http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm...47165214d447d41
Missing adult cases can be tricky
Brittany Lawonn, The Forum
Published Sunday, July 06, 2008
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Fargo police send out a reminder each October: Kevin Mahoney is still missing.
Mahoney was 25 when he disappeared Oct. 2, 1993. Relatives reported him missing when they didnt hear from him.
Mahoney is one of a few unsolved missing person cases in the city. Police still receive tips.
Police dispatch logs show that every now and then authorities will get a call to do a welfare check or an attempt-to-locate call on an individual. Most of the time the person is located, but there are instances where a further search is needed.
The circumstances surrounding a missing person report often determine when, and if, authorities will issue an alert to the public, said Fargo Police Sgt. Jeff Skuza.
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We dont want to publicize too may of them because we dont want the public to become numb, Skuza said.
Skuza cited a June 2007 case where authorities notified the public about a
26-year-old Fargo man reported missing.
The notification went out because Anthony Frenchs actions were out of his normal pattern of behavior, Skuza said. French missed the birth of his daughter and had not been to work.
His body was later recovered in the Red River. Autopsy results showed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.118 when he drowned.
But not every report results in the discovery of a body.
Weve also had some false alarms, Skuza said, citing a case where authorities were alerted about a potential abduction.
Someone spotted the womans keys outside her apartment and feared the worst. Turned out she had left voluntarily, Skuza said.
An adult has a right to walk away and disappear if they want to, Skuza said.
Skuza recalled one case he handled where a husband reported his wife missing.
Authorities tracked her down and discovered she was pregnant and had moved in with another man in another town.
If we do track them down, were not necessarily obligated to tell the person who reported them where theyre at, Skuza said.
Sometimes people have trouble understanding that, but Skuza said he could not recall any big problem with such a situation.
Usually people are just happy to hear that theyre OK, said Deputy Moorhead Police Chief Bob Larson.
Unlike in missing children cases, Amber Alerts cannot be issued for adults.
The alerts are also restricted to cases where there is concern that a child is at risk for serious bodily harm or death, according to
www.amberalert.gov.
There is currently an Amber Alert issued in North Dakota for Reachelle Smith, who was reported missing May 17, 2006, in Minot. She would be 5 now.
In Minnesota, 19 Amber Alerts have been issued, according to the Minnesota Crime Alert Network, which hand-les the alerts.
The program began in 1996 and has recently gone wireless. Individuals can sign up to receive Amber Alert text messages on their phones.
For more information, visit
www.wirelessamberalerts.org.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Brittany Lawonn at (701) 241-5541