The Last Place You'd Look (28 page)

“They let the cat out of the bag,” Marco says.

He says the FBI became involved in the case right from the beginning, working alongside the Boise Police. Using information provided by a third party, they located Maika in Nicaragua and took custody of MaxGian. Although Marco knew they were working a hot lead, he didn’t realize how soon the case would turn in his favor. When he received the phone call that authorities had his son, Marco was ready to pick him up at a moment’s notice.

MaxGian was seven when his mother left with him, around eight and a half when he was found. In addition to being standoffish when his father arrived to pick him up, there was also a language barrier that had not existed before.

“He wouldn’t look at me. And he spoke only Spanish—no English,” Marco says.

“I had just traveled twelve hours by plane and had no sleep, so I was a little off myself. I just leaned over and said, ‘I don’t know what you’ve been told or what you think, but I love you very much and have never stopped loving you,’” he says.

Marco believed it important that MaxGian know his mother was well and he made sure of that. When they returned to Boise, the child reestablished his relationship with the best friend he left behind and settled back into school. Life returned to as close to normal as it could be with such a big chunk of time carved out of their lives. Marco says MaxGian’s time on the run affected him.

“We have seen solid progress, yet it will still require time and parenting consistency to work through it,” says Marco.

It was difficult to rebound from the experience, but Marco is thrilled to have regained his child. “I’m elated to have him back, just elated,” he says.

R

It is important to remember that for every Marco Alcalde there is also a Stephen Watkins—a person searching for a beloved child or sibling or parent who has disappