Damien Sharp is still missing

Several months ago I had reported on here that there were rumors that Damien's body had been found. Since then, I have received feedback from Damien's family that contradicts this, and a story on him has appeared in the media.

From http://www.timesobserver.com/page/content.detail/id/514305.html?nav=5006&showlayout=0:

Sharp case still open
By BRIAN FERRY bferry@timesobserver.com
POSTED:
March 25, 2009
Seven years after the disappearance of Damien Sharp, Warren
City police have an active file and still receive tips and leads.
"We're
still investigating it," Investigator Anthony Chimenti said Tuesday. "We've come
up with some leads and we're following them."
Closing the case without
finding Sharp is not an option. A missing person case remains open until the
person is found, he said.
Chimenti, who was formally assigned to the case in
May, said he has been "going into and following up on all the leads, every time
a lead comes up."
The seven years since Sharp's disappearance do not phase
Chimenti.
"Sure we like to have (information) right away when the thing
happens," he said. "On any case, things don't go away. People change their
minds. Memories get jogged."
He's looking for help.
"We're hoping now that
they know we're following up leads, they'd call in and help us out - any help
that anybody can give us," Chimenti said. "We're pursuing it. We want to solve
it. We want to bring the individual home to his family."
"That's what we're
trying to get is closure," Chimenti said. "His mother has been through a lot. We
want to provide her with that closure."
The time has allowed for advancements
in the use of DNA as an investigative tool. "When this first started, I don't
believe the CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) system was fully in place,"
Chimenti said. Technology "always gets better, it helps."
The police
department is not closing any doors.
"We're working it as a missing person
and as a homicide," Chimenti said.
Information from early in the
investigation led police to believe the case to be a murder, but they can't be
sure.
He said people are more likely to come across some kind of physical
evidence now that the weather is breaking. "Maybe things will turn around" in
the case, Chimenti said.
Sharp was carrying a black backpack and using
aluminum crutches when he was last seen in Warren on May 25, 2002. He was
wearing a dark shirt and dark shorts. He is described as blond, with hazel-blue
eyes, 5-foot-7, 170 pounds, and has an Egyptian symbol - an ankh - tattooed on
his chest.
Warren County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information
that leads to the location of Sharp.
Chimenti asks that anyone with any
information on the case contact him at 723-2700 or 406-7389, or Crime Stoppers
at 1-800-83-CRIME.

I believe the area code for those numbers would be 814.

Guestbook for messages to Damien's family: http://htmlgear.tripod.com/guest/control.guest?u=warrennet&i=1002&a=sign (Unfortunately their website for him has been taken down.)

So, there, the rumors have been debunked. I apologize for any part I had in spreading false information; I simply did not know which was right.

I would like to also request that if in the future, if you would like to notify me that someone on this blog has been found, please send a link to confirm this information. (The exception is for family of the missing person.)

Photo from The Charley Project.

2008 Missing: Tiffany Siegworth, Carnegie, Pennsylvania

Her photo is two years out of date (according to caption at link), but it seems to be the only one available.

From http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_581221.html:

Carnegie police seeking runaway teenage girl
By F.A. Krift

TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Carnegie police are searching for a teenage girl who detectives believe
ran away 16 days ago with her boyfriend.
Tiffany Marie Siegworth, 15, of
Carnegie might be in the Lawrenceville, Wilkinsburg or Bellevue area, police
said. Her unnamed boyfriend also is considered missing by police.
Siegworth
was last seen by her father July 20 wearing black sweat pants, a black T-shirt
and tennis shoes. She is 5-foot-5 and weighs 150 pounds, and has dyed her blond
hair black, police said.
Anyone with information on Siegworth or her
whereabouts is asked to call Carnegie police Detective Tom Oros at 412-279-4589
or e-mail.

Another article, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26035160/, gives slightly more information (date last seen and by whom).

Carnegie Police Need Help Locating Teen
ThePittsburghChannel.Com
updated 11:47 a.m. ET, Tues., Aug. 5, 2008
CARNEGIE, Pa. - Carnegie police are asking for help from the public to
locate a missing teen. Police said Tiffany Marie Siegworth, 15, was last seen by
her father on July 20. She was with her boyfriend, who is also listed as
missing.
Tiffany is a white female, about 150 pounds, 5 foot 5 inches tall,
dyed black hair, blue eyes and was wearing black sweat pants and a black
t-shirt.
The teen may be in the Lawrenceville, Wilkinsburg or Bellevue
communities.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Tom Oros at
412-279-4589 or send an e-mail to atoros@carnegiepolice.org.

2008 Missing: Thomas Zinza, Emlenton, Pennsylvania

I just discovered Thomas' case on the North American Missing Persons Network. It was just added there July 31.

