Nyia Miangel Page found dead, father charged

Amber Alerts can save lives, but once in a while there are still unhappy endings. This is one of those times. I never posted a photo of Nyia Page before, so there is one below.
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Toddler's death ruled homicide
By Mike Wereschagin
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, February 5, 2007
The death of Nyia Miangel Page, the
23-month-old girl whose body was found in Rankin following a two-day search, was
a homicide, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office said today.
Following an autopsy today, the office ruled that the Braddock girl died of
hypothermia and exposure.
Nyia was found about 3:30 p.m. Sunday along the
southeastern slope of the Hawkins Village public housing project. She was last
seen alive by several family members about 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Family members
reported her missing about seven hours later, said county police Superintendent
Charles Moffatt.
"Our main focus at that time was finding the child,"
Moffatt said. An "Amber Alert" was issued shortly afterward, and was
discontinued a few hours after the baby's body was discovered the next day. "We
waited for the autopsy, and got the manner of death in the last two hours. We're
now treating it as a homicide."
Police interviewed family members, but
Moffatt said they do not have a suspect.
Mike Wereschagin can be reached at mwereschagin@tribweb.com or (412)
391-0927.

They do have a suspect now, though--her own father. From http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07039/760411-56.stm:

Braddock toddler's father charged in her death
Thursday, February 08,
2007
By Moustafa Ayad, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
William Lorenzo Page of
Braddock was charged last night with criminal homicide in the death of his
23-month-old daughter, Nyia, whose body was found Sunday in a wooded area in
freezing temperatures and wearing only a sweater and a diaper.
Mr. Page, 23, was already in jail awaiting a hearing on
charges of abusing another child.
The homicide charge against Mr. Page
culminates a three-day investigation by the FBI and police from Allegheny
County, Braddock and Rankin, said Allegheny County police Supt. James Morton.
Mr. Page also is charged with kidnapping, making false reports to law
enforcement and simple assault.
The toddler was reported missing from her
Braddock home after her 6-year-old brother told his parents about 7:30 a.m.
Saturday that she wasn't in her normal sleeping area. Family members called
police when they couldn't find her, setting off an Amber Alert and a search by
70 police officers and rescue workers.
On Saturday, volunteers joined police
using dogs on a bitter cold day to search streets, railroad tracks, abandoned
buildings and trash bins for the little girl, who was about 2 feet tall and
weighed 30 pounds.
Searchers discovered her body about noon on Sunday about
four blocks from her home, in a hilly wooded area along Pattison Avenue in
Rankin. A few hours later, the Allegheny County medical examiner's office
determined the body was that of Nyia.
Mr. Page had been jailed since Sunday
on charges of simple and indecent assault of another child, endangering the
welfare of children and corruption of minors. Police said they learned about
that incident during the investigation of the missing toddler.
He was being
held on $25,000 bond, pending a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
From the
beginning, police said the site where the body was found would have been too
difficult for the toddler to get to by herself, leading them to suspect foul
play. The medical examiner ruled she died of exposure and hypothermia and listed
the manner of death as homicide.

The full history of Nyia's case can also be read on the Crime Library at http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0207/1202_nyia_page.html. It does contain a detailed, heartbreaking description of how she died, so you may have think carefully about whether you want to read it.
She wouldn't listen to her father when he told her to go back to bed, but she did not deserve to die for it! Hopefully little Nyia will get justice soon.

FOUND SAFE: Sara Herbay

Exciting news! I guess this just happened yesterday.
Story from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Girl found with mother's ex-boyfriend
By Jill King Greenwood
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, February 3, 2007
A 16-year-old girl who disappeared from her
Sharpsburg home in October was in the custody of child welfare officials Friday
after being found living with her mother's ex-boyfriend in West Mifflin, police
said.
Sara Ann Herbay, who ran away from home Oct. 9 and was reported
missing a day later, was found about 6 a.m. yesterday when Allegheny County
Sheriff's deputies, investigators with the District Attorney's office and West
Mifflin police raided the Jane Street home of John Leroy Keller.
Sara was
not injured and had been living in a room in a finished basement.
"She was
in tears. She cried the entire time she was with us," said sheriff's Sgt.
Michael Scherbanic.
Police charged Keller, 32, with concealing the
whereabouts of a child and interfering with child custody. He was arraigned
yesterday morning and is being held in the county jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Investigators started looking for Keller in June, about four months before
Sara's disappearance, because he was wanted on three counts of failure to pay
child support.
"He was very elusive. We searched everywhere and could not
find him," Scherbanic said.
Shortly after Sara disappeared, police
interviewed her mother, Eleanore Donofrio-Herbay, of Allentown, and her father,
Michael Herbay, of Sharpsburg, and suspected that Keller was involved in Sara's
disappearance.
On Oct. 17, a week after Michael Herbay reported his daughter
missing, he filed an emergency custody petition in Allegheny County Family Court
requesting an "immediate change of custody." He alleged in the petition that it
recently had been discovered that Sara "has been having an intimate
relationship" with Keller, who was then her mother's live-in boyfriend.
A
Common Pleas judge then ordered that Donofrio-Herbay risked losing all custody
rights if she allowed Keller near her daughter.
Police last week tracked
Keller to a Lawrenceville body shop where he worked. They arrested him on the
three outstanding warrants for child support and questioned him about Sara's
disappearance. He said he hadn't seen her since early December, said sheriff's
Detective Jay Stegena. Keller was jailed for 48 hours on the child support
charges and freed Sunday after posting $5,000 bond.
Police, believing Sara
was with Keller since her disappearance, got several new leads this week that
led them to the Jane Street address.
"It appears she willingly went with him
and could have left at any point, but it's hard to say what she was thinking or
what she went through because she's only 16. He is twice her age," Scherbanic
said. "It's easy to manipulate and coerce or even brainwash a child that is only
16, but something must have been really bad at either of her homes to make her
think going with this guy was going to be better."
An adult female relative
of Keller's and four other relatives between the ages of 16 and 20 were living
in the Jane Street home as well.
"Part of our investigation is finding out
why they didn't report her being there or what, if any, involvement they had,"
Scherbanic said.
Neighbors on Jane Street said they didn't know Keller and
hadn't seen Sara in the area. Donofrio-Herbay declined to comment when she
answered the door at her Allentown home. No one answered the door at Michael
Herbay's home yesterday afternoon, and a man at Priority 1 Auto Service, where
Keller was working, declined to identify himself or comment on Keller's arrest.
Sara was placed in the custody of the county Office of Children, Youth and
Families. Keller is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Thursday.
"She's safe for now," Scherbanic said. "Over 27 years of doing this job,
there are a lot of aspects of it that I have grown to despise, but finding this
girl this morning felt pretty good."
Jill King Greenwood can be reached at jgreenwood@tribweb.com or
412-321-2160.

Donald Smatlak now missing 1 year, North Versailles, Pennsylvania

I remember posting about Donald David Smatlak not too long after I started the blog last year. Apparently, he still has not been found.
Photo and information from the Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 28, 2006 from North Versailles, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: July 15, 1980
Age: 25 years old
Height and Weight:
6'0 - 6'1, 230 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown
hair, hazel eyes. Smatlak's nickname is Donny. His ears are pierced and he has a
gap between his front teeth and a small scar on the lower left side of his lip.
Smatlak has a Chinese symbol tattooed in the center of his back and on his right
shin in black ink, and a tattoo of his name in Chinese on the center of his
chest in black ink. He wore a goatee at the time of his disappearance.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: Diamond studs in both ears, a gold chain and a
gold bracelet on his left wrist. Clothing unknown, but he usually wears
oversized shirts or sweaters, baggy jeans with a belt, tan boots and a suede
jacket.
Medical Conditions: Smatlak has an unspecified medical condition and
is in need of medication.

