An Open Letter To All Who Hold the Key (s) To Solving Open Crime or Missing Person Cases

You have, twice, see a neighborhood girls who the homeowner, who comes off to you as rather "strange," claims that he is just taking care of but who is not ever sent to school or anywhere else, for that matter. You have seen these girls in the back yard but no where else. Should you read anything into this? Would this have anything to do with one of those missing child (ren) cases or Amber Alerts that you have been hearing about in the news? One day a girl screams for help and looks out. Should you open up the door, let her out, and let her use your Smartphone, so she can call cops for help? You have only seconds to decide!

On some days, as you look outdoors, you see a man who wanders the sidewalks aimlessly wandering around and appearing to be dazed and unaware. There is a local case of a missing man in your area. You have heard stories that this person has been thrown out by his family and you feel sorry for him, but what can you do?

You have exclusive knowledge about a conversation, online or in-person, that you know can provide a clue (s) to move a death or criminal investigation forward or help find a missing person, whether in your area or in your social networks. But you have been told, "This is between you and me. I'm not even sure that I can confirm this. I can get in trouble if this gets out." You do not want to get this person in trouble, but something is not right and you "just know."

There was a recent shooting in your workplace. Everyone is tremendously upset about it, including you.  It has made the local news and the suspect's sketch has been released. You have seen defensive wounds on a man whom you work with at around the time when your male co-worker was found tragically murdered. He looks like the suspect in the sketch. On, dear, would that man be the type to do such a thing; how can you "rat on" such a nice, outgoing guy?

You live in an ordinary neighborhood like so many other middle-class neighborhoods. You and your family have moved there because it has been said to be one of the safest neighborhoods where you can raise children. For the sake of you four children, you and your spouse move there. Children can play in the streets and there are plenty of them to play with. An ideal place for families! Yet in your neighborhood you have noticed one house where apparently only one person lives there and while he seems nice and friendly enough, he seems "strange." You cannot make sense of your misgivings. You have, on certain occasions, seen a couple children in this man's front yard. Who can they be, children that he babysits? You know of a few missing children in your region. Is there any significance here?

You have been hearing and seeing all the news coverage about girls and women being sexually assaulted, raped, and one even being found murdered. Law enforcement (LE) are focusing only on one man whom they see as being possibly involved in all these cases. The sketch of the suspect resembles your beloved son and is too much to ignore. Your son lives with you but is often evasive about his whereabouts and activities. On, dear. What should you do, brush your misgivings off?

Your get along with your husband fairly well the few times he is home. However, he often exasperates you because he gets his mail forwarded to another state and when he brings his mail home, he will not let you touch it. You also can't get your husband to "come clean" about the $$$ that vanish out of your family account and who he talks to. You are aware of a local Social Security fraud investigation where the suspect has not been caught. What should you do about it?

You have heard about the case of the "wanted" robber in your state and he has been known to be armed as he has "held" up quite a few banks, terrifying people who were in the banks at those times. You take note of the sketch of this suspect, noticing with dismay that the person in this poster greatly resembles your nephew, who has had encounters with the law already. Should you mess with this and anger your relatives? If you "rat on" your nephew, his name and yours will make the newspapers. Your extended family would retaliate and make your life and that of your own family a living hell! What should you do?

You are scrolling through your Facebook homepage and then, for some reason, decide to do a Facebook search. You notice that one of the Facebook profiles belongs to a boy who looks like and whose age is listed as identical to those of a missing boy, according to his poster information which you have seen, even shared, on social networks. Is there anything to this and should the cops be notified of this?

You are very painfully aware of a murder victim's case. You are the lone witness of the crime. You helplessly watched the person's life be brought to an untimely end. You have never forgotten the awful images and the victim's pleas for his life. You know that authorities are looking for this murderer and the case has gone cold. You know the killer, who has told you to remain silent or you would be sorry. Are you going to be this person's next victim if you tell?

You sometimes hold parties in your home. A certain man enjoys to frequent your parties, bringing his camera and several girls, one who is quite a bit older than the others. This man has always been secretive about his activities and about the identities of these girls. You observe that they seem to be very focused on pleasing the man, but that they enjoy your parties. Are you to connect this with the case of a missing girl in your area?