From http://www.nampn.org/cases/zinza_thomas.html:

Thomas Joel Zinza
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: February 19, 2008 from Emlenton, Pennsylvania
Classification:Missing
Date Of Birth: February 5, 1966
Age: 42
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 202 lbs
Hair Color: Brown (going gray and bald)
Eye Color: Hazel
Race: White
Gender: Male
Distinguishing Characteristics: Tattoo of a small
trout on upper arm gold crowns on molars, previously fractured right ankle,
herniated disk, chronic knee pain
Medical Conditions: He is diagnosed with
paranoid schizophrenia and is currently not taking his medication.
Clothing: Usually wore wool clothing, hunting coats, preferred brand was "Filson"
expensive hunting boots or footware, "Carharts" and flannel shirts, occasionally
wore baseball style hats
AKA: Tom, Tommy, Zinz
Case Number: 08-14273
NCIC Number: M-257212634 .
Details of DisappearanceThomas left
Fairbanks, AK and flew to Cleveland, OH. On February 17, 2008 he rented a
vehicle and drove to Emlenton, PA where he checked into the motor Inn on
February 17th. The car was located at the Emlenton Motor Inn, on
Emlenton-Clintonville Road, on February 27, 2008. There was no sign of Mr. Zinza
and it is possible that he had left the motor inn before February 19th. Tom may
be heading towards Vermont to a cabin he visited as a child.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Alaska State Police
(907) 451-5100

You can print a poster of Thomas at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200805607S.

Thomas is also listed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Porchlight International, and the Alaska State Troopers.

2008 Missing: Faime Francis, Swissvale, Pennsylvania

I just found her case on the North American Missing Persons Network today, though she had been on the site for longer. Her case was recently moved from their "Hot Cases" section to the regular "Missing Persons" section.
From http://www.nampn.org/cases/francis_faime.html:

Faime Lynette Francis
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: March 28, 2008 from Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: May 28, 1977
Age:
30
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 115 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color:
Dark Brown
Race: Black-African American
Gender: Female
Distinguishing Characteristics:She may be wearing a wig or have weave added
to her hair.
Medical Conditions: She suffers from Schizophrenia/Bipolar
Disorder and does not have her medicine with her.
Clothing: Unknown, but she
prefers to dress in all black.
Jewelry: Engagement type ring on her left hand.
Details of Disappearance
Faime left her residence on March 28, 2008 and has not been heard from
since. She has a mental illness and needs her medications.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Swissvale Police Department
Officer Costa
(412) 271-0430
Source Information
Frank & DeNita Francis - Faime's Parents

Faime is also listed on http://pennsylvaniamissingadults.com, which includes a way to leave tips online. It also says she is registered with the NCIC (National Crime Information Center).

2008 Missing: Jamal Christian, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jamal's poster was just emailed to me within the past month through the NCMEC's Poster Partner program. His information:

Endangered Runaway

JAMAL CHRISTIAN
DOB: May 3, 1993
Missing: May 26, 2008
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Eyes: Brown
Race: Black
Age Now: 15
Sex: Male
Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
Hair: Black
Missing From:
PITTSBURGH
PA
United States
Jamal was last seen on May 26, 2008. He may still be in
the local area.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Pittsburgh Police Department
(Pennsylvania) 1-412-323-7800

You can print your own copy to display at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1096827&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US. (Be sure to first change your "Page Setup" to "Landscape", or some information might be cut off.)

Lachlan Duffley now missing 7 years, Potomac, Maryland

Lachlan's Charley Project profile (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/duffley_lachlan.html):

Lachlan Yukihiro Kishida Duffley

Vital Statistics at Time of
Disappearance
Missing Since: June 24, 2001 from Potomac, Maryland
Classification: Family Abduction
Date of Birth: January 26, 1989
Age: 12 years old
Height and Weight: 4'11, 90 pounds
Distinguishing
Characteristics: Asian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Duffley is pictured wearing
eyeglasses in the photo above, but he may not be wearing them now. He has
birthmarks on both his temples and a scar on his back. Duffley speaks fluent
Japanese.

Details of Disappearance
Duffley was abducted by his
non-custodial mother, Yukiko Kishida. A felony warrant was issued for the
abductor on August 31, 2001. They may still be in the state of Maryland, or they
may have traveled to Pennsylvania or out of the country to Japan. Duffley's case
remains unsolved; neither he nor his mother have ever been heard from again.

Yukiko Kishida
Date of Birth: March 29, 1968
Age: 33 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5, 110 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Asian female. Black hair, brown eyes.
Kishida speaks fluent Japanese. Her ears are pierced, and she has a birthmark
between her eyes.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Montgomery County Police Department
301-279-8000

Lachlan is also listed on the websites of the Children's Rights Network in Japan, the Children's Rights Council of Japan, For the Lost, and CourtTV.

Japanese language website: http://ameblo.jp/nikoniko1205/entry-10030300431.html

Lachlan was one of several missing children featured on Briny Baird's golf bags during tournaments back in 2004. (For more details see http://www.csrwire.com/PressReleasePrint.php?id=2369.)

Unfortunately I cannot find a poster for Lachlan. He seems to have been listed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at some point, but perhaps his poster has been taken down from the website.

Sabrina Kahler now missing 6 years, Springfield Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania

Sabrina Kahler's disappearance seems to be a cold case. However, while Googling her name, I did find an article from just last month on the person she was last seen with.

