somebody out there knows something and they just aren't saying or they don't want to get involved."
Turk tells us he keeps in contact with Doug and Mary Lyall whose daughter Suzanne went missing several years ago. He said they have been a constant source of support while he has been going through this tough time.
"They have been out there fighting for the rest of us," Turk said. "They keep it going."
For now, Turk says he just takes it one day at a time, finding things to keep him busy and his mind from dwelling on the harsh reality that his daughter may never be found.
Turk said, "Whatever I find out, I know it isn't going to be good. I would like to know what happened to her and the reason why it happened."
If you have any information in the Audrey May Herron case, call State Police at (518) 622-8600.

Audrey's website: http://riding4audrey.com/
Audrey's guestbook: http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestbook/2199754005/
Audrey's guestmap: http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=2199754005

You can print a poster of Audrey at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300201S.

Photo of Audrey's car from her poster.

Audrey Herron: Riding for Audrey 2007

The anniversary of Audrey's disappearance is coming up next month. Audrey's place of disappearance is usually listed as Catskill, where she was last driving.

Story from http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/your_news/capital_region/default.asp?ArID=216747:

Friends, family gather in remembrance of missing woman
Updated: 7/22/2007 5:42 AM
By: Web Staff

GREENE COUNTY, N.Y. -- Friends and family of a missing
woman gathered together hoping to shed light onto her abrupt disappearance
nearly five years ago.
Audrey May Herron was last seen on August 29, 2002
when she left her job as a nurse for home at around 11 p.m. She never completed
the half hour drive, and neither she nor her 1994 Jeep Cherokee have been seen
since.
Bike rally for Audrey May Herron
Friends and family of a missing woman gathered together hoping to shed
light onto her abrupt disappearance nearly five years ago.
The
ride for Audrey included music, food, games and a poker run at Brennan's School
House Inn in Earlton.
“Someone somewhere knows something and with this bike run and all these
people and their support, we're able to once again remind you to ask the
question, once again,” said Marie Parker, Audrey Herron’s best friend.
There is a reward for information leading to Herron’s whereabouts. If you
have information about this case, call the New York State Police.

The number for the New York State Police is (518) 622-8600. You can also email them at crimetip@troopers.state.ny.us.

You can print a poster of Audrey at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300201S.

Audrey's website: http://riding4audrey.com/ (Apparently Audrey's old website, audreymayherron.expage.com, has been lost somehow.)

Guestbook: http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestbook/2199754005/

Guestmap: http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=2199754005

Pictures of Audrey and her car from her NCMA poster.

Samantha Kibalo: New age progression

Hopefully this will increase Samantha's chances of being found safe; she has been missing for six years and five and a half months now.

Some possible locations where Samantha and her mother might be are Santa Fe, New Mexico (possible sightings of them there); New York City (her mom's car was found in Brooklyn); Illinois; New Hampshire; Palm Beach County, Florida; or Boynton Beach, Florida.

From Samantha's poster:

Family Abduction
SAMANTHA KIBALO
DOB: Jan 1, 1999
Missing: Feb 3, 2001
Age Now: 8
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Lt. Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 2'9" (84 cm)
Weight: 22 lbs (10 kg)
Missing From:
SUFFERN
NY
United States
Age Progressed
ANN
KIBALO
Abductor
DOB: Mar 25, 1963
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'0" (152 cm)
Weight: 120 lbs (54 kg)
Samantha's photo is shown age-progressed
to 8 years. She was abducted by her non-custodial mother, Ann Kibalo. An FBI
warrant for Kidnapping was issued for the abductor on January 15, 2002. They may
be traveling with a 12 pound red mini Tibetan Spaniel dog. The abductor may use
eyeglasses while driving. The abductor may seek treatment for a dental condition
and may frequent medical facilities and doctor's offices with Samantha.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Rockland County Sheriff's Office (New
York) - 1-845-638-5400 or Your Local FBI

You can print your own poster of Samantha here.

Audrey Nerenberg now missing 30 years, Brooklyn, New York

A bill named after Audrey, H. R. 271, calls for extending the Missing Children's Assistance Act to include adults who have a mental age of less than 18 years. According to WashingtonWatch.com, on May 9 of this year, it was referred to the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities. This is listed as the "Last Major Action" on this legislation. To learn more about the Audrey Nerenberg Act, visit http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_271.html. The website also allows members to voice their opinions on laws; according to its poll, 57% are in favor of the act and 43% are against it. Why would that many people be against it? Perhaps they agree with the comment of one user who does not see how a person's mental capacity could be established as less than 18 years old. What do you think?

