Just wanted to give a note for those who may not be aware. As reported, Maricela's family did report her missing multiple times at multiple different agencies. But for whatever reason, Maricela's missing person report was never actually put into "the system", and I can only imagine the issues with different agencies, states, etc. being able to communicate with each other did NOT help.
Since Maricela was planning to bring the cake to her sister's birthday party, she obviously either had or maybe still has family in the area (well, I guess that is just an assumption, but nothing was mentioned about her going out of her way to travel for a long distance), but it seems like she had other family members not in the immediate area which can also make it harder for a successful MP report to be made.
Like I mentioned before, how many Maricelas are out there? She is not the only one whose case faces these or similar obstacles. How many Does are in a similar boat where they have complicated genealogy? Or where family either DID report them missing, and those reports were never entered (for whatever reason that may be)? Or where they either were not reported missing by family or didn't have families around to file the report? How many reports weren't put into the system because they were adults and assumed to have left of their own volition? How many reports were not taken seriously or not prioritized? How many mothers and fathers were forced to leave behind children who have yet to get answers about what happened to their parents so long ago?
Maricela's case is tragic in and of itself, no one deserves to suffer like that - but it has multiple other tragedies compounded.
Just a reminder to not make assumptions about families (Not that I saw anyone on WS doing that) and to consider what the factors may be behind people remaining Does for decades. no one wants it for their loved ones. Tragedies all around.