Article from http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/NEWS02/805170351:

Man accused of making time
Insurance-fraud suspect charged with false accident report
BY ED PALATTELLA
ed.palattella@timesnews.com
Published: May 17. 2008 6:00AM
Police said the evidence in a fraud case against Lake City
resident David S.L. Heck is as clear as the time of day.
Heck, who has a prior record and who is connected to the disappearance of
an Erie woman, is accused of trying to defraud his insurance company by falsely
reporting the time of an auto accident.
Police allege he misreported the time to further his scheme to reinstate
his auto insurance and thus get coverage for the crash.
Heck's auto insurance with GEICO had lapsed because of nonpayment when the
crash actually occurred --sometime before 8:21 p.m. on Feb. 18 at Lake Pleasant
and Arbuckle roads in Millcreek Township, police said.
Millcreek police allege Heck, 32, called GEICO about an hour after the
accident, at 9:36 p.m., to reinstate his insurance. And the next morning, police
said, Heck called GEICO again to report the previous day's accident.
Police said Heck told GEICO the accident occurred at 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 18
-- or about two hours after police said it actually happened, and about an hour
after Heck had reinstated his insurance.
The accident involved Heck's 2000 Dodge Ram truck, a Millcreek Township
snowplow and another vehicle, police said. Police said no one was seriously
injured in the crash, but that police responded to it and recorded the time it
was reported -- 8:21 p.m. on Feb. 18. Police did not have an amount for the cost
of the damages.
Heck, of the 9000 block of Middle Road, is accused of the felony charge of
making a fraudulent statement to an insurance company. He was not charged with
driving without insurance because that charge has a 30-day statute of
limitations, Millcreek police Capt. Harry Love said.
District Judge Susan Strohmeyer arraigned Heck on Friday and jailed him on
$2,500 bond at the Erie County Prison, where Heck remained Friday night.
Heck is the same person last seen with Sabrina Kahler, the Erie woman who
has been missing since June 2002. One of Heck's lawyers has said Heck is not a
suspect in that case.
Kahler left home the morning of June 24, 2002, to go swimming. She never
returned and left few clues to her disappearance, police said. The 20-year-old
woman was last seen at the Tasty Twist ice cream stand on Old Lake Road in
Springfield Township. She had gone there with Heck after the two went swimming
at nearby Eagley Park.
Heck told police later that he then dropped off Kahler at the West Erie
Plaza and gave her money to see a movie. Police have not been able to confirm
the story.
In the case over the accident, Millcreek police Sgt. Scott Heidt
investigated as part of the department's insurance-fraud unit. According to the
criminal complaint, a GEICO investigator contacted Millcreek police to start the
investigation.
Police used Heck's conversations with GEICO representatives to build the
case against him. According to the criminal complaint, a GEICO representative
telephoned Heck on Feb. 19, after he had reported the accident.
During that interview, police said in the complaint, Heck again said the
accident had occurred at 10:30 p.m. rather than 8:21 p.m. -- the time recorded
on the police's accident report.
ED PALATTELLA can be reached at 870-1813 or by e-mail.

If you know what happened to Sabrina, please call the Erie Police Department at (814) 870-1506.

You can print a poster of Sabrina at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301530W.

Photo of Sabrina from her poster.

Aarys Oberlander-Hower: Poster update

The possible locations have changed.

I wonder why this is listed just as "missing" and not as "family abduction". Perhaps it is not established that he is with his father?

From Aarys' poster:

Missing

AARYS OBERLANDER-HOWER
DOB: Jun 5, 1996
Missing: Nov 6, 2006
Height: 4'9" (145 cm)
Eyes: Brown
Race: White
Age Now: 12
Sex: Male
Weight: 65 lbs (29 kg)
Hair: Lt. Brown
Missing From:
TITUSVILLE
PA
United States
Aarys was last seen on November 6, 2006. He may be in the
company of his non-custodial father. They are believed to be in Cyprus or
Bahrain. Aarys has a scar under his right eye and a scar under his
chin.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(Pennsylvania) 1-412-432-4000

You can print a poster to put up at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1074204&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US.

Newly missing: Raymond Simeroth, Derry Township, Pennsylvania

Unfortunately no photo was included with the article.
From http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_563578.html:

Torrance inmate missing
By The Tribune-Review
Monday, April 21, 2008
State police were seeking the public's help in
locating a patient, formerly from Somerset, who escaped Saturday from Torrance
State Hospital in Derry Township.
Police said Raymond M. Simeroth, 40, was
observed getting into a vehicle with a man and a woman on the grounds of the
state mental health facility about 9:45 a.m. Police said Simeroth had been
committed to the facility.
No further information on the nature of the
commitment was available from authorities.
Simeroth is 5 feet 11 inches tall
and 178 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He also wears a goatee and was
last seen wearing white pants, a white, short-sleeved T-shirt trimmed in red, a
red and white baseball cap and white tennis shoes.
Anyone with information
about Simeroth's whereabouts is asked to telephone state police at 724-832-3288.

New to blog: Philip Greenburg, Hermitage, Pennsylvania

Philip's profile from http://www.nampn.org/cases/greenburg_philip.html (additional photo at link!):

Philip Charles Greenburg
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: 2000 from Hermitage, Pennsylvania
Classification: Missing
Date Of Birth: August 3, 1962
Age: 38
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 130 lbs
Hair Color: Dirty blonde, very curly
Eye Color: Hazel
Race: White
Gender: Male
Distinguishing Characteristics: Hair was very curly and long
Details of Disappearance
Left on his own. There was occasional contact until about 2000, but none
since.
Investigating Agency If you have any information concerning this
case, please contact:NAMPN

New to blog: Aarys Oberlander-Hower, Titusville, Pennsylvania

From Aarys' NCMEC poster:

Missing

AARYS OBERLANDER-HOWER
DOB: Jun 5, 1996
Missing: Nov 6, 2006
Height: 4'9" (145 cm)
Eyes: Brown
Race: White
Age Now: 11
Sex: Male
Weight: 65 lbs (29 kg)
Hair: Lt. Brown
Missing From:
TITUSVILLE
PA
United States
Aarys was last seen on November 6, 2006. He may be in the
company of his non-custodial father. They are believed to be in Russia. Aarys
has a scar under his right eye and a scar under his chin.
ANYONE HAVING
INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(Pennsylvania) 1-412-432-4000

You can print your own at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1074204&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US.

Nellie Flickinger: more media coverage

Since the Yuma Sun article I posted a little while ago, a few more places have printed Nellie's story: the Erie Times-News (http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/NEWS02/801250363/-1/NE\ and http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080219/NEWS02/802190370/0/NEWS), the Sacramento Bee(http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/705149.html), the Appeal-Democrat (http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/flickinger_59525___article.html/woman_colusa.html) and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08056/860167-85.stm).

Because the Post-Gazette story is the most recent (just from yesterday!), I will post it below.

Family of Erie woman missing for 29 years prays for closure
Monday, February 25, 2008
By Michael A. Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Michael Nelson
remembers the day when his mother walked out of his life and into a distressing
mystery now decades old.
On that day 29 years ago next month, Nellie Florence
Cornman Flickinger said she had to leave her Erie home for California to get her
troubled life together. The 30-year-old Apollo native promised her mother she'd
be back for Mr. Nelson, then 9, and her four other children ranging in age from
6 to 12.
Nellie Flickinger
And then she was off with the thin man with the
thin mustache whose name no one knew. She never was heard from again.
Why
happened to her? Why didn't she ever come back?
"It's always in my head, I'm
always thinking about it," said Mr. Nelson, 38, who with his siblings suffered
an unhappy childhood of being shuffled from his maternal grandmother to foster
homes to an adoptive family. "I have depression and anxiety and just a mountain
full of emotions I don't know what to do with.
"I think about it every day. I
need to know."
Mr. Nelson, of Union City, Erie County, may find out a
horrible truth about his mother's fate if DNA from his uncle and youngest sister
is matched to that of a female skeleton discovered in California in 1982. But
after a lifetime of waiting, Mr. Nelson will have to wait some more -- the
process could take up to a year because the old case is not a priority for the
California state crime laboratory.
Ms. Flickinger's family is of two minds
about the additional wait they must endure.
"She's been gone for nearly 30
years, so what's another year at this point?" said Ms. Flickinger's niece, Joni
Lapeyrouse, 35, of Pensacola, Fla. "On the other hand, we're so close we want it
to be over."
Ms. Lapeyrouse is the reason the family has gotten this close to
unraveling the enigma. Over the years, the family had tried to find out what
happened to Ms. Flickinger but never got far. At the urging of one of Ms.
Flickinger's daughters, Ms. Lapeyrouse took up the challenge again.
During
the summer, she contacted the Doe Network, an Internet-based volunteer
clearinghouse of missing persons and unidentified bodies. The next day, the Doe
Network reported a possible match with the female skeletal remains a farm
laborer discovered in a drainage ditch along an interstate exit ramp in Colusa
County, Calif., northwest of Sacramento.
The remains offered Colusa County
authorities no clues to the woman's identity or how she died, although foul play
is suspected. She became a "Jane Doe" and was buried in a local cemetery,
forgotten for years -- until Ms. Flickinger's personal data was entered on the
Doe Network.
The hair color, height and age all seemed to match that of Ms.
Flickinger. And, most importantly, the remains had a metal plate screwed into
bones of the right leg. Ms. Flickinger likewise had a plate and screws holding
together her right leg, the result of a motorcycle accident in the
1960s.
"I'm hoping that it isn't her," Mr. Nelson said. "I just hope through
all this that maybe there's enough publicity out there if it's not her and if
she is alive maybe she'll see what has been written in papers and realize she
has a family who still loves her.
"But if it is her, I need to see her. I
need to be there for her. I want to talk to her, to tell her that I love her and
I don't blame her for nothing. And if this is foul play, then I go on from
there, to get it investigated and try to bring some type of closure for
her."
Ms. Lapeyrouse's hope is that her aunt is still alive, but her "gut"
tells her the remains are those of Ms. Flickinger, her father's
sister.
"We're looking for finality, something along that line. I think the
one way I would put it is we're bracing for closure but still hoping for a
reunion," she said.
Mr. Nelson said he holds no bitterness about his mother
leaving because she had a difficult life, including marriage to his physically
abusive father.
"She was scared. He ended up going to jail, and she saw this
as her chance to get away before she was killed by him," he said.
"I
understand [why she left]. I always just figured that after she realized we were
of age and accountability that maybe she would come around knowing he was not a
part of our lives any more, that she would come to see us and be safe.
"But
blame her, I do not, not one bit."
Michael A. Fuoco can be reached at mfuoco@post-gazette.com or
412-263-1968.

