How to Start a Missing Person Thread and other thread edits

[victatiana]

I see that social media is not considered a "reliable source" but I'm wondering if I can make a post if his family included the missing persons incident report in their social media post. It's too recent to have reached Namus yet and frankly, not sure if local news will bother covering it since where he went missing (Los Angeles) is across the country from where he lives (rural Maryland). But the family's post has verifying details in it like the incident #, officer that took the report, police department investigating, etc.

Thanks!

 

[okieeaton]

Welcome to Websleuths.
Here is a quick step by step instruction on how to make a missing person's thread.

1. Use the Search box to make sure we don't already have a thread on that case.

2. Go to the Missing Persons Discussion forum and click Post Thread (upper right hand corner near the forum header).

3. The Opening Post must contain information from, and a link to, an official source: a Mainstream Media (MSM) news article, a release issued by law enforcement, a NamUs listing, etc. A missing person poster from social media is generally not sufficient.

4. Enter pertinent information into the text box and be sure to copy and paste your source link into the text box.

5. Copy the missing person's image and paste it, including the source link, into your Opening Post.

6. Go to the dropdown menu and select the appropriate country/state/location prefix provided by the menu.

7. Add a title. This is a very specific approved format that you must follow for all Missing Person titles:

(State or Country Prefix - First & Last Name, Age, Last Seen Location, Date). For example you will type:

WI - Crystal Jones, 24, Milwaukee, 16 Apr 2017

When done correctly, your title will actually show as:

WI WI - Crystal Jones, 24, Milwaukee, 16 April 2017

NOTE: The country/state/location WILL show twice (one being the prefix you selected from the dropdown menu, and the other as typed in manually by you. This is important for thread organization purposes within the software.

8. Proofread your post, then Preview it by clicking the Preview feature (that strange little icon that looks kind of like this View attachment 347406 in the uppermost right corner of your post)

9. Once you're satisfied that your post is accurate and complete, click the Submit button.

Any questions? Ask away!


(Link updated by Admin August 14, 2025)

Hi there, my sister has been missing for over a decade but since she suffers from mental illness and left "on her own" since she's an adult, the police have said since she's adult they don't consider her a missing persons case. Makes no sense. Can I still post here? We are desperate to find her. Thank you.

 

[ROSI]

Do you have a name and where she may be heading/ went missing from?

 

[mcbeetle]

Hi. I wanted to make a post about a missing person. I’m a little confused about whether I should list the state as the one they live in or the state they went missing in. Just wanted to make sure I title/tag my post properly. Thanks.

 

[Darling136]

Hi. I wanted to make a post about a missing person. I’m a little confused about whether I should list the state as the one they live in or the state they went missing in. Just wanted to make sure I title/tag my post properly. Thanks.

Thanks for checking with us!
Please use the state where the person has been last seen or went missing from. However, dont worry, if any typo happens, you have little time to edit or we are here to support, just hit the alert.
I hope the MP will be soon found

 

[space_dinos]

Should the age in a MP thread title be the age at the time of disappearance or the age the person would be at the time of posting should they be alive?

 

[The4TierBridge]

Should the age in a MP thread title be the age at the time of disappearance or the age the person would be at the time of posting should they be alive?

Age at disappearance

 

[space_dinos]

Me again!

I am wondering about the Missing but Not Forgotten forum versus Missing Persons Discussion.

Is the MP Discussion only for recent cases? Should posts be submitted to both MP Discussion and the Not Forgotten appropriate year range section?

For example if I have a case of a MP missing since 2002, should the person be posted to both? Or just the 2000's Not Forgotten forum section?