MICHIGAN'S MISSING PERSONS DAY

About 500 people attend event at Ford Field in Detroit to help find missing persons

2011-05-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Michigan Missing Person's Day Helps Families Searching for Lost Loved Ones: MyFoxDETROIT.com

By Michael Wayland | MLive.com

Saturday was an emotional day for hundreds of people at Ford Field in Detroit.

No, the Detroit Lions didn't announce the return of Barry Sanders.

The Michigan State Police held its first-ever "Michigan Missing Persons Day."

"I don't have an official word that we will be doing it again next year, but I can't see it not happening again," said Det. Trooper Sarah C. Krebs, organizer of the event. "I think the event opened a lot of eyes and has really gotten the ball rolling in our state."

Krebs said about 500 people, including 40 families of missing people, attended the event, designed to help family members who are searching for lost loved ones.

Participants were able to give DNA samples and meet with others who are missing loved ones.
Krebs said she hopes some of the data collected Saturday will help law enforcement solve a number of the cases.

"If anything we gave these families a day of remembrance and recognition," Krebs said. "Some of them had a bad experience with law enforcement in the past, some haven't had any contact with us since they made their initial report.....for some this was 20-30 years ago!"

Each family of a missing person at the five-hour event was guided by an volunteer escort.

Krebs said one of the most memorable moments at the event was a candle light vigil.

"Tears were shed by these escorts when the photos were shown in a slideshow during the candlelight vigil," she said. "I heard some of the escorts that have no affiliation with law enforcement or a missing persons family prior to this event whisper 'oh, there's MY missing person.' It was a great thing."

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/05/about_500_people_attend_saturd.html

Families with missing loved ones share heartache, hopes at Ford Field

2011-05-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

Relatives of missing people share heartache, hopes at Ford Field

1:02 AM, May. 8, 2011 |

Nawal Ahmed of Shelby Township gets her cheek swabbed for DNA on Saturday at the first Michigan's Missing Persons Day at Ford Field in Detroit. Ahmed's mother, Satnam Kaur, disappeared May 26, 1986. Various law enforcement agencies hosted the event. / SARAH RICE/Special to the Free Press

BY GINA DAMRON

DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Rhonda Steward, right, of Kalamazoo, gives a state trooper information about her daughter, Tatiana Ashley Chattman-Chilcutt, missing since 2007.

Michigan's Missing Persons Day

Nawal Ahmed's mother went missing in 1986.

"We woke up one day, and she was not there," said the Shelby Township resident, who was 10 when her mother vanished.

On Saturday, Ahmed and her brother came to Ford Field for Michigan's Missing Persons Day -- an event hosted by law enforcement agencies and intended to help raise awareness.

The pair, like many others, gave DNA samples to law enforcement in the hope that a match could turn up. Ahmed, who does not believe her mother, Satnam Kaur, is alive, said perhaps the DNA will match to unidentified remains.

The event gave law enforcement officers a chance to update their databases with information such as online profiles of missing people, dental records or DNA from relatives.

In January, there were more than 3,000 missing people across Michigan, based on reports to the National Crime Information Center, said Michigan State Police Trooper Sarah Krebs.

Betty Henagan of Hartford said her son was 35 years old when he disappeared in August 2008 near Newberry in the Upper Peninsula.

She said her son, Derrick Ray Henagan, had moved Up North to live with a woman he met on the Internet. He was planning a trip home when he vanished, Betty Henagan said. She said her son's girlfriend said the two were supposed to have met at a deer-hunting blind in woods near their home, but he never showed up.

Betty Henagan fears her son is dead, but she hasn't given up.

"This mother is not going to stop until I have my son back," she said.

Relatives of three missing brothers from Morenci also attended the event Saturday.

Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton, 9, 7 and 5 years old, respectively, disappeared in late November when they were in the custody of their father, John Skelton. He has been charged with kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment in connection with their disappearance.

Saturday their mother, Tanya Skelton, wore a new T-shirt for her boys.

It was fluorescent yellow, with a heartfelt message on the back: "Thoughts and prayers are what make miracles happen."

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20110508/NEWS01/105080571/Relatives-missing-people-share-heartache-hopes-Ford-Field

Ardis Renkoski joins the Michigan State Police for "Missing in Michigan" Event

2011-05-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

Okemos woman joins in 'Missing in Michigan' event

OKEMOS, Mich.—

Paige Renkoski has been missing for more than two decades, and her mother, Ardis, hasn't given up the search.

The Okemos woman's steadfastness has made her one of the most active and vocal advocates for crime victims' rights and missing persons in Michigan.

Ardis Renkoski will join the Michigan State Police on Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit for "Missing in Michigan," an event designed to give family members of missing persons a chance to meet with investigators, possibly revive their loved ones' lagging cases and offer information for a new database.

Called NamUs, the database stands for National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. It was created through the National Institute of Justice and the National Forensic Science Technology Center in 2009 to provide a central database through which investigators dealing with unidentified remains and missing persons cases can search for possible DNA or case matches.