There is also a message board thread on Nellie at http://forums.pcolamoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=863&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0.

Donald Smatlak: two-year anniversary news article

When I was reading this article, I was also shocked to see another familiar name: the name of this blog! This seems to be the first media mention of my blog, at least as far as I know. However, I should clarify that a person does not have to be from Pennsylvania to be on this blog, although most of the people on here are.

From http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_551547.html?source=rss&feed=1:

Few clues in man's two-year disappearance
By Chris Foreman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Two years after the disappearance of an
Allegheny County man, the police chief heading the investigation says he's
"baffled" by the lack of clues.
Donald D. Smatlak, of North Versailles, has
been missing since Jan. 28, 2006, when he told his parents in a telephone
conversation that he would join them for dinner the next day at their North
Huntingdon home. He also said he was going to visit a friend in Delmont, but
never arrived.
Two years ago today, police found his silver Mazda parked
near the intersection of Meyran Avenue and Louisa Street in Pittsburgh's Oakland
neighborhood, where Smatlak received a criminal justice degree from the
University of Pittsburgh.
While North Versailles police Chief James Comunale
hesitates to call the disappearance a cold case, he said his department hasn't
received any new leads lately.
The case was listed this week on a blog of
missing Pennsylvanians called "Between Life and Death: A Few Missing People."
"Unfortunately, it's one of those cases where it's at a standstill,"
Comunale said. "We checked every single lead and nothing ever panned out. We're
baffled."
Smatlak's parents said Friday their son was a normal 25-year-old
at the time of his disappearance who had been living on his own for nine months,
in a two-year relationship with a woman, and readying for a job interview a
friend had arranged for him in the Pittsburgh area in a couple of weeks.
He
had recently left a job at the North Versailles Giant Eagle, but his family said
there wasn't any reason for them to suspect he would leave on his own.
"He
would never do anything to hurt us," Linda Smatlak said of the eldest of her two
sons. "That's why it's so hard for us because he wouldn't leave without letting
us know."
Comunale said Smatlak's apartment was very clean and there weren't
any signs of a struggle or fight there.
Smatlak's parents speculate he
wouldn't have abandoned his car in the condition that it was found -- with the
windows down so snow could get in.
They also say their son, who commuted to
school in Pittsburgh, wasn't known to have any friends in the city.
His
parents say they're heartened by the continuing investigation, which included
following up on a failed tip late last year.
"That is our worst fear, to
have him forgotten," Linda Smatlak said. "They said they review it each month
and it'll never be forgotten."
Smatlak is white, 6 feet 1 inches tall,
weighs 230 pounds, and has short, light-brown hair and hazel eyes.
According
to the National Center for Missing Adults, he has a scar on his lower lip, a
tattoo of a Chinese symbol on the center of his back and a tattoo of his name in
Chinese on the middle of his chest in black ink.
Anyone with information may
call North Versailles police at 412-823-1111.
Chris Foreman can be reached
at cforeman@tribweb.com or
724-626-3561.

You can print a poster of Donald at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200604104S.

Jayme Engstrom now missing 14 years, Clearwater, Florida

Here is a section about Jayme from an article last year. You can read the whole thing at http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/clearwater_citizen/content_articles/020107_cit-04.txt?archiveview&print:

Residents go missing without a trace around Clearwater
This is the
second part of a two-part series about people who have disappeared from
Clearwater over the last three decades.
By LESTER R. DAILEY
Article published on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007
CLEARWATER – Jayme Lynn Engstrom was
only 22 years old when she disappeared, but they were hard years.
The Pennsylvania native moved to Pinellas County with her mother when she
was 10, following the breakup of her parents, who had married at 17. She went to
Dunedin Middle and High schools, but dropped out at 16.
She got in with a bad crowd, began stealing and writing bad checks, started
using drugs and soon became a crack addict, according to interviews her mother,
Vicki Lynn Engstrom, gave to sheriff’s deputies and the press shortly after the
disappearance.
She went back to Pennsylvania in 1989, allegedly in fear for her life
because of a drug deal gone awry in Florida. There, she moved in with a man and
bore him twin sons, but the relationship was stormy, and Engstrom spent a lot of
time in abuse shelters or jail.
She returned to Pinellas County in 1991, bringing her boyfriend and sons
with her. But they later moved back to Pennsylvania and subsequently came back
to Florida.
Along the way, she was in and out of rehab and racked up an extensive
arrest record for solicitation for prostitution, soliciting for a lewd act, drug
possession and theft. She also gave birth to a daughter, whom she put up for
adoption, and split up with her boyfriend when she caught him cheating on
her.
Engstrom stayed with friends in the area around N. Fort Harrison Avenue.
She was last seen at 8:43 p.m. on Feb. 20, 1994, when Clearwater police stopped
her for walking down the middle of the road in the 1300 block of Cleveland
Street. There was speculation, but no proof, that she fell victim to James M.
Randall, an alleged serial killer of mid-Pinellas prostitutes at that
time.
Engstrom would now be 36 years old. When she disappeared, she stood
5-foot-4 and weighed 115 pounds. She is white, with blonde hair, blue eyes and a
rose tattoo on her upper right arm. Anyone with information regarding her
whereabouts should call the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at 582-6200.