Details of Disappearance
Smatlak last had
contact with his family at approximately 4:00 p.m. on January 28, 2006, by
telephone from his residence in the 1000 block of Logan Road in North
Versailles, Pennsylvania. He he said he was going to visit a friend in Delmont,
Pennsylvania, but never arrived. He was scheduled to eat dinner with his parents
the next day, but never made it there. He has never been heard from again. His
vehicle, a silver four-door 2004 Mazda 3, was found abandoned shortly before
noon on February 9, 2006, at Meyran Avenue and Louisa Street in Oakland,
Pennsylvania.
Smatlak graduated from Norwin High School and the University
of Pittsburgh; his degree is in criminal justice. Before his disappearance he
was employed in the produce section of the North Versailles Giant Eagle store,
but he lost his job shortly before he went missing. Smatlak has not used his
cellular phone or access his bank accounts since his disappearance. He was close
to his parents and spoke to them every few days, and his family says it is
uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
North Versailles Police Department
412-823-1111
OR
412-473-3000

You can also email tips to info@donaldsmatlak.com.
You can print a poster of Donald at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200604104S.
Donald's website: http://www.donaldsmatlak.com/

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.

Jesus Martinez-Alvarado: Reward offered, age progression available

(He is sometimes referred to as Jesus Alvarado Martinez, . I am not sure which is correct.)
It is always nice to see a news article about someone that seems forgotten. Of course, it would have been even nicer if it had said that he was found safe and sound. Still, now people will remember that he is still missing, and maybe there will be a greater chance of him being found.
Story and age progression (top picture) from http://www.click2houston.com/news/10784599/detail.html. Photos of Jesus in 2004 and Avelino from NCMEC.

Reward Offered In Search For Accused Wife Killer, Kidnapper
Thu Jan 18, 1:29 PM ET
A reward was offered Thursday in the search for a man accused of
killing his wife and taking off with their young child, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Avelino Martinez-Alvarado, 31, was charged with the Oct. 20, 2004, murder of
his wife, who was stabbed to death in their apartment.
Police said he also
kidnapped the couple's then-4-year-old son, Jesus Martinez-Alvarado.
Jesus,
now 7 years old, is probably not leading a normal child's life, according to
investigators, and could be in danger.
"Let's get the child back safe to his
family," HPD Officer Ramon Cervantes said.
Police said Avelino
Martinez-Alvarado has been spotted in the United States, but said they believe
he is hiding out in Mexico with his son.
An age-progressed digital picture of
Jesus was released so the public would know what he looks like now.
"Any
parent who takes their child in violation of a custody order, they don't do that
for the child's best interest. They do that for their purposes of power and
control," said Beth Alberts with the Texas Center For The Missing.
Avelino
Martinez-Alvarado and his wife had three other children, who are staying with
their maternal grandmother.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime
Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
A $5,000 reward is being offered in the case.

You can print a poster of Jesus (without age progression) here.

"Missouri miracle" gives other families hope

**This post discusses Georgina DeJesus (Ohio), Jason Jolkowski (Nebraska), Cherrie Ann Mahan (Pennsylvania), and Tanya Kach (Pennsylvania), as well as Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby (Missouri).**

If you've paid even a little bit of attention to the news this past week, you have heard the story of the miraculous recovery of Ben Ownby, who disappeared while getting off the school bus earlier this month, and the even more miraculous recovery of Shawn Hornbeck, who went missing while riding his bike in October 2002. But if by some chance you haven't, you can easily find the information online. One good post on it, although it focuses more on Shawn, is at http://findcarrie.blogspot.com/2007/01/discovery-of-shawn-hornbeck.html.

Anyway, logically, this news causes other people with missing loved ones to hope that maybe their family member can be found safe, too. I am posting here a few articles on just that, the renewed hope, which relate to people I have previously posted on this blog.
The first is from http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=61675&provider=gnews:

Finding missing children gives a Cleveland family renewed hope
Kristin Anderson
Created: 1/13/2007 5:31:06 PM
Updated:1/14/2007 5:46:45 AM
CLEVELAND -- The
Missouri case is bringing hope to many families with missing children, including
one on the West side of Cleveland.
Felix and Nancy have been glued to their
t-v for a week --- hoping, and praying for the missing boys and their families
in Missouri.
Watching them reunite is bringing a roller coaster of emotions.
"It's a miracle that they found these two young boys, I cried almost all
night," said Gina's Father, Felix.
"That gives us all, other parents, hope to stand up stronger and never give
up that hope because you never know, like now, you never know," said Gina's
Mother, Nancy.
In April of 2004, their youngest daughter, 14-year old Gina DeJesus
disappeared while walking home from her school, Wilbur Wright in Cleveland.An
intense search turned up nothing.
A year later the FBI released a sketch of a possible suspect, while the
community showed their support by building a mound of stuffed animals outside
Gina's window.
Her parents have never given up hope of finding their little girl alive,
just like the parents in Missouri.
"Amazing, it's hard right now for me to find the exact words I want to say,
my feelings, I know someday I know I'll go through it," said Nancy.
Gina's bedroom is now filled with angels, and candles that have been
burning since she disappeared.
Her dad is still wearing his special t-shirt that says in Spanish, "Go with
God."
As with the Missouri case -- Gina's parents encourage the community to call
in any tips that they might remember from April of 2004.
"Think, because anything that comes back to your mind may open this case
and break it open, that way we can bring my child home," said Felix.
Gina's parents say the FBI is still getting tips about her
whereabouts.
If you have any information about this case you can call the FBI or
Cleveland Police.
Gina's parents also say they're going to fight to keep sexual predators
locked up -- so they don't have the opportunity to strike again.

The next is from http://www.ketv.com/family/10754128/detail.html:

Missouri Boys' Discovery Fuels Hope For Omaha Mother
Kelly Jolkowsi Watches
Boys' Reunion With Interest
POSTED: 3:36 pm CST January 15, 2007
UPDATED:
5:16 pm CST January 15, 2007
Email
This Story Print This
Story
OMAHA, Neb. -- A local mother said Monday that the discovery of two
boys in Missouri gives her hope that she'll find her own son.
Jason
Jolkowski disappeared more than five years ago at age 19. His mother, Kelly, has
been tracking the case of Shawn Hornbeck in Missouri for years.
On Friday,
police found Hornbeck and Ben Ownby, 13, another missing boy, in the home of
41-year-old Michael Devlin. Shawn was 11 when he disappeared in 2002.
Devlin
has been arrested and jailed on $1 million bond. He was awaiting arraignment on
one charge of kidnapping but more charges are likely, authorities said.
"I
was shocked. I thought it sounded too good to be true," Kelly Jolkowski said on
Monday. "I did think that Shawn was most likely dead because of his age, and it
sounded like he was abducted, and it had been so long."
Jolkowski monitors
hundreds of missing persons cases through ProjectJason, the organization she founded that helps families
of the missing.
"You can't help but picture the possibility of your own
reunion in your mind, too," Jolkowski said.
Despite hefty reward offers and
all of her resources, Jolkowski and police still don't have a clue in Jason's
disappearance.
"It just seems to be the most clueless case I know of. A lot
of cases they have some indication of this happened versus that happened. But we
have no indication whatsoever," she said.
Jolkowski counsels people to be
aware of their surroundings.
"Look at the faces of the missing. You never
know if you might see them somewhere," she said. "When we hear about these
stories we know that just because they've been missing for awhile, even though
most people think the odds are against them, we still have hope."
Project
Jason helps families of the missing all over the United States, but Jolkowski
said that despite the number of missing people in the Omaha area, she rarely
gets calls from families in Omaha.