The idea is to help investigators hopefully close cases that previously were considered unsolvable, said state police Trooper Sarah Krebs, one of the organizers of Saturday's event.

"I've had so many families say they've never been able to move or change their phone number, because what if their loved one comes back," Krebs told the Lansing State Journal.

Ardis Renkoski's efforts to find Paige have met with many setbacks, but she's never stopped looking.

The case recently was reopened by three cold-case detectives working for the Livingston County sheriff's department who have now identified six possible suspects.

Renkoski was one of the first parents of missing children to contribute her DNA three years ago, in case authorities found her remains but had no other means to identify her, the State Journal reported.

Information from: Lansing State Journal, http://www.lansingstatejournal.com

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-missinginmichigan,0,2859721.story

Michigan's Missing Persons Day - 2011

2011-05-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Michigan's Missing Persons Day - 2011

Join us on May 7, 2011, from 4-9 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit for Michigan's Missing Persons Day-2011.

*Sponsored by local law enforcement agencies across Michigan

Who should attend: Families and friends affected by the mysterious disappearance of a loved one and the communities and organizations that assist to bring them home. The event is open to the public.

This event will give families of the missing a chance to add updated information to cases using DNA family reference samples and NamUs.gov http://namus.gov/ Officers will be taking tips on old and new cases. The event will include a candlelight vigil ceremony to commemorate the missing.

Michigan's Missing Persons Day Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118335424904075

Contact: D/Tpr. Sarah Krebs, krebss@michigan.gov

Family of the Missing Skelton Boys Urges Other Parents to Attend Michigan's Missing Persons Day

2011-05-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

By Mark Lenz

Daily Telegram

Posted May 03, 2011 @ 06:49 PM

Last update May 04, 2011 @ 09:17 AM

MORENCI, Mich. —

Grandparents and friends of the three missing Skelton brothers spoke to the media on Tuesday evening in Morenci, urging the public to remain watchful for any sign of them as spring begins and announcing a community picnic.

There remains a reward of up to $60,000 for information leading to the return or recovery of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton. The boys disappeared after their father, John Skelton, failed to return them to their mother, Tanya Skelton, on Thanksgiving Day.

“I know it’s been wet, but if you go out mushroom hunting, birdwatching, whatever or just out for a walk, please look,” said Don Zuvers, the boys’ grandfather. “They’re out there somewhere, and we just need the help of people looking. If you spot something that’s unusual, don’t be afraid to call.”

Authorities continue to check tips called in to the Morenci Police Department at 458-7104. Police in February said they now consider the case to be a homicide investigation rather than a missing-persons case.

John Skelton has been charged with kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. He remains in the Lenawee County Jail in lieu of posting $90 million in bail.

Asked if there were anything they would like to say to John Skelton, Don Zuvers replied: “It’s been too long. They need to come home. If you know anything, tell the authorities."

Bev Zuvers added: “I believe, John, that you know where the boys are. The hurt and the pain is already inflicted. You can’t make it any worse by telling us where they’re at. ... Give not only us but your family, our community, our country, our nation some closure. We need to know where the boys are, and you hold the key.”

Don Zuvers said he did not think another full-scale ground search is necessary. He and his wife, Bev Zuvers, both said that as they go about their days they continue to think about the boys and look for them wherever they are.

“Even though it has been six months, the pain in their hearts is still there and they’re still missing those three little precious children, and we’re all praying that somehow there will be an answer soon,” said family friend Kathye Herrera.

Bev Zuvers also related a dream she’d had that she believes was a message from God about the boys.

“In this prayer one evening,” she said, “Andrew crawled up in my lap in my big rocker where’d I’d held him many times and he would hug me. And he said, ‘Grandma, we’ve been staying with Uncle Bob. We didn’t know him very well, but we know him now.’ ...

“Uncle Bob is my brother, who they didn’t know very well. My brother who passed away five years ago in August. I felt that was God’s way of telling me that the boys are safe, they’re just not safe here on Earth. ...

“My heart breaks for the person who is going to make this discovery because, if they are deceased, it’s going to be difficult for them for what they’re going to have to deal with.”

Tanya Skelton was not at the session, and Barb Zuvers said that Tanya is now working full-time at a greenhouse. Tanya Skelton did have a grandchild born on Feb. 1 from an older daughter, Herrera said, but the group acknowledged that Mother’s Day this weekend will be emotionally difficult.

“I think that if Tanya could give a message to people today it would be this is Mother’s Day," the Rev. Donna Galloway said. "And I know she would say, ‘I’m a mom and I’m a grandma, and you had better hug your kids and hold your kids and not get upset at them for spilling the milk on the table because you got them there to spill the milk on the table.”

To help provide good memories, the boys’ family and friends also announced a picnic is planned for Aug. 14 in Wakefield Park. They plan to make it an annual event. They said the free event will be open to surrounding communities and to “everybody who has prayed for, wished for” the boys’ return, Galloway said.