Jayme's Charley Project profile, from http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/e/engstrom_jayme.html (source of above photo):

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: February 20, 1994 from Clearwater, Florida
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: November 13, 1971
Age: 22 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5, 110 - 120 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Blonde hair,
blue/gray eyes. Engstrom has a rose tattoo on her upper right arm. She has
surgical scars on the upper insides of both of her thighs. Engstrom has a
vertical Caesarian section scar on her abdomen. She may use the aliases Sherrie
Price, Julie Michaelyn Edwards, Jacklyn Smith and/or Sherrie Wilson.
Medical Conditions: Engstrom has a history of crack cocaine abuse.

Details of Disappearance
Engstrom was last seen at 8:43 p.m. on February 20, 1994 in the
1300 block Cleveland Street in Clearwater, Florida. Authorities stopped her
while she was walking in the middle of the street at the time. Engstrom has
never been heard from again. Her mother, who last saw her in January 1994,
reported her as a missing person in December 1995, almost two years after she
went missing. Engstrom stayed in touch with her family by telephone several
times a month, but they have not heard from her since her disappearance.
Prior to her disappearance, Engstrom had been arrested multiple times for
prostitution, theft and drug charges, but her criminal record abruptly stopped
after early 1994. She was a known prostitute in the Clearwater area, and lived
near north Fort Harrison Avenue. She had also been arrested for prostitution in
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Several other local prostitutes were murdered
around the same time Engstrom disappeared. Investigators believe the women,
including Engstrom, may have been victims of a serial killer, but no suspects
have been named.
Engstrom has connections to West Springfield,
Massachusetts; McKeesport, Pennsylvania; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is
the mother of twin sons. Her disappearance remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
727-582-6200

You can print a poster of Jayme at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300946W.

Webpage for Jayme: http://www.angelfire.com/fl/tracehome/jaymeengstrom.html

Sandra Baker: Declared dead

Wow, I had heard that her car had been found, but I did not know the circumstances. Apparently it was not originally because she was missing.

I wonder why the fiance was never charged. Nowadays people do not always seem to need a body before they can be tried for murder.

Article from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08040/856148-85.stm:

Missing woman declared dead after 7 years
Saturday, February 09, 2008
By Milan Simonich, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
MERCER, Pa. -- The case of Sandra Kay
Baker, who vanished more than seven years ago, officially became a homicide
yesterday.
Mercer County Common Pleas Judge Thomas R. Dobson declared Ms.
Baker dead after a somber 10-minute hearing in which her son and daughter were
the only witnesses.
The children, Shawn Krebs and Shedara Binkley, testified
that they had not seen or heard from their mother since May 25, 2000. State
police said Ms. Baker's bank account and credit cards were never accessed after
that day.
In 2005, police identified Billy Crea, Ms. Baker's fiance, as the
suspect in her disappearance and presumed murder. But they have not arrested or
charged Mr. Crea, a 52-year-old electrician who now lives in Ellwood
City.
Ms. Baker's children said they believe police have pinpointed the right
man, but lack hard evidence, including a body.
Mr. Krebs, 34, of Denver, said
Mr. Crea never called police to report Ms. Baker missing, even though they were
living together when she disappeared.
For his part, Mr. Crea declines to
speak about the case.
His lawyer, James Ecker, said yesterday that Mr. Crea
has never wavered in proclaiming his innocence.
Mr. Crea agreed to be
questioned by police after Ms. Baker disappeared. But soon after, he retained
Mr. Ecker as his lawyer and stopped cooperating in the investigation, state
police said.
Police learned that Mr. Crea had been deeply suspicious of Ms.
Baker, who was 46.
He hired a private detective to investigate Ms. Baker's
background after they became engaged. The detective, Clifford Aley, lied
repeatedly to police about his involvement and now is serving up to four years
in prison for hindering the Baker homicide investigation.
Among other things,
Mr. Aley found that Ms. Baker had been married six times, and was still married
to a Florida man when she accepted Mr. Crea's proposal. Mr. Aley also learned
that Ms. Baker was struggling financially. She was behind on car payments and
other bills.
On May 25, 2000, the day she vanished, Mr. Aley called an auto
finance company to report that Ms. Baker's 1988 Honda Accord was parked at the
Shenango Valley Mall. Soon after, repossession men hauled away her car and any
evidence it contained.
Mr. Aley told authorities he was only peripherally
involved in Ms. Baker's disappearance. He claimed Mr. Crea was the killer and
acted alone.
Mr. Aley said Mr. Crea told him he had strangled Ms. Baker after
an argument, then put her body in some sort of container and hid it in Mercer
County.
Pennsylvania law says a missing person can be presumed dead after
seven years.
Milan Simonich can be reached at msimonich@post-gazette.com or
412-263-1956.