The next is from the Anderson Cooper 360 blog:

Monday, January 15, 2007
Have you seen Cherrie Mahan?
Their stories
are eerily similar, but only one, so far, has a happy ending.When Ben Ownby
disappeared in Missouri last week, Janice McKinney, a Pennsylvania woman, shed
some tears at the thought of what he and his family must have been going
through. Janice, after all, can relate. Her daughter, then 8-year-old Cherrie
Mahan, was kidnapped more than two decades ago after getting off her school bus,
just like Ben Ownby.Cherrie, who now would be 30 years old, hasn't been seen
since.Like in Ben's case, there was a witness who saw a vehicle. A student from
Cherrie's bus described a blue van with a snowcapped mountain and a skier
painted on the side of it. Investigators never found the van. Janice McKinney
lives with terrible guilt. It was the first time she hadn't picked up her
daughter at the bus stop. She had given her permission to walk the 300 feet from
the bus to her driveway.Next month marks the 22nd anniversary of Cherrie's
disappearance. She's happy that William Ben Ownby and another young boy, Shawn
Hornbeck, were found. Janice told me it gives her hope that one day she'll have
her little girl back too. "Twenty-two years later, I'm still searching for any
kind of answer," she said.As it turns out, Cherrie was the little girl who
helped put a real face on missing kids. Hers was the first to appear on those
"Have you seen me?" fliers you get in your mailbox.
Click
here for pictures of Cherrie
Posted By Randi Kaye, CNN Correspondent:
3:39 PM ET

So far 18 people have commented on that post--some with well wishes for Cherrie's family, others who have gone through similar experiences.

And finally, some of you may have already thought of Tanya Kach's story when you heard this wonderful news. She had been missing for 10 years until she disclosed her identity to a store clerk last March. Her perspective on the situation, as a former missing child herself, can be read at http://kdka.com/local/local_story_015151847.html.

All photos from the Charley Project (http://www.charleyproject.org/)

Brooke Wilberger: Suspect found mentally competent

Once the trial in New Mexico is over, hopefully justice for Brooke will proceed!
Story from The Register Guard (Eugene, Oregon).
Photo of Brooke from The Charley Project.

Wilberger suspect must stand trial in New Mexico
The Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, January 9, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE - A man accused of
murdering Brooke Wilberger in Oregon has been found competent to stand trial on
charges of raping a foreign exchange student at the University of New Mexico.
State District Judge Kenneth Martinez has set May 14 as the trial date for
Joel Patrick Courtney of Rio Rancho.
Courtney's attorney, John McCall,
argued during a competency hearing Friday that he cannot defend Courtney because
he refuses to talk to him about the case.
``The fact that he can't
communicate about the facts of his case or his desires with respect to a trial,
plea or anything else indicates that he is not acting in his best interest, one
of the key components of competency to proceed to trial,'' McCall said.
Prosecutor Theresa Watley said she believes that Courtney is competent but
manipulative.
``I think his actions in the last year, in this case, are
highly representative of his ability because the law allows it, to manipulate
this system,'' Watley said. ``He has had one goal, which is to delay this case,
and he has been incredibly successful.''
Courtney was arrested on Nov. 30,
2004, in Albuquerque after being accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting
the New Mexico student.
He was indicted on charges of first-degree sexual
criminal penetration, aggravated battery with great bodily harm and kidnapping.
The student told police she was threatened at knifepoint, forced into a car,
tied and gagged, and sexually assaulted. She was able to free herself and
escape.
In the Wilberger case, Courtney was indicted in July 2005 on 19
counts of aggravated murder, kidnapping, rape and sodomy. Wilberger, 19,
disappeared from Corvallis in May 2004, and her body has not been found.
Courtney is not expected to face charges in Oregon until the New Mexico case
is resolved.

But where is Brooke? Will Joel Courtney be a Rosendo Rodriguez and tell where she is, or will he be a Lindsay Bruce and wait for someone else to find her? Unfortunately, the latter seems more likely.
If you know anything about Brooke's whereabouts, please call the Corvallis Police Department at 1-877-367-2270 or (541)766-3522.

If you are not familiar with the details of this case, you can read more about it at the Charley Project (link above).

Jon Dabkowski and Gabriel Minarcin now missing 25 years, Tarentum, Pennsylvania

Normally, we think of "safety in numbers". It is usually safer when at least two people are together.
But somehow, both of these boys disappeared.
Photos and information from the Charley Project. First, Jon Michael Dabkowski's profile:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 14,
1982 from Tarentum, Pennsylvania
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: November 9, 1970
Age: 11 years old
Height and Weight:
4'10, 72 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair,
hazel eyes. Dabkowski has a small scar under his left eye. He has a deep cleft
in the middle of his chin. His complexion is clear and he is right-handed. There
are slight bags beneath Dabkowski's eyes. His nicknames are Dabbo and Jonny.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A maroon jacket and boots.

Details of
Disappearance
Dabkowski was last seen at approximately 5:30 p.m. on January
14, 1982, in his hometown of Tarentum, Pennsylvania. He and his friend, Gabriel
Minarcin, finished dinner at the Dabkowski home and were walking three doors
down to Minarcin's family's home. The boys never arrived at the house and have
not been seen again.
Authorities believe that Minarcin and Dabkowski may
have fallen through thin ice near their residences and drowned, as they were
last seen walking together near the Allegheny River. Footprints in the snow lead
to the riverbank, but there were no prints leading away from the river. However,
Dabkowski had been told by his parents to stay away from the river, and he
dependably obeyed this rule. An extensive search of the water turned up no
evidence that anyone had fallen in.
Neil B. Hammons stole Dabkowski's
identity in 1998. He was stopped by police while driving and showed the officer
a driver's license in Dabkowski's name. The officer realized Dabkowski was a
missing person, but as the man was a legal adult, he could not hold him. He let
the man go and notified Dabkowski's family, who thought their son had been
found. It turned out Hammons had been looking for a new identity and had chosen
Dabkowski off a missing persons' website which gave his information. He had
nothing to do with Dabkowski's disappearance which, like Minarcin's, remains
unsolved.
Dabkowki's family still resides in the house he lived in. Due to
the lack of clues in the boys' cases, their disappearances are classified as
non-family abductions.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Tarentum Police Department
412-224-1515

Then, Gabriel's information:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 14, 1982
from Tarentum, Pennsylvania
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: October 5, 1971
Age: 10 years old
Height and Weight: 4'0, 60 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair, hazel
eyes. Minarcin has a mole on his right wrist. One of his upper front teeth was
chipped at the time of his 1982 disappearance.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A maroon jacket and boots.

Details of Disappearance
Minarcin was last
seen at approximately 5:30 p.m. in his hometown of Tarentum, Pennsylvania. He
and his friend, Jon
Dabkowski, finished dinner at Dabkowski's residence and were walking three
doors down to Minarcin's family's home. The boys never arrived at the house and
have not been seen again.
Authorities believe that Minarcin and Dabkowski
may have fallen through thin ice near their residences and drowned, as they were
last seen walking together near the Allegheny River. Footprints in the snow lead
to the riverbank, but there were no prints leading away from the river. However,
Dabkowski had been told by his parents to stay away from the river, and he
dependably obeyed this rule. An extensive search of the water turned up no
evidence that anyone had fallen in.
Police have lost touch with Minarcin's
family, who moved away from Tarentum in the 1990s. Dabkowki's family still
resides in the house he lived in. Due to the lack of clues in the boys' cases,
their disappearances are classified as non-family abductions.

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 Jon here and one of Gabriel here.

Lonene Rogers now missing 26 years, Hayfield Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania

It could be that the disappearance of Lonene Ray Rogers had more to due with the bad weather than foul play. However, the fact remains that she has been gone without a trace for over two and a half decades. No matter why she disappeared, she has a family that needs to know what happened to her. The Crawford County Crimestoppers website says her children were 6 and 1 years old, which means they would be 32 and 27 and might even have kids of their own.
The photo is not of the best quality, but that it is probably also due to the passing of time. You will have to use your imagination a bit to make this beautiful young mother into a 55-year-old. But hopefully if you have seen her, you will know it.
Photo and information from The Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 7, 1981 from Hayfield Township, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: October 18, 1951
Age: 29 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5, 140 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Sandy brown hair,
gray eyes. Rogers has a freckled complexion and pierced ears. She has had her
tonsils removed.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: Possibly a navy blue peacoat,
blue jeans and high brown boots.
Medical Conditions: Rogers is almost
totally deaf and cannot speak fluently as a result.