In addition, they urged parents to attend an event Saturday at Detroit’s Ford Field, which is being staged by the Michigan State Police and is aimed at protecting children from abduction. The free session is from 4 to 9 p.m. Parents can register photos, dental records or other identifying information. Free ID kits will be provided, and a candlelight vigil for missing children is planned.

Source: http://www.lenconnect.com/features/x449046876/Family-friends-of-missing-Skelton-boys-urge-public-to-stay-watchful

NamUs Missing Person Profiles for the Skelton Boys
Alexander Skelton: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/9269/2/
Andrew Skelton: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/9271/1/
Tanner Skelton: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/9272/0/

Families of missing people in Michigan to honor loved ones at Ford Field event

2011-05-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

SUSAN TUSA/Detroit Free Press

BY GINA DAMRON DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Mamie Watkins, left, of Detroit says her brother William Bracken of Highland Park, on the poster above, disappeared just before Thanksgiving in 2009.

Missing Persons Day - For information or to register for the Michigan's Missing Persons Day event, call Michigan State Police Trooper Sarah Krebs at 313-215-0675 or e-mail her at krebss@michigan.gov

It was the day before Thanksgiving 2009 when Mamie Watkins got the call: Her elderly brother had gone missing.

The first thought was that William Bracken had walked from his Highland Park home to a bus stop. Bracken, who would be 82 this year, had caught the bus before to visit Watkins in Detroit, she said. But he was nowhere to be found.

"He just hasn't been seen since," Watkins said.

Her family is one of dozens with missing loved ones expected to turn out Saturday at Ford Field for Michigan's Missing Persons Day, an event hosted by law enforcement agencies and intended to help raise awareness.

Michigan State Police Trooper Sarah Krebs said the event, which runs 4-9 p.m., also gives law enforcement officers a chance to update their databases with online profiles of missing people, dental records or DNA samples from relatives.

In January, there were more than 3,000 missing people across Michigan, based on reports entered into the National Crime Information Center, she said.

Incorporated in that number are juvenile cases, runaways, people who are missing in catastrophes and people who are considered endangered or missing involuntarily, including those who were abducted or left without needed medication and cases where foul play is suspected, Krebs said.

The total changes as people return home, are recovered or are found deceased.

"It's a very fluid number," Krebs said.

Each missing person whose family attends the event will be commemorated Saturday. Families are encouraged to bring a photograph of their loved one so police can scan them and update their databases.

Free child identification kits will be provided to families. Krebs said each kit will include the child's fingerprint, a DNA swab and a digital photo and video and be given to the family to keep.

For the families of people who are missing, the search never ends, said John Broad, president of Crime Stoppers of Michigan, which is helping with the event.

"People need our help," he said "We're all part of a neighborhood, part of a community. We're not in this alone."

Watkins, 80, looks forward to meeting other families in similar situations. And she fears the worst for her brother.

"The biggest thing, naturally, is not knowing," Watkins said. "Not knowing if he's even walking around here living."

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20110503/NEWS01/105030330/Families-missing-people-Michigan-honor-loved-ones-Ford-Field-event

Contact Gina Damron: 313-223-4526 or gdamron@freepress.com

State police to host event at Detroit Lions' Ford Field to help solve missing person cases

2011-05-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

Published: Tuesday, May 03, 2011, 9:15 AM

By Gus Burns | The Saginaw News

DETROIT — State police, in conjunction with law agencies statewide, are on May 7 hosting “Missing in Michigan,” an event to raise “public awareness on the causes and impacts surrounding missing persons” and to allow attendees to interact with police and provide tips related to missing friends or family members.

(see a list of Michigan's missing persons here)

The free event takes place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit and family members are encouraged to bring “photographs, dental records, medical records or other identifying information of their loved one.”

The Masons of Michigan are providing free ID kits for children and the event is scheduled to conclude with a candlelight vigil for missing persons across the state who have not been located.

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2011/05/state_police_to_host_event_at.html

Missing in Michigan aims to help solve cases

2011-05-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Michigan State Police and law enforcement agencies throughout Michigan have joined to create Missing in Michigan, a day to help raise public awareness on the causes and impacts surrounding missing people.

The free event — set for 4-9 p.m. Saturday at Ford Field — will give citizens an opportunity to provide law enforcement officials with tips and information about their loved ones who are missing.

Family members are encouraged to bring photographs, dental records, medical records or other identifying information on their missing loved ones to the event to update the law enforcement digital database. The items will be immediately returned.

Family members may donate family reference DNA samples at one of the law enforcement sponsored stations at the event.

Families and friends affected by the unexplained and unresolved disappearance of loved ones also will be recognized at the event, and the Masons of Michigan will provide free child-identification kits. The event concludes with a candlelight vigil to commemorate missing people across the state.

Anyone wishing to commemorate a missing loved one during the vigil should call Detective Trooper Sarah Krebs at (313) 215-0675 or e-mail krebss@michigan.gov.

Source: http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20110501/NEWS06/105010312