Anyway, though, the main purpose of this post is to talk about AUDREY, to generate attention for her in hope that it might help lead to her being found, preferrably alive and safe.

Here is her story, from The Doe Network (also the source of the above photo and age progression):

Audrey Lyn Nerenberg
Missing since July 15, 1977 from New York City, New York County, New York.
Classification: Endangered Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth:
September 24, 1958
Age at Time of Disappearance: 18 years old
Height and
Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'4; 115 pounds
Distinguishing
Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; brown eyes.
Marks: She has
freckles on her face, shoulders, and hands.
Clothing: Cut-off dungaree
shorts, a blue tube top and open-toe clear plastic shoes at the time she was
last seen, as well as $2 to buy a pack of cigarettes. Nerenberg was also
carrying a small brown shoulder bag.
Medical Conditions: Nerenberg has been
diagnosed with hebephrenic schizophrenia. Nerenberg was taking the medication
Torrozine when she disappeared.
Dentals: Available. She has a small gap
between her upper front teeth.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Nerenberg was last seen leaving her family's home in Brooklyn, NY on July
15, 1977.
Nerenberg had been hospitalized for brief periods of time in several New
York City borough medical facilities from 1974 - 1977 due to hebephrenic
schizophrenia. Nerenberg was an outpatient at Kingsboro Psychiatric Center in
Brooklyn at the time she disappeared. She did not carry any identification or
medication with her at the time she was last seen. Audrey, who liked shopping at
Kings Plaza, had sometimes gotten lost close to home but always had the presence
of mind to call her father for help.
She may be listed as an unknown patient ("Jane Doe") in a psychiatric
hospital somewhere. Extensive inquiries into New York hospitals by the NY Police
Department have been futile.
Nerenberg accompanied her family to the borough of Staten Island during the
evening of July 14, 1977, the day prior to her disappearance. They watched a
movie at the former Jerry Lewis Theater on Forest Avenue in Mariners Harbor on
the Island.
She enjoyed shopping, music and dancing in 1977.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of Nerenberg, please
contact:
New York City Police Department
Missing Persons' Squad
212-473-2042
Agency Case Number: 13606
NCMEC #:NCMC603933
NCIC
Number: M-742560258
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information
regarding this case.

Audrey's website: http://www.angelfire.com/ak/403/page10.html. It includes a way to send comments directly to Audrey's father.

You can print a poster of Audrey here.

Audrey's father, Milton Nerenberg, has written a book called Give Me Back My Daughter, Audrey!. I have not read it yet, but you can order it online at http://www.trafford.com/robots/03-0431.html.

Jeanne Scrima now missing 27 years, Erie, Pennsylvania

Note: Am currently having problems with blockquote featured, so quoted information appears in purple text between dotted lines.

(Jeanne Marie Scrima was living near Knox, New York, when she disappeared, but she was last confirmed to be in Erie, Pennsylvania.)

Photo and information from the Charley Project:

--------------------------------

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: March 19, 1980 from Knox, New York
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: October 15, 1935
Age: 44 years old
Height and Weight: 5'3, 118 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Dark brown hair, hazel eyes.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A gold heart-shaped cocktail ring with diamonds on the outside.

Details of Disappearance
Jeanne resided in a farmhouse near Knox-Gallupville Road in Knox, New York. She met her second husband, John Scrima, while she was employed as a restaurant in the New York City borough of the Bronx. Their marriage was troubled by February 1980 and Jeanne planned to file for divorce. She met John Sidney around the same time and the two began having an affair. Sidney's marriage was ending and Jeanne told him that she was divorced from her husband. Sidney resided in Schoharie County, New York and was employed as a General Electric plant designer in Schenectady, New York.
Jeanne and Sidney drove to Erie, Pennsylvania on March 17, 1980. They stayed at the Hilton hotel while Sidney attended to company business. Jeanne told John that she was visiting loved ones in the area. She learned that her husband realized she was having an affair during a phone conversation with her sister on March 18. Jeanne told Sidney that she was still married and needed to return to Knox the following morning. She promised her four children that she would be home by the time they returned from school in the afternoon.
Jeanne departed from Erie during the morning hours of March 19. She was driving her light blue 1977 Lincoln Continental at the time. The car had New York license plates numbered 458LXS. Authorities believe that she arrived at her family's residence in the early afternoon, but her whereabouts after that time period are unknown. Jeanne has never been heard from again.
John failed to report his wife's disappearance to authorities. Her attorney filed a missing person's report after he was unable to contact her by May 4, 1980. Sidney cooperated with the investigation and was eliminated as a possible suspect after passing a polygraph exam. John refused to speak with authorities and retained a lawyer shortly after Jeanne's disappearance was reported. He sold the family's farmhouse and relocated to Esperance, New York in 1981.
Jeanne's vehicle was spotted in Fultonville, New York several weeks after she was reported missing. Investigators determined that the car passed through several owners in Ohio before it was discovered abandoned in Michigan on October 5, 1980. No evidence related to Jeanne's case was found inside the vehicle.
Authorities said that Jeanne told John about her plans to open a restaurant in Ducenesburg, New York with the money she would receive from the sale of their property after their divorce. Investigators said that they wanted to question John about his wife's case, but all attempts have been unsuccessful. There have not been any arrests in connection with Jeanne's disappearance, which remains unsolved. Foul play is suspected in her case.