Details of Disappearance
Rogers was last seen at her home in the Littles Corners area of
Hatfield Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles northwest of Meadville, on the
evening of January 7, 1981. She got into an argument with her husband that
evening. Later that night, he woke up and realized Rogers was not in bed with
him. He assumed he was asleep on the couch. When Rogers's husband woke up the
following morning, however, he realized she was not in the house at all.
Rogers left behind her hearing aids, car, and other personal items. She also
left her two young children. The evening she disappeared, there was a severe
snowstorm. Her husband initially assumed she left of her own accord and would
eventually return, but she never did and has never been heard from again.
Rogers's husband, who is also deaf, cooperated with the police investigation
and is not considered a suspect in her case. Little evidence is available in her
disappearance; it remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency

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

Pennsylvania State Police

814-332-6911

The only real "flyer" I have found was a copy of an old one from the state police. It can be seen at http://www.crawfordcountycrimestoppers.org/Lonene%20Ray%20Rogers.jpg.

Laura Lynn Thompson now missing 14 years, New Castle, Pennsylvania

One thing I have noticed about "runaways" is that they may be gone for a while, but they are usually found safe. However, when someone has been gone for this long, it seems very serious indeed. Also, teenagers can sometimes be presumed to be runaways when it is not necessarily the case. Or, someone might leave home voluntarily, but they can be put into danger. (Case in point: Tanya Kach.) So, please, take time to get to know Laura and study her picture before you write her off as just another runaway, and please call one of the numbers below if you think you may have seen her.
Photo, age progression, and information from The Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 7, 1993 from New Castle, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Runaway
Date Of Birth: April 5, 1977
Age: 15 years old
Height and Weight: 5'6, 140 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Red hair, blue
eyes. Thompson has a light-colored birthmark at her hairline on the back of her
neck.

Details of Disappearance
Thompson was last seen in New Castle,
Pennsylvania on January 7, 1993. Authorities believe she left of her own accord.
Thompson has never been heard from again. She does not have a history as a
runaway. Few details are available in Thompson's case.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
New Castle Police Department
724-658-4741

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 Laura here.

Terry Slaugenhoupt now missing 16 years, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Terry was included on the show Missing two weeks ago, so hopefully that little piece of television coverage will help police find out what happened to her--and, more importantly, find her.
Photo and information from the Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 6, 1991 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Classification: Missing
Date Of Birth: May 19, 1962
Age: 28 years old
Height and Weight: 5'2, 110 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes.
Slaugenhoupt has a scar on her forehead at her hairline.

Details of Disappearance
Slaugenhoupt returned to her Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania residence
during the evening hours of January 6, 1991 after a date. She said that she was
going back out and never returned home. Slaugenhoupt has not been seen again.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Pittsburgh Police Department
412-255-2888

An alternate phone number on Terry's poster for Pittsburgh police is (412) 665-4020.
Terry's NCMA (National Center for Missing Adults) poster says she was going out to make a phone call. Payphone? Cell phone? Bad things can happen to lone women in large cities at night, but there is always a chance that Terry could still be alive. If you think you know anything about where Terry might be or what happened to her, please call one of the numbers above.
You can print a poster of Terry at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300452W.

Curtis Eutsey now missing 15 years, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania

There doesn't seem to be much information out there on Curtis Douglas Eutsey's disappearance, but someone out there must know something. Could it be you?
Photo and information from the Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: January 1992
from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
Classification: Missing
Date Of Birth:
December 8, 1973
Age: 18 years old
Height and Weight: 6'2, 180 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Blond hair, blue eyes.
Eutsey has a V-shaped scar on his right arm.

Details of
Disappearance
Eutsey was last seen leaving his girlfriend's residence
sometime during January 1992 in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. He was accompanied
by two individuals at the time. Eutsey has never been heard from again.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Pennsylvania State Police
724-832-3288

You can print a poster of Curtis at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200300057W.

Agnes Young now missing 10 years, Long Branch, Pennsylvania

Agnes' husband definitely looks suspicious, as you will read below. Unfortunately, he is now dead, so any knowledge he had of her whereabouts would have died with him.
Photos and information from the Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: 1986
from Long Branch, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Age:
43 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5, 120 pounds
Distinguishing
Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes.
Medical
Conditions: Young has a history of suicide attempts and is classified as
disabled.

Details of Disappearance
Agnes was last seen in Long
Branch, Pennsylvania sometime around 1986. A missing persons reported was filed
for her on October 1 of that year. She has never been heard from again, but her
Social Security disability benefit checks were cashed monthly from 1991 to 2002.
Agnes's husband, Edward Young, did not report his wife missing in 1986; it is unclear who did. A photograph of Edward is posted below this
case summary. In September 2001, he went to the Social Security office and
claimed Agnes had been lost in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade
Center in New York City. Officials were suspicious of his story and terminated
Agnes's disability benefits. The office attempted to contact her but could not
find her.
None of Agnes's relatives have seen her since 1985 or 1986. Edward
apparently told them she was had been committed to a mental institution in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, then was transfered New York after the Pittsburgh
hospital burned down. Authorities searched for Agnes in mental hospitals in
Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, but could not find any recent records for her.
They obtained a warrant to search Edward's property for his wife's body. In May
2002, investigators got a second warrant and returned to Edward's home to search
it and interview him about Agnes's disappearance, but Edward had committed
suicide.
Agnes's case remains unsolved and the circumstances surrounding her
disappearance are unclear.

Investigating Agency
If you have any
information concerning this case, please contact:
Pennsylvania State Police
Belle Vernon Barracks
724-929-6262

Articles on Edward Young's suicide are availbable at http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/s_72148.html and http://www.post-gazette.com/neigh_washington/20020518missing4.asp. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Agnes' middle name is Ann.

Looking back at 2006

We are now a little over a week into 2007, so perhaps it is a little late to look back at last year. I had meant to post this sooner, and I feel that I still should.

First, I would like to rejoice once again over some who were located safely:
- Ambur Ditch ran away in Pennsylvania and was found at a friend's house 13 days later.
- Tanya Kach ran away with a security guard from her middle school in Pennsylvania. She was finally found 10 years and one month later, after she told a store employee who she was. The security guard and a hairdresser who helped change her appearance have been charged in Tanya's disappearance and subsequent events. The hairdresser's trial is scheduled to begin in February. Some news sources in Pennsylvania have listed Tanya's miraculous return as one of the top stories in the state in 2006.
- Ashley Childs ran away in New Jersey and was finally found two years later.
- Angelica Hernandez ran away in Pennsylvania and was found about a month and a half later.
- Nicole Marnich ran away in Pennsylvania. She seems to have been missing less than a month.
- Liliana Brito ran away in Illinois. I do not know the exact length of time she was missing, but I think it was over a year. She was one of three girls I considered my "Easter miracles" because of the timing of when they were located.
- Claudia Perez ran away from home in Florida and returned of her own accord one and a half years later. Her case had been featured by several missing persons' sites, although the media did not give her recovery quite as much publicity as Tanya Kach's. Claudia is another of my "Easter miracles"
- Harriet Cossell ran away in Pennsylvania and was found three months later. I never mentioned her on the blog while she was missing (except the index), but I still listed her as the third "Easter miracle".
- Areana Collins was abducted by her non-custodial mother from her school in Pennsylvania and was found two weeks later. She was only ever mentioned on the index of this blog, but I think she still should be mentioned now.
- Alfred Lee Jones was a native of Pennsylvania who disappeared in Tennessee and was found in New Jersey eight years and five months later.
- Sabrina Coker ran away in Pennsylvania and was found a month later.
- Leighann Gaylord ran away in Texas and was found two years later.
- Ashley Rogers ran away in Minnesota and was found a month later.
- Michael, Daphne, & Victoria Hook were abducted from Ohio by their non-custodial mother and were found in Pennsylvania 23 days later.
- Diana & Stan Butera were abducted in Utah by their non-custodial mother and were found two years and five months later.
- Lea Redmond ran away in Pennsylvania and was found two and a half months later.
- Marina Santiago ran away in Pennsylvania and was found two years and ten months later.
- Calvin Davis ran away in Pennsylvania and was found three months later.
- Sally Grossman wandered away in Pennsylvania and was found the next day. She was never featured on this blog except for the index.
- Jocelyn McNeish disappeared in Pennsylvania. Very little information was available about her, which means I do not know how long she was missing.
**I also would like to make a special note about a girl named Tajanik Thompson who is missing from Oakland, California. Tajanik's case is listed as "restricted" by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, so hopefully she also will be found safe soon. I have since learned that she was found safe sometime before December 12.