You are in a marriage that you deem as a loving, happy one. Everyone else agrees with you. You have three children together and count yourself as blessed. Your marriage truly must have been a match made in heaven! you think often to yourself. One day, you turn on TV and listen to local news about two teenage girls who were raped and then murdered. What is this world coming to? you wonder with dismay. Then the suspect is pictured. The sketch looks like your own spouse! You go to bed filled with misgivings and cannot face your husband. Is this a co-incidence? How can I even THINK my loving husband is remotely capable of this? Should you contact your local police? What if your suspicions are wrong? But what if there is something to them?

I can come up with many other scenarios of instances where so many of us can hold a key or even the key that would help move a death, missing/unidentified or criminal investigation forward, or even solve a case. We all know that there are countless such investigations that are going on and their numbers only increase by the minute, as new investigations begin. Many investigations go on for months, for years and there are many that have been going on for decades and show no sign of getting solved. You probably know about and may even watch, whether regularly or sporadically, shows like John Walsh's "America's Most Wanted."

Behind every investigation, whether it be to find a missing person, to identify a crime victim, to determine why a deceased person has died, or to seek justice for a murdered person, are people who are hurting, devastated, and who want and need answers and peace. Families, friends and communities are forced to live without answers as to why a loved one is dead, who is responsible, to see the person be brought to justice, or see a missing loved one be brought home, whether safe and alive or identified as deceased so they can have a proper burial. When such questions linger, unanswered, it is pretty well impossible to focus on anything else or move forward with life.

If you follow the news, whether on television or online, or use social networks, you may have seen many appeals by families or their appointed spokespersons, who have make appeals to the public for answers. You may no doubt have seen the contact information for tips and information that are to be used for submitted tips for specific investigations. You may have heard the anguish in the voices of family members, the tears in their eyes, who have pled for anyone with any information, even suspected information, to come forward, to contact the shared tipline, and to know that you will remain anonymous as you do so.

You may be a frequent viewer of talk shows and even cable TV channels whose focus is true crime cases and investigations. If that is the case, you have likely seen anguished interviews with tearful family members or friends of missing or murdered people or crime victims/survivors, who are seeking for justice. In this case, you have heard the appeals: "We would do anything to have our loved one home again. We are missing our loved one. PLEASE, if you know anything at all or you suspect that something is not right, please call in with your tip. No piece of information is too small to help solve a case."

You may even be carrying a dark secret and you may be the only one who knows about it. You may know details of a crime that only the perpetrator (s) of a crime or an accomplice (s) can know. You say nothing because you don't want to lose your freedom. You may even have "skipped town," taking on an alias and starting life in another state or even in another country. If you told, you know what could happen. You could be put away in prison, even for life.

Why should you come forward and tell? For one thing, you would feel relief and gain a clear conscience. A clear conscience is priceless. You also can solve an investigation, bring a missing person home, identify a crime victim, end a family's nightmare, even save someone's life. Yes, doing the right thing often has consequences, but the consequences cannot compare to the consequennces of not doing what you know is right.

So why wait? You know what to do. Pick up your phone and dial 9-1-1 or the tipline in question or submit your tip in written form, on designated websites like John Walsh's "America's Most Wanted" or other related websites. Depending on any role you had in the case in question, you may face consequences. But you will be doing the right thing.

I realize this post is an appeal to anyone who has ANY information on cases that are open and currently under investigation by Law Enforcement (LE) or higher authorities. This post does not address the many more of us who have information on cases that have NOT been opened and on crimes where the criminals have not been caught. This kind of appeal would take another blog, actually a whole book. I plan a post, appealing to those of us who have information on cases that have yet to be opened.

https://tips.fbi.gov/

This is the webpage where you can submit online tips to the National FBI website for open and active cases that are under investigation. This site is also linked to state FBI offices, which you can contact for tips on cases in said state. The FBI investigates a BROAD range of crimes.

http://www.amw.com/report/tip/

This is the webpage to the site for John Walsh's America's Most Wanted. If you have tips or information on any fugitive or missing person, you can submit your tip online.

http://oig.ssa.gov/report-fraud-waste-abuse/

This is the webpage where you can report any witnessed or suspected form of Social Security fraud or abuse (including Medicare, SSI and other benefit types).  This is the official site for the Social Security Administration.

1-800-CRIME-TV

(1-800-274-6388)

You can also call this phone line with your tips or info.

1-800-THE-LOST

(1-800-843-5678)

You can call this phone line to report any tip or info that may lead to a missing child).

1-800-4-A-CHILD

(1-800-422-4453)

This is the hotline where you can call to get your questions answered about known or suspected child abuse.





Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile.com. Photo by deegolden This photo can be found here.