Investigating Agency

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

New York State Police

Troop G

New Scotland Station

518-768-8162

OR

518-477-9333

----------------

You can also submit tips online by emailing crimetip@troopers.state.ny.us.

I have yet to find an actual poster of Jeanne, but her New York State Police page seems concise enough for that function. You can print it off at http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/Wanted_and_Missing/Missing/view.cfm?ID=227160bb-5ee9-4db2-a5b7-a073a35d5370

Andrew Karis now missing 14 years, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

From http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/karis_andrew.html:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: March 1, 1993
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of
Birth: October 27, 1973
Age: 19 years old
Height and Weight: 5'8, 130
pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair, hazel
eyes. Karis's nicknames are Andy, Drew and/or Sparky.

Details of
Disappearance
Karis was a student at Carnegie Mellon University in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1993. He was last seen on campus on March 1, 1993.
Authorities tracked Karis's credit card and telephone records after his
disappearance. Investigators determined that he may have purchased a Greyhound
bus ticket to New York City, New York on March 2 and possibly stayed in the city
until March 4. Karis may have been in San Francisco, California on March 15, but
that sighting remains unconfirmed. Karis has never been heard from again.
Authorities believe he disappeared under suspicious circumstances.
Some
agencies may list March 4, 1993 as the date of Karis's disappearance. California
and Texas authorities are handling his investigation.

Investigating
Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
San Francisco Police Department
415-553-0123
OR
Texas Department Of Public Safety
800-346-3243

You can print a poster of Andrew at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch/mpdetailsPrint.asp?id='M6/4/20022:17:17PM'&Person=Missing%20Person.

Audrey Nerenberg to appear on online radio show "Missing Pieces"

Audrey Lyn Nerenberg's father is going to appear on the Internet radio show Missing Pieces on March 6 at 8:00 PM (EST). A rebroadcast will be available on the show's archives the next day. The show's website is http://www.missingpieces.info.
Also, Audrey's family is lobbying for a law in Congress, the Audrey Nerenberg Act (H.R. 4162), which provides assistance in the search for missing adults who have the mental capacities of children. (More info on the law at http://www.petitiononline.com/cue4162/petition.html.)

For more details on these and other events in Audrey's case, see http://angelsthatcare.blogspot.com/2007/03/audrey-lyn-nerenberg.html. (The message itself could not be posted here due to copyright protections on that blog.)

If you know anything about Audrey's disappearance, please call the New York City Police Department at (646) 610-6914 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Audrey's website: http://www.angelfire.com/ak/403/page10.html

You can print a poster of Audrey here.

Audrey's father also wrote a book about her disappearance, Give Me Back My Daughter Audrey by Milton Nerenberg, that was published in 2003. You can learn about Audrey and the book here.

Photo and age progression of Audrey from the Charley Project.

Samantha Kibalo now missing 6 years, Suffern, New York

There was a possible development in Samantha's case last year (see details below), so maybe this could be the magic year when she is finally found.
From the Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: February 3, 2001 from Suffern, New York
Classification: Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: January 1, 1999
Age: 2 years old
Height and Weight: 2'9, 22 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Light brown hair,
brown eyes. Samantha may use the alias last names Yermak, Saul, and/or Kaplan.