If you know where Sandra might be, or have any other helpful information in this case, please call the Pennsylvania state police at (724) 662-6162.

You can print a poster of Sandra at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300269W (It is apparently a little out of date because it says her car is still missing.)

Photo of Sandra from her poster.

Patrick Kenney now missing 3 years, Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania

In the past year Patrick's case has seen quite a bit of development--unfortunately, into something more tragic. We have gone from a mysterious disappearance with few clues to a presumed murder, with both a suspect and eyewitnesses. Now if only this suspect would say where Patrick's body is!

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

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: February 2, 2005 from Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Age: 22 years old
Height and Weight: 6'1, 230 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Light brown hair, blue eyes. Kenney's nickname is Pooch.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A white t-shirt, a gray ski jacket, blue jeans and white sneakers.
Medical Conditions: Kenny has a history of cocaine abuse.

Details of Disappearance
Kenney's family last saw him
in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania at 6:45 p.m. on February 2, 2005. He told his
mother he was going out to "take care of something" and would return home for
dinner in an hour, but never arrived. He has never been heard from again. His
white 1999 Cadillac Escalade was found on February 15 on McCaslin Drive in the
Greenfield section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He reportedly has friends living
in the general area where the car was located. Authorities stated that the
vehicle had evidently been parked at that location for several days; it had been
given a parking ticket.
Kenney's mother stated that something appeared to be
bothering her son when she last saw him, and he seemed confused. He took nothing
with him other than his cellular phone, without the charger, and no more than
$200 cash. There has been no activity on his cellular phone, bank accounts or
credit cards, and his tax refund has not been deposited in his bank account.
In September 2007, Bryan Sedlak was charged with Kenney's murder. A
photograph of him is posted below this case summary. Authorities believe the
motive was robbery; Kenney had received a $6,800 pension fund settlement prior
to his disappearance and may have been carrying it on the day he was last seen.
Witnesses testified before a grand jury, saying Sedlak had confessed the murder
to them, and at least one witness says he saw Kenney's body. Sedlak allegedly
shot Kenney several times with a .22 rifle, then beat him with the weapon until
it broke. In addition, phone records indicate Kenney called Sedlak several hours
after he left his parents' home, and Sedlak returned the call an hour later.
Kenney's body has not been located, but prosecutors believe they can make a case
without it. Sedlak has a prior criminal history for drug-related offenses,
assault and harassment.
Kenney had been employed as a union steamfitter, but
was fired prior to the time he went missing. He is a 2000 graduate of Thomas
Jefferson High School, where he was a state champion hockey player. He is
described as a popular, outgoing, athletic man with no enemies. Kenney's family
says it is uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning. Foul play is
suspected in his case due to the circumstances involved.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Allegheny County Police Department
412-473-3000

I still have not found a poster of Patrick.

Gina Farren-Brown now missing 3 years, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

From http://www.nampn.org/cases/ferron-brown_gina.html:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 29, 2005 from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: September 19, 1960
Age: 44
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 125 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Race: White
Gender: Female
AKA: Gina Maria Brown
Details of Disappearance
Presumed to be with Ralph Skundrich. (See Below) It is believed she
left with him willingly but believed she is in danger by being with him.
Ralph Skundrich
Dates Of Birth Used: November 19, 1966;November
19, 1965
Age: 40-41
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Hair Color:
Brown
Eye Color: Green
Race: White
Gender: Male
Distinguishing
Characteristics: Skundrichhas a scar on his abdomen
AKA: Rob Matthews,Ralph
Steven Skundrich,Steven Ralph Skundrich
NCIC Number: W710146924
Details of Flight
Skundrich has ties to Florida and Aruba. He is known to abuse both
alcohol and illegal drugs. Ralph Skundrich was last seen at his residence in
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, on or about January 29, 2005. Skundrich, who
was on pretrial supervision with electronic home monitoring at the time,
allegedly cut off his electronic monitoring ankle bracelet and fled the area. He
had been charged in a criminal complaint on August 19, 2004, with Criminal
Attempt (Burglary), Criminal Conspiracy (Robbery), Criminal use of a
Communication Facility, and Prohibited Possession of a Firearm. A warrant for
his arrest had been issued the same day by the Court of Common Pleas of
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. These charges stem from an alleged plot by
Skundrich and two accomplices to commit a residential burglary and robbery in
Indiana County, Pennsylvania. The men attempted to carry out the alleged plot on
March 17, 2004, but were instead arrested by law enforcement authorities. A
federal warrant for the arrest of Skundrich was obtained on March 6, 2006, in
the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he was
charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He may be traveling with his
girlfriend, Gina Farren-Brown, who is not a fugitive from the law. SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS AND AN ESCAPE RISK. UNLAWFUL FLIGHT TO AVOID
PROSECUTION - CRIMINAL ATTEMPT (BURGLARY), CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY (ROBBERY),
CRIMINAL USE OF A COMMUNICATION FACILITY, PROHIBITED POSSESSION OF A FIREARM.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Pittsburg FBI Field Office
Ray Murrow
(412) 432-4000

Gina has been featured after Without a Trace and on America's Most Wanted and The Early Show. (For the CBS article, visit http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/31/earlyshow/main1458699.shtml and scroll down until you see "Gina Brown".) Also see articles at http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/tribnorth/s_368046.html, http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_531099.html, and http://kdka.com/topstories/CBS.Show.Without.2.391329.html.

I have not found an actual poster for Gina.

Donald Smatlak now missing 2 years, North Versailles, Pennsylvania

Not much seems to have changed since I posted last year to mark the first anniversary of Donald's disappearance. Maybe he can be found before the third?
From http://www.nampn.org/cases/smatlak_donald.html:

Donald David Smatlak
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 28, 2006 from North Versailles, Pennsylvania
Classification: Missing
Date of Birth: July 15, 1980
Age: 25
Height: 5'11"-6'1"
Weight: 220-230 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Race: White
Gender: Male
Distinguishing Characteristics: Numerous tattoos: Chinese/Asiansymbols on chest, middle of back, & inside lower right leg, cross onright ankle. Goatee. Scar on lower
lip.
NCIC Number: M-645469494
Case Number: 2006-00977
Details of Disappearance
Donald hasn't been heard from since he called his parents at about
4:00 p.m. on January 28, 2006, and arranged to have dinner with them the next
day at their home in North Huntingdon Township, PA. Investigators have
determined he was inside or near his home in the 1000 block of Logan Road at the
time. He told his mother he was planning to go to a friend's house in Delmont,
but never showed up there or at another friend's house he planned to visit
afterward. Donald was reported missing three days later, on January 31. His
silver Mazda was found parked near the intersection of Meyran Avenue and Louisa
Street in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood shortly before noon on February 9,
2006. Donald attended Norwin High School and then went on to attend the
University of Pittsburgh where he graduated last summer with a degree in
criminal justice.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
North Versailles Police
(412) 823-1111
OR
Allegheny County Sheriff's Dept.
(412) 473-3000

You can print a poster of Donald at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200604104S.

Unfortunately, Donald's website seems to have been taken down.

Nellie Flickinger, missing from Erie, Pennsylvania

I first heard about Nellie from the Doe Network, but I had not posted her on here yet (except a mention on the index). The information on there had also been provided by the family. It is nice to see she is getting some media coverage!

From http://www.yumasun.com/news/flickinger_39119___article.html/family_lapeyrouse.html:

Family seeks help finding loved one
BY DARIN FENGER, SUN STAFF WRITER
January 22, 2008 - 9:41PM
The niece of a Pennsylvania woman who disappeared almost 30 years ago says her loved one may be dead in California - or be living in Yuma.
Nellie Florence Cornman Flickinger was last seen in Erie, Pa., in 1979. She was 30 at the time of her disappearance.
Flickinger's family believes she may have fled to Yuma, where she was known to have worked at restaurant many years ago. But the family's investigation has also turned up buried remains, which will soon undergo DNA testing in California.
Joni Lapeyrouse, Flickinger's niece, said that family recently relaunched their search for the woman because the five children she abandoned are now adults who have questions.
"We just want to know if she's all right," Lapeyrouse told The Sun. "If she wants to be left alone, that's fine. We'll leave it at that. At this point the family just wants to know if she's OK or not."
The niece admitted that help from law enforcement has been scarce due to the fact that Flickinger most likely disappeared of her own free will. No foul play is suspected.
The family discovered a possible match between Flickinger and buried remains in California through The Doe Network. The organization publicizes the descriptions of unidentified bodies in hopes of connecting with families or law enforcement agencies.
Lapeyrouse said that although she still wants to reach out to Yuma, her gut reaction is that the body in Colusa County, Calif., is her aunt. The niece pointed out that both women have screws and a plate in the right leg, plus the hair color, age and height seem to be a match.
Flickinger is described as having brown hair and brown eyes, and was 5 foot 3 inches and 130 pounds when she disappeared.
People with information about Flickinger can reach Lapeyrouse at 1-850-602-2743.

You can also call the Erie police at (814) 870-1260.

According to the Doe Network (http://doenetwork.org/cases/2313dfpa.html), Nellie had said she was heading to California, and she might use the aliases Lindy Sue Henry, Nellie Henry, or Sue Henry.

Body found in Somerset probably NOT Joey Offutt

Update 4/2/08 - article and links removed per family request. This body is believed not to belong to Joey, anyway. She is still missing, still out there somewhere.

Meanwhile, Joey is still out there. If you know what happened to her, please call the Pennsylvania state police at (814) 371-4652 or Pennsylvania CrimeStoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS .

Joey's website: http://www.findjoey.org/

You can print a poster of Joey at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200705513S.

Photo of Joey from her website. The website also has a photo of Joey wearing her glasses.