Now it is time to remember those who were not so lucky, some of the children and adults who were found dead this year:
- Ricky Holland was reported missing in Michigan and was found six months later when his adoptive father led police to the body. His adoptive mother was tried and convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. His adoptive father avoided a trial by pleading guilty, and he was sentenced to 30-60 years in prison. Ricky is also important because he was the inspiration for this blog.
- Christina White went missing in New York and her remains were found in a wooded area eight months later. She was never on the blog except maybe the index. Her death is considered a homicide, but I do not know if there are any suspects.
- Tyreek Davis went missing in Virginia, and his mother's boyfriend revealed the location of his body in order to get less time in prison. The boyfriend was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
- William Rossey disappeared in Pennsylvania and his body was found in a creek six months later. His death was ruled a homicide, but, as far as I know, there are no suspects.
- Trent Stupak and Steve Berry Jr. disappeared after their boat overturned in Pennsylvania. Trent's body was found a week later, but Steve's body was not found for three months.
- Emily Rimel disappeared in Ohio and her skull was found in a creek one year and five and a half months later by a mother and son who were fishing. The rest of her body was never found. A family friend has been a suspect from the beginning and was convicted of kidnapping while she was still missing. He could receive the death penalty if he is convicted in her murder.
- Julie Crocker disappeared in England and her body was found in a wooded area one year and three months later. She was never featured on the blog because her remains were found before the blog was started. Her boyfriend was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison for her murder.
- Yolanda Bindics disappeared in New York and her body was found in a wooded area two years and one month later. Her death has been ruled a homicide. While she was missing police had mentioned two persons of interest, but no one has been named a suspect in her murder.
- Joanna Rogers disappeared in Texas and her body was found in a landfill two years and five months later. A man with whom she communicated online is a suspect in her disappearance, and he told police he had killed her and disposed of her body in the landfill. To my knowledge, he has not yet been charged with her murder.
- Kelly Jo Elliot disappeared in West Virginia and her body was found in Pennsylvania . Her boyfriend has been charged with her murder and could receive the death penalty if convicted. Pre-trial motions will be January 29, and jury selection will begin February 6. Kelly was only featured on the index of the blog.
- Myron Simon disappeared in Pennsylvania. Divers conducting a training exercise found his car in the river three years later, and his body was inside. He was only featured on the index of this blog.
- Heaven Ross disappeared while walking to her bus stop in Alabama and her body was found three years and three and half months later. There do not seem to be any suspects in her case.

Finally, there are those who disappeared in 2006 and have yet to be found:

- Donald Smatlak disappeared from North Versailles, Pennsylvania, in January. His car was found, but he is still missing. His family has a small website for him, http://www.donaldsmatlak.com/. Donald has an unspecified medical condition which could require medication. (Poster here.)

- Kendel Opperman disappeared from Darlington Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, in February. I found out about her from a newspaper article and then the coverage just stopped, so it is possible that she has been found.

- Lonnett Jackson disappeared from Hazelwood, Pennsylvania, in April. Her family is worried that she may have overdosed on medicine, and she has an unspecified medical condition. (Poster here.)

- Vanessa Schultz ran away from Erie, Pennsylvania in June. She may be with an adult male, and she may be in Meadville, Pennsylvania. - found safe in December 2007, possibly in Florida; poster link removed.

- Mark Murincsak disappeared from New Castle, Pennsylvania, in September. His car has been found but he has not. (http://ellwoodcity.org/missing.htm)
- Sara Herbay ran away from Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, in October. She may be with an adult male. - found safe February 2, 2007; poster link removed
- Joshua Pelling ran away from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in November - has since been found, presumably safe; poster link removed
And never forget all of the others who are missing, only for a longer amount of time. Maybe 2007 can be the magic year when they are found and their families get answers.

Jerry Cushey Jr.: Article in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently featured a lengthly article on Jerry Lee Cushey Jr. Apparently last weekend was his birthday. The article includes a photo, law enforcement contact information, and a detailed history of the case. Bravo, Post-Gazette!

