Searches for missing adults often more complicated than searches for children

Searches for missing adults often more complicated than searches for children

By HARLOW SUMERFORD
6 News Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- Investigators with the Knox County Sheriff's Office say, on average, they get about three or four missing persons calls each day. Fortunately, most of the calls are quickly resolved and do not end in a criminal investigation.

For investigators, a missing adult case is more complicated than a missing child.

"An adult can travel across the country and even to other countries. If they want to be missing, they can get missing and not be found," says Lt. Clyde Cowan, supervisor for the Major Crimes Unit.

Cases like the murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom are extremely rare, but Lt. Cowan says they highlight why there is no specific criteria or waiting period before declaring someone a missing person.

"Whether there is an eye witness or physical evidence in a parking lot, you may never have that. It may be a clean abduction where nobody saw anything, it doesn't mean we won't start working on it as an abduction if everything looks like there is a problem here," says Lt. Cowan.

A federal law known as Suzanne's Law requires local police to notify the National Crime Information Center when anyone 20 years old or younger is reported missing. The law is named after New York college student Suzanne Lyall, who vanished in 1998. 

Lt. Cowan says the first step in any missing persons case is to gather information.

"Family, friends, their habits, medical, in case they are in any of the hospitals. We check cab companies, we check anything we can in case. If their car is broken down, wreckers, things like that," says Lt. Cowan.

Just because the investigation is not visible does not mean it has not started.

"I know a lot of major cases you see helicopters flying around and people with dogs in fields. If there is a reason for that, we will do that. But if it is a person who drove off in a car then we need to start looking in the normal places first to find out if that is where they are because that is a lot of resources," says Lt. Cowan.

In all missing persons cases, family and friends are encouraged to contact anyone who may have useful information.