Missing In Harris County Day: Officials Hope To Reunited Families

HOUSTON, TX — One of the hardest things in the world for families of people who've suddenly vanished or simply run away from home, is not knowing if their loved one is safe, or even if they are still alive.

While some families may never find closure, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Harris County Office of Forensic Science and the Texas Center for The Missing are hosting Missing In Harris County Day and offering hope to bring the missing back home.

"The missing persons issue is known as our nation's 'Silent Disaster'," said Sharon M. Derrick, Ph.D., identification manager/forensic anthropologist, Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. "Locally, many of the agencies involved in locating the missing are working together to address the problem in our community by hosting Missing in Harris County Day."

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Missing in Harris County Day will be held on Sunday, April 22 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Texas Southern University’s Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs.

Families searching for a loved one should bring the following to 2018 Missing in Harris County Day:

• Your photo ID
• Photos of the missing person - helpful photos will include the person photographed with any identifying features, such as tattoos or birthmarks, or personal items, such as favorite earrings
• Closely related family members from the mother's side for the voluntary submission of DNA. Bring two family members if possible
• X-rays, dental or medical records, police reports or other identifying documents that can be scanned and placed on file

The event, which has been held in Houston since 2015, allows families looking for their loved ones to connect with local officials and agencies to hep them search for their missing loved ones.

In preparation for the event, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has been posting photographs and information on the Next Door app, and on the department's Facebook page, of several men and women who have been reported missing since 2011.

Others reported missing in the Houston area in the last 30 days inlude:

• Kennedy Hilliard, 25, (caucasian female) disappeared March 24, and last seen in Spring
• Cara Donna Goodall, 40, (caucasian female) disappeared March 27 and last seenin Houston
• Ty Tracy Amidon, 58, (caucasian male) disappeared March 29, and last seen in Houston.
• Juan Carlos Gomez-Cedillos, 40 (Hispanic male) disappeared March 31, last seen in Houston
• David James Reuter, 30, (caucasian male) disappeared April 3, and last seen in Houston
• Debra Conrad, 59, (caucasian female) disappeared April 8,and last seen in Houston
• Jesus Angel Guiterrez, 33, (Hispanic male) disappeared April 9, last seen in Houston

They have also been urging concerned families not to wait, because contrary to popular belief, there is no 24 hour waiting period to report someone missing, especially children.

On April 8, 15-year old Aryana Vatani was reported as a runaway.

Aryana was last seen wearing a green sweater, black shirt and black leggings.

The day before Vatani ran away, Courtney Kenyatte Polk, 13, was reported as a run away from Katy.

In the days that followed, four other girls — all of them 15-years old — have been reported as runaways.

There are some, however, that aren't reported and parents learn that their child met a tragic death.

That was the case in 2017, when the body of Genesis Cornejo, 15, was found in the middle of a southwest Houston street with bullet wounds to her head and chest.

Police would later learn that Cornejo, who'd run away from her Jersey Village home weeks earlier, had been the victim of a satanic ritual killing by members of the MS-13 gang.

While there are sad stories, there are 15 success stories with this program since the program was launched.

The event brings all the elements of a missing persons search, from filing a Missing Persons Report to submitting a DNA sample for identification, to one location providing families a more successful environment for reconnecting with missing loved ones.

At the 2018 Missing in Harris County Day, families and friends of the missing can:

• Learn how to file a missing persons report or file a missing persons report on-site
• Speak to representatives from different agencies that can provide assistance
• Voluntarily submit a DNA sample with a cheek swab to be entered into missing persons databases for identification purposes

"We really encourage every family or friend of a missing person to participate in this important event. There is a community of support waiting to help all who come," said Beth Alberts, chief executive officer, Texas Center for the Missing.

Authorities are inviting families of missing relatives to the event to get the word out about their missing loved ones, if they have not been reported missing yet.

Representatives from Harris, Galveston, and Brooks Counties and local/national missing person's networks will be at #MissingINHC Day to take missing persons reports, enter missing persons into the NamUs system and take voluntarily submitted familial DNA samples used for identification.

Please come if you are looking for a loved one who has disappeared and bring a current photo of your missing loved one.

Click the link to see photos and descriptions of those reported missing.

Image: Shutterstock / Ingemar Magnusson

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