After five years, family continues to seek closure
Sunday, December 24, 2006
By Janice Crompton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jerry Lee Cushey
Jr.
You can help
If you have information about the disappearance of Jerry Cushey, please
contact investigator Jan Chico at 724-366-3188 or state police in Belle Vernon
at 724-929-6262.
This weekend, Jerry Cushey Jr. would have celebrated his
35th birthday.
He is spoken of in the past tense because his family believes
Jerry is dead.
They have worked tirelessly for closure, for the Christian
burial they believe Jerry deserves, but loved ones say they have been foiled and
frustrated at every turn by a police investigation they say was mishandled from
the start.
"I have cried so many tears so many nights," said Sonya
Helmantoler of Monongahela, Jerry's older sister by 15 months. "I don't know why
they won't do anything with this case. I will not go away. I want to know what
happened."
Jerry disappeared five years ago on the day he was moving into a
new apartment with an old acquaintance, Christopher Myers. The pair made plans
to move into an apartment above a tattoo business that Mr. Myers owned, Totally
Tattoos on Second Street in Monongahela.
Jerry didn't go to work on Oct. 12,
2001, because he planned to do some work on the apartment with Mr. Myers,
according to family members. He picked up his paycheck from the local
construction company he worked for and cashed it at a local beer distributor
after making plans with some co-workers to meet at a local social club later
that night.
Jerry never made the rendezvous with his co-workers, and was
last seen by a friend outside the tattoo shop early in the evening.
Since
that time, Mr. Myers has been arrested for impersonating Jerry in phone calls to
his mother and police, a possible eyewitness has come forward and new evidence
has been unearthed by a private investigator, but no arrests have been made in
Jerry's disappearance to the dismay of his family.
In the days after Jerry
vanished, a Jeep Wrangler that Jerry often borrowed from his father was returned
to the home of the elder Mr. Cushey, who saw a man who was not his son park the
vehicle in his yard.
When family members asked Mr. Myers where Jerry was,
they said he told them Jerry stole his van and $1,500. He reported the van
missing on Oct. 16, 2001, but the vehicle had already been found the day before
by West Virginia police over an embankment near Cheat Lake. A stick was lodged
against the accelerator and a tree kept the van from plunging into a stream.
During the next several weeks, Jerry's mother, Ilona Boyd, along with the
Pennsylvania State Police and Union Township police, received several phone
calls from a person claiming to be Jerry and giving several excuses as to why he
left town, including that he was going to Arizona with a girlfriend and that he
owed someone $10,000 and was living in West Virginia. The voice was not Jerry's,
Mrs. Boyd said.
Mr. Myers made the phone calls, state police later
determined. Police charged him in October 2004 with three counts of tampering
with evidence for impersonating Jerry and one count of obstructing the
administration of law or other governmental functions for secretly returning
Jerry Cushey Sr.'s Jeep the day after Jerry Jr.'s disappearance, then denying
it.
When confronted by police about returning the Jeep, Mr. Myers said: "OK.
In the beginning I denied it because I was scared. I just didn't want to get
involved," according to a criminal complaint filed by police.
In the
complaint, Mr. Myers also commented about being caught placing the crank phone
calls: "Okay. You were on me hard," said Mr. Myers, who has a juvenile criminal
record for burglary. "I knew that because of my prior past. I was trying to get
you guys off of me, not to look at me. I know I look bad."
When Mr. Myers
was arraigned on the criminal charges, he was jailed on a $75,000 straight cash
bond, but a month later, the bond was dropped by Washington County Common Pleas
Court Judge Katherine Emery. Mr. Myers was released on his own recognizance with
the condition that he report weekly to state police.
It's unclear if Mr.
Myers has kept up his part of the bargain, but court records show numerous trial
continuances requested by his lawyer.
Beginning in October 2005, Mr. Myers'
lawyer, Dianne Zerega, has requested and been granted five delays, citing
ongoing cooperation with the county district attorney's office.
In court
papers filed Oct. 6, 2005, Ms. Zerega asked the court for a continuance,
stating: "The defendant came to an agreement with the district attorney's office
which has not been completed."
A month later, on Nov. 2, 2005, Ms. Zerega
requested and was granted a continuance for the same reason, and on May 22,
2006, court filings by Ms. Zerega state: "The defendant has not completed his
activity for the commonwealth."
On Sept. 6, 2006 and Nov. 21, 2006, Ms.
Zerega had appealed to county Common Pleas Court Judge John DiSalle for more
continuances, stating that Mr. Myers has entered plea agreement negotiations
with the district attorney's office.
None of the records include details of
Mr. Myers' cooperation.
His next hearing before Judge DiSalle is scheduled
for Feb. 26, 2007.
Mr. Myers and District Attorney John C. Pettit could not
be reached for comment, and Ms. Zerega declined comment.
Jerry's family
can't understand why Mr. Myers hasn't been charged in Jerry's disappearance, or
why more information about other possible suspects hasn't been forthcoming since
his arrest more than two years ago.
State police Cpl. Brian Barnhart said he
couldn't disclose Mr. Myers' level of cooperation, but said he has sympathy for
the Cushey family.
"I feel terrible for them," he said. "It's very
difficult."
Cpl. Barnhart said the investigation still is active and
interviews are ongoing.
Jerry's family has gone to incredible lengths to
find the answers that still elude them, including consulting five psychics and
undertaking an investigation of their own.
The family raised $3,500 during a
fund-raiser to hire a private investigator, but said they "never received a
shred of paper" from the Pittsburgh agency. This summer, they consulted private
investigator Jan Chico of Newell, Fayette County, who has taken on the case at
no charge.
Ms. Helmantoler said Ms. Chico has been indispensable to the
case, gathering new evidence and information that hopefully will yield results.
The family continues to hang missing posters on utility poles in
Monongahela, Charleroi, and outside of another tattoo business Mr. Myers owns in
Connellsville.
"They will always see my brother's face," Ms. Helmantoler
said.
The family pushed police to search Cheat Lake, along with the
Monongahela River, which was scoured last summer, but the family also has formed
and organized search parties that provided police with possible evidence, such
as an Adidas ball cap they believe Jerry was wearing.
Ms. Helmantoler took a
four-week leave of absence from work and, along with several members of her
family, spent every day searching the area near Cheat Lake where Mr. Myers' van
was found. They came up with several items, including rubber gloves and a towel
covered with an unknown substance. Ms. Helmantoler said they turned the items
over to police but never heard anything more about them.
Most recently, Ms.
Helmantoler sent a mass mailing to local and state politicians and government
officials requesting help in the case. Several sent back responses, she said,
and indicated they would try to assist.
She also sent a complaint to the
state Judicial Review Board over the continued delays in Mr. Myers' case. The
agency said it would investigate.
Ms. Helmantoler said it took several weeks
for her brother's apartment to be searched once he was reported missing, and her
family continues to be frustrated over the weeks and months it takes for police
to follow up on leads that they believe are important.
Ms. Helmantoler said
it's not fair that her brother's killer continues to roam free while her family
got together yesterday to celebrate Jerry's birthday without him yet again.
"I'm at my wits end now," she said. "We just have that empty seat. It's not
fair."
Ms. Helmantoler is convinced her brother is dead because she felt his
spirit visit her once while she was standing in her kitchen. Since then, he
signals her and other family members by dropping dimes in shoes, pockets and
other unexpected locations, she said.
"He told me I would bring him home
when it was time," she said. "And, that's when I knew he was gone. We still had
hope, but I knew then."
A family member recently installed a memorial stone
for Jerry in the Venetia Cemetery between the graves of his uncle and cousin so
the family would have a place to visit until his remains are located.
"I
believe the time is coming close," she said. "I have promised my family members
that I would bring him home."
In the meantime, Ms. Helmantoler tries to keep
a positive outlook by sponsoring monthly teen dances at the Finleyville
Community Center in honor of her brother, who she said "always wanted to do
something like that."
"This is something he would have loved to have done,"
she said.
(Janice Crompton can be reached at jcrompton@post-gazette.com or
724-223-0156. )

Article at http://www.postgazette.com/pg/06358/748063-58.stm.
I can't find a poster of him, though. His Charley Project profile (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/cushey_jerry.html) might work, although it takes two sheets of paper.

Robert Allison now missing 12 years, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

You may wonder why I wrote "Bethel Park" when his profile says "Waynesburg". I usually list people by where they were last seen. I am guessing that he probably lived in Waynesburg.
Photo and information from The Charley Project:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: December 21,
1994 from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: November 12, 1952
Age: 42 years old
Height and
Weight: 5'9, 170 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair. Allison
wears glasses.
Medical Conditions: Allison suffered from depression at the
time of his disappearance.

Details of Disappearance
Allison was last
seen at Tri-River Fleeting in Bethel Park near the city of Pittburgh. He was
employed there on a river boat. Allison left work that day intent on going to a
bar in west Pittsburgh. He has never been heard from again. All his possessions
were found on the boat. Few details are available in his case.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Pennsylvania State Police
724-627-6151

It seems that not much is known about the disappearance of Robert Elmer Allison, so please call police if you know anything.
I haven't found a poster of Robert, but his Charley Project profile seems short enough to be printed and used for that purpose. A color photo is shown on his Doe Network profile (http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/863dmpa.html), but I could not get it to load.

Heaven Ross: memorial, announcement

There had been speculation that Heaven Ross' murder was connected to the murder of Shannon Paulk from Prattville and the disappearance of Teresa Dean from Georgia. Now, police believe otherwise, according to the article below.
But first, the article on the memorial service. From montgomeryadvertiser.com:

December 29, 2006
Mourners remember slain Northport girl
More
than 130 mourners attended funeral services Saturday for a Northport girl whose
remains were found beneath an abandoned house more than three years after she
disappeared.
Hopes that Heaven LaShae Ross would one day return home ended
for family and friends when officials announced that her skeletal remains were
found in Holt on Monday afternoon.
The girl, known affectionately as Shae,
was last seen walking to a bus stop on a rainy Tuesday morning in August 2003.
Authorities said the girl's backpack was found near her body.
"We had so much
faith that she was still alive," said Carol Rowell, Shae's grandmother. "We
never thought this may have been what happened to her."
The family said the
discovery of Shae's body has given them some closure, but it's also raised more
questions.
"We've been brought closure in a minuscule way, but when we lay
her to rest the only thing we're going to be thinking of is why," said Daniel
Jowers, Shae's uncle.
"Why would someone do this to her? That's all that's
left for us now."

Article on announcement from http://www.abc3340.com/news/stories/1206/381997.html:

New Information in Murder of Heaven Lashae Ross
Thursday December 21,
2006 11:30am Posted By: Jeff
Wyatt
Tuscaloosa - Investigators in Tuscaloosa county released new
information Wednesday about the murder of Heaven Lashae
Ross.
Ross disappeared just over 3 years ago, and her body was found this week
inside an abandoned house in the Holt area. Investigators now say her murder was
a single incident. They initially believed it could have been related to another
crime.
Tuscaloosa authorities are getting national help in the search for Ross'
killer.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been made, but Tuscaloosa businessman
Stan Pate has offered to cover all costs for the funeral.