Details of Disappearance
Samantha was last seen in Suffern, New York
on February 3, 2001. She was abducted by her non-custodial mother, Ann Yermak
Kibalo, during a court-ordered overnight vistation. Samantha's father, Michael
Kibalo, has had custody of her since she was almost a year old. He was given
custody after court testimony that Ann had hit the child and had taken her to
seven different doctors 33 times in the eleven months since her birth.
Photographs and vital statistics for Ann are posted below this case summary.
A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warrant for kidnapping was issued for
her on January 15, 2002. She also has warrants for her arrest on charges of
unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, custodial interference, and unauthorized
use of a motor vehicle. Her last known address was in New Hyde Park, New York.
Ann and Samantha were originally traveling in a black four-door 1996 Suzuki
Sidekick Sport with a gold-colored bumper and New York license plates. It has
was recovered in a parking garage in the New York City borough of Brooklyn two
months after the Kibalos disappeared. They may be accompanied by a 12-pound red
miniature Tibetan Spaniel or Tibetan Terrier dog named Vodka. They may frequent
doctor's offices and other medical facilities. Ann and Samantha may be with an
adult female relative. They may be in the New York City, New York area, or in
Palm Beach County or Boynton Beach, Florida; Illinois; or New Hampshire. In
2006, there were sightings of them reported in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but the
reports have not been confirmed.
Samantha is believed to be at risk; her
mother may have been abusing her prior to her disappearance. Ann may suffer from
Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy, which would cause her to harm Samantha and/or
subject her to unnecessary medical treatment. Michael now lives in New Jersey
and is actively searching for his daughter. He believes Ann may be homeschooling
the child, as he cannot find evidence that she is enrolled in school anywhere.
Samantha's case remains unsolved.

Ann Yermak Kibalo
Left and Center: Ann Yermak Kibalo; Right: Age-progression to age 40 (circa
2003)
Date of Birth: March 25, 1963
Age: 37 years old
Height and Weight: 5'0, 115 - 120 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes.
Ann wears eyeglasses while driving. She may use the last names Yermak, Saul,
and/or Kaplan. Ann may have cut her hair short and dyed it blonde. She has an
accounting degree from Brooklyn College and has previously worked in that field.
Medical Conditions: Ann has a dental condition and may seek medical
treatment for it. She is mentally unstable; she has a severe personality
disorder and several traits from other disorders, and may suffer from
Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy, which could cause her to harm Samantha. Ann is
classified as disabled.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Rockland County Sheriff's Office
845-638-5400
OR
845-638-5440

You can also call your local FBI office or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
You can print a poster of Samantha here.

Arkadiy Tashman now missing 2 years, Staten Island, New York

Photo and information from the Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 26,
2005 from Staten Island, New York
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: October 12, 1987
Age: 17 years old
Height and Weight:
6'0 - 6'2, 170 - 180 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male.
Light brown/ash-blond hair, gray/blue eyes. Tashman's nickname is Ark. He is a
Russian national who emigrated to the United States in 1996. He is fluent in
Russian and English. He has scars on both arms and his right ear is pierced.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A light gray hooded sweatshirt or sweat
jacket, blue jeans, black sneakers, a green baseball cap and a small hoop
earring.
Medical Conditions: Tashman was apparently depressed at the time of
his disappearance and may have been suicidal.

Details of
Disappearance
Tashman was last seen in Staten Island, New York on January 26,
2005. He had been visiting a friend and was last seen departing for home at 2:45
a.m. He never arrived and has never been heard from again. His cellular phone
was left behind at home when he vanished.
Later that morning, Tashman's
parents found a message he had written and left beneath a television remote
control in his bedroom. It read: "Sorry about this. No wake, no funeral." His
parents notified police immediately, but for unknown reasons authorities did not
begin an official search for Tashman for six days.
Tashman's friends and
family stated that they had not seen any indication that he was suicidal prior
to his disappearance. He had broken up with his girlfriend shortly before his
disappearance and was very upset about it, and she says he told her he had
considered suicide before. Nonetheless, Tashman's loved ones do not believe he
would have taken his own life. His parents stated that his disappearance was
completely out of character and they do not know what could have caused him to
leave; he had never even visited a friend's home before without parental
permission.
Tashman was a junior at Port Richmond High School at the time of
his disappearance. He resided part time with his parents on Brabant Street in
the Mariners Harbor neighborhood of Staten Island, and part time in Bensonhurst
with his adult sister, who was vacationing out of the country at the time of his
disappearance. He is an avid skateboarder and investigators have searched for
him at skateboard parks in Brooklyn, Greenwich Village, Staten Island and the
East Village of Manhattan in New York City.
Some agencies classify Tashman
as a runaway, but he is considered to be an endangered missing person due to his
depression and the note he left. His disappearance remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
New York City Police Department
212-473-2042

You can also call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
You can print a poster of Arkadiy here.

Arkadiy's sister Natalya has started a blog for him at http://arkadiytashman.blogspot.com/. She has not posted on there in quite a while, but the two posts that are on there are well worth reading.