These days, in addition to checking the missing person’s own Facebook accounts, I often check those of their family members and friends cause sometimes I come across info about the missing person or the circumstances of their disappearance that isn’t available elsewhere. Photos, nicknames, etc.
Yesterday I was writing up a case of a missing woman whose disappearance had a decent amount of coverage on the internet. Articles, listing on her local Crime Stoppers page, listing on NamUs, etc. After I pulled all the info off those sources I checked social media and found even more.
The MP had a tattoo on her chest and one on her upper arm which I was already aware of. I got the best photos I could find of those tattoos off her Facebook account. But then I noticed that, when a friend posted about her disappearance and tagged the MP’s Facebook account, the friend had (probably unintentionally) actually tagged an old account the MP hadn’t used in several years. I had not been aware of this old account, but I had a look, and discovered photos which showed two additional tattoos, on the wrist and thigh, that were not mentioned ANYWHERE ELSE.
I was able to grab a photo of the thigh tattoo, and I mentioned the wrist tattoo in the distinguishing characteristics. (The only photo I could find of it was poor quality and not at a good angle and I couldn’t really tell what the tattoo looked like, so I just noted its presence and didn’t use that photo.)
It may not sound like much but that kind of info could break a case open. Last summer a man on my site was identified because I mentioned, and had a photo of, a tattoo he had that the official “This man is missing” articles, fliers etc. said nothing about.
I thought I’d share this story because I know a lot of people who read this blog are trying to identify dead bodies and make matches with missing persons, so I thought they might try to do what I’m doing (that is, look at the missing person’s loved ones’ posts about their case to find more info).
As for the case, it’s not up yet. The MP disappeared on August 22 of last year, which isn’t quite a year ago yet. But I was doing a bunch of cases from her city and figured I’d write this case up a few days early while I was at it.
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