If you know anything about the murder of Heaven Ross, please call the Northport Police Department at (205) 339-6600.
Guestbook for messages to Heaven's family: http://www.findheaven.net/cgi-bin/guestbook.cgi

Heaven Ross: remains found

Update - December 30, 2006: Police now say they do not believe Heaven's death is connected to any other crimes. For more information see http://betweenlifeanddeath.blogspot.com/2006/12/heaven-ross-memorial-announcement.html.
Either I did not hear they had found remains or else I wasn't paying attention, because this came as a total shock to me.
From WSFA TV in Montgomery (sketches of possible suspect in Shannon's murder from previous story):

Girl's Body Discovered in Tuscaloosa County; Possible Connection to Shannon Paulk Murder?
Dec 19, 2006 12:12 PM EST
TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Dec. 19, 2006 -- There's a tragic ending to a missing person case that surfaced more than three years ago and one which Prattville police thought at one time might have a connection to the murder of Shannon Paulk, an 11-year-old Prattville girl who was abducted and murdered in 2001.
Authorities in Tuscaloosa County have identified a body found Monday as that of Heaven LaShae Ross of Northport. She was 11-years-old when she vanished on August 19th, 2003 apparently while walking to her school bus stop in the Willowbrook Trailer Park in Northport.
Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton, at a news conference Tuesday, said the skeletal remains were found at an abandoned house in the Holt community, a few miles northeast of Tuscaloosa.
Authorities said the girl's backpack was found near the body. A forensics team from the University of Alabama and FBI agents have been combing the site for evidence.
Prattville police at one time indicated they were investigating the possibility that the murder of Shannon Paulk in 2001 could have been related to the disappearance of Ross in Northport and another girl who vanished from Georgia. Police said there were striking similarities in the appearance of the three girls -- all were taken when they were 11 years old, all were white females, all were abducted in the month of August, and all were taken from trailer parks with construction going on nearby.
Prattville Mayor Jim Byard told WSFA Tuesday morning that the Shannon Paulk Task Force is still in operation and Sgt. Bob Furlong is focused exclusively on solving the case of the dead Prattville girl. Byard says Furlong talks on a regular basis with officers in Northport, Alabama and in Twigg County Georgia because of the similarity in the cases.
Byard says he can only imagine what the Ross family and law enforcement personnel are going through in Northport at this time because he remembers what the Paulk family and local officers went through as they searched for the Prattville 11-year-old whose body was eventually discovered by hunters in October 2001.
If you know anything that can help police, call the Prattville Police Department's Secret Witness line at (334)365-2220.
Alabama Associated Press contributed to this story

This would have to be murder. How else would an 11-year-old girl get from walking to her bus stop to an abandoned house in another city?
Guestbook for messages to Heaven's family: http://www.findheaven.net/cgi-bin/guestbook.cgi

Yolanda Bindics' death ruled a homicide

It's now official: Yolanda Bindics was murdered. So, then, who killed her? Police haven't said, but hopefully they at least have some idea. Perhaps they are just trying to protect the investigation, like how they haven't said how she died.
Story from http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061216/4064630.asp:

Bindics' death ruled as a homicide
12/16/2006
Yolanda Bindics was the victim of a homicide, authorities in
Chautauqua County confirmed Friday afternoon.
The 25-year-old Jamestown
mother of four was missing for more than two years before her skeletal remains
were found in mid-September by hunters on densely wooded state forest land in
the Town of Charlotte.
The homicide ruling followed an investigation by
forensic anthropologist Dr. Dennis C. Dirkmaat - a professor at Mercyhurst
College in Erie, Pa. and specialist in crime scene archaeology - and the medical
examiner's office at Erie County Medical Center.
"They concluded it wasn't a
natural death, it was, in fact, a homicide," said Chautauqua County District
Attorney David W. Foley.
Foley said Dirkmaat and staff at the medical
examiner's office made a two- to three-hour "comprehensive presentation" to
authorities about their findings earlier this week. A final report from Dirkmaat
is still pending, along with coroner's and medical examiner's reports.
Foley
said investigators now know the cause of Bindics' death. However, he wouldn't
discuss how she died in order to "protect the integrity of [the] investigation."

Yolanda's website: http://www.findyolanda.com
Yolanda's forum: http://findyolanda.conforums3.com/

Natalee Holloway: parents sue Kalpoes, Kalpoes sue Dr. Phil

When Dave Holloway and Beth Holloway Twitty tried to sue Joran van der Sloot in New York before, the case was thrown out because the location was in no way related to the case. But since the Kalpoes sued Dr. Phil first, apparently also in California...we'll see how this goes.
Story from http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061214/clth106.html?.v=5:

Press Release
Source: The Kelly Group
Natalee Holloway's Parents File
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Arubans Deepak and Satish KalpoeThursday December
14, 3:55 pm ET
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Beth Twitty and Dave
Holloway, parents of Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen who went missing in
Aruba last year, filed a wrongful death lawsuit today in Superior Court of the
State of California, County of Los Angeles against brothers Deepak and Satish
Kalpoe, two of the last known people to be with Natalee alive before her May
2005 disappearance.
"All we want is justice for our daughter. There is no
doubt in my mind that Deepak and Satish played a role in my daughter's death and
should be held accountable," Beth Twitty said. "It is unconscionable that they
have not been punished so far."
Allegations in the lawsuit against Deepak
and Satish Kalpoe include claims that they caused the death of Natalee Holloway
by "intentionally, negligently, wantonly ... unlawfully conducting themselves"
to bring about her fatal injuries. The wrongful death action was filed as a
related case to an action the Kalpoes filed against the "Dr. Phil Show," and
others.
"Natalee's parents' attempt to get justice in Aruba have been
repeatedly frustrated -- which is why we welcome the opportunity to file this
civil case in Los Angeles," New York attorney John Q. Kelly, who represents both
Beth and Dave Holloway in this action, said. "By filing this wrongful death
suit, we hope to capitalize on the Kalpoe's decision to utilize the California
courts in a frivolous claim for compensation, and give Natalee's parents the
closure they need and deserve."
Natalee was last seen alive in a grey Honda
with the Kalpoe brothers and Joran van der Sloot on the morning of May 30, 2005
in Aruba during a school trip. The Kalpoe brothers were both arrested and
charged with her murder, but have yet to be brought to trial by prosecutors in
Aruba. Due to their conflicting, and admittedly fabricated, accounts of what
happened to Natalee, as well as strong circumstantial evidence, the Kalpoe
brothers have remained two of the prime suspects in her disappearance and
presumed death.
This past week an Aruban court denied the Kalpoe's request
to be cleared as suspects, and Aruban prosecuting attorney Karin Jansen recently
returned from Holland where a new team of Dutch investigators is reviewing all
evidence against the Kalpoes and others.
In a civil action such as this one,
nine out of twelve jurors need to conclude, by a preponderance of the evidence,
that the Kalpoes were responsible for Natalee's disappearance and death.

And don't forget, if you know anything about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, please call 1-866-SOS-LOST (1-866-767-5678).

Natalee's website: http://www.natalee-holloway.com/
Two of probably many blogs about Natalee: http://blogsfornatalee.com, http://justicefornataleeholloway.blogspot.com

Photo of Natalee from her website.

ATTENTION SANTA FE RESIDENTS: Have you seen Ann or Samantha Kibalo?

Kudos to the New Mexican for this story! It would be good for all newspapers to follow the example of writing about people who could be in their local areas.
The only thing that could have made it better would have been photos. (The ones below are from the Charley Project.)
Story from http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/53415.html:

Missing girl, mom might be in S.F.
By Anne Constable The New Mexican
December 10, 2006
Mother kidnapped daughter from father in February
2001A 7-year-old girl abducted by her mother five years ago might be living in
Santa Fe, according to six eyewitnesses.
Samantha Michelle Kibalo and her mother, Ann Yermak Kibalo, disappeared
from Suffern, N.Y., in February 2001 after failing to return from a
court-authorized overnight visit.
The child’s father, Michael Kibalo, who had sole custody of Samantha, has
been searching for her ever since.
After receiving a tip she might be here, Kevin Gallagher, a lawyer and
friend of Michael Kibalo, visited Santa Fe twice — in February and in September.
He distributed missing-child fliers and talked to six people who said they were
certain they had seen mother and daughter — at a mall, a doctor’s office and
other places.
One woman who talked to the mother and daughter several times described
Samantha as “real quiet, withdrawn.” She said the mother didn’t interact much
with the child.
Michael Kibalo, who now lives in Morris Plains,
N.J., won sole custody of his daughter when she was 11 months old after court
testimony that his former wife hit the child and might suffer from a mental
condition called Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy, which could cause her to harm
Samantha or seek unnecessary medical treatment. In a span of 11 months, Ann
Kibalo apparently took her daughter to seven different doctors on 33
occasions.
Two months after their disappearance, Ann Kibalo’s abandoned sport-utility
vehicle was found in a Brooklyn parking garage. Eyewitnesses reportedly later
spotted her in Florida.
Michael Kibalo said FBI profilers have told him his wife and child are
probably moving around a lot, using two or three different aliases. He suspects
his former mother-in-law is helping them because she has refinanced her house
numerous times.
Ann Kibalo has an accounting degree from Brooklyn College and might work as
a bookkeeper. Michael Kibalo and his attorney believe she is home-schooling
Samantha, in part because they have not been able to locate her at any
elementary schools in the area.
Samantha is listed with every known group in the United States that helps
find missing children. The case was featured twice on America’s Most Wanted, a
Fox Television show hosted by John Walsh, whose son was abducted and killed in
1981, as well as on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries in 2002, its final year.
Michael Kibalo said his daughter’s picture will appear in the tax
preparation books issued by the Internal Revenue Service next year.
He says people have told him Santa Fe “might be a good place for people to
hide” because “It’s artsy (and) people can blend in.”
“I actually believe that if she doesn’t turn up in Santa Fe, some day Sam
is going to find herself. If I keep active,” she’ll find me, he said.
Samantha is described as having light brown hair and brown eyes.
Ann Kibalo, now 43, is 5 feet tall, 120 pounds with brown hair and blue
eyes, although she might be wearing brown contacts.
People who have information about their whereabouts are encouraged to call
800-FINDKID.
Contact Anne Constable at 995-3845 or aconstable@sfnewmexican.com.

You can print your own poster of Samantha here.

William "Billy" Smolinski -- Waterbury, Connecticut

Billy Smolinski was featured after CBS' Without a Trace on November 19 and on The Early Show on November 20. The article below is part of an archive of Early Show stories on missing people at:

Monday, Nov. 20, 2006
BILLY SMOLINSKI
Billy Smolinski vanished two years ago from his home in Waterbury, Conn.,
when he was 31-years-old. Was it murder? Did he commit suicide?
As Bianca Solorzano reports, those are questions his family and
investigators are still asking.
An outgoing son and brother who loved his dog and fixing up cars, Smolinski
returned in August 2004 from a trip to Florida with his girlfriend, Madeleine
Gleason.
The next night, he told his sister that his girlfriend was having an affair
with a local politician. They had argued and broken up.
The next day, Smolinski left the politician a threatening phone message. He
was also laid off from one of his two jobs.
As far as investigators know, he was last seen at his home. His next door
neighbor says he asked him to watch his dog for a few days because he was headed
north to look at a car he wanted to buy.
That, says Solorzano, is where the trail ends.
Smolinski's truck was still parked in his driveway. His keys and wallet
were found under the front seat.
His family hasn't stopped searching. They posted thousands of missing
person flyers but, says Solorzano, in a strange twist, found Smolinski's
ex-girlfriend tearing them down.
Local police say she and the politician aren't suspects in the case.
In August, the FBI's New Haven, Conn. stepped in, though Senior Supervisory
Resident Agent Dan O'Brien concedes, "There is not a lot of forensic evidence
for us to review in this matter. … The man simply disappeared."
Says Janice Smolinski, Billy's mom, "It's worse not knowing, because the
pain never goes away. It's like suffering a loss day in and day out."
If you have any information about the case, please contact the FBI in New
Haven at (203) 777-6311, or contact your local FBI office.

Description of Billy from the Charley Project (source of above photo):

Missing Since: August 24, 2004 from Waterbury, Connecticut
Classification:
Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: January 14, 1973
Age: 31 years old
Height and Weight: 5'11 - 6'0, 200 pounds
Distinguishing
Characteristics: Caucasian male. Light brown hair, blue eyes. Smolinski's
nicknames are Bill and Billy. He is bowlegged and his left ear is pierced. He
has a tattoo of a blue cross outined in orange on his left shoulder, and a
tattoo of a cross with the name "Pruitt" inside on his right forearm.
Smolinski's hair was in a crew cut at the time of his disappearance. He wears
size 10 1/2 shoes, size 36-32 pants, and size large or extra-large shirts.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A small diamond earring, a gold chain
rope-style necklace with a cross pendant, and possibly blue jeans, a blue denim
shirt, and work boots.
Medical Conditions: Smolinski is allergic to
shellfish. He has no other medical conditions and was in good physical and
mental health at the time of his disappearance.

You can print a poster of Billy at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200402022S.
Billy's website: http://www.justice4billy.com
Guestbook for messages to Smolinski family: http://www.justice4billy.com/guestbook.html

Jocelyn McNeish found

There was not much available information on her while she was missing, so I suppose it should not be a surprise if there is even less when she was found.
From "Police and Fire Calls" dated November 30, http://www.thederrick.com/stories/12012006-6195.shtml:

Missing person found
Franklin state police said Jocelyn McNeish, 15, who was
previously reported missing, has been found.

I would think it would be longer if she was found dead, so it would probably be safe to assume she was alive.

Joanna Rogers: remains found, memorial set

It turned out that Rosendo Rodriguez was telling the truth after all. It seems that he has not been charged yet, but that will probably come.
Story from http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=5585430&nav=3w6y. The remains have since been officially identified as Joanna's, and pieces of a suitcase have also been found in the landfill.

10/24/06
Remains of Joanna Rogers Found at Lubbock Landfill
The announcement that
Joanna had been found came at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Obviously a very emotional day for everyone involved in the discovery of Joanna
Rogers remains. City leaders, authorities, law enforcement, as well as family
members all showed up to show their support after the teen has been missing
since May 4th, of 2004.
get more-Joanna
Rogers Search Timeline
Inside the
timeline of stories that were reported on in the search for missing Lubbock teen
Joanna Rogers.
For 905 days, Joanna Rogers has been missing. It's a
bittersweet day for Roger's parents, they now know where their
daughter is. Kathy Rogers tells us, "one of the things I've got to go do is
change out the yellow ribbons because they get changed to white, that's the next
step and we go on from there."
Emotions ran high, but not only for the
Rogers family everyone involved with the search felt some relief. Lt.
Tony Menchaca with the Sheriff's Office says, "Let me say this to all of
you, this has been a very emotional day for all of us that have worked the
landfill. We're very ecstatic that we accomplished our goal and found her, but
it's a sad day for the family as well."
The search begin at the city
landfill on August 24th. And exactly two months ago to the day it comes to a
halt. Menchaca says, "We finally were at the last 25 feet of that grid
today, and accomplished our goal but it was beginning to look grim for us, we
were very concerned that we wouldn't find her."
But with thousands of man
hours and hundreds of manpower, crews were committing to finding the teens
remains working around the clock. Crews at the landfill were strained
physically and mentally. And the Rogers family is forever thankful for all the
search efforts that brought Jo home.
Lt. Menchaca tells NewsChannel 11
it is evident the mummified remains are that of Rogers because the physical
description matches, but they will conduct dental analysis to confirm the
identification. The medical examiner has picked up the remains that were found.
Searchers will back out at the landfill looking for any missing evidence
Wednesday.

Details about the memorial from Joanna's website:

UPDATE: The family will hold a public Celebration of Joanna's Life at the
Lubbock High School Auditorium at 4:00pm on Saturday, November 11th, with the
Reverend Jerry Kaskela officiating. All who knew, or knew of, Joanna and
who wish to attend are welcome. The school is located at 2004
19th Street in Lubbock. Visitation with the family will be held immediately
afterward at the Shephard King Lutheran Church, 2122 18th Street (a block west
of the High School), from 5:00-6:00pm. A private, graveside service will be held
for family, law enforcement officers, and friends at the City of Lubbock
Cemetary at a later date. Arrangements by Sanders Funeral Home, 1420 Main
Street, Lubbock, TX, 79401.
From all of us, to all of you.... Thank
You.

If you live too far away to attend, you can still leave condolences for Joanna's family at http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestbook/2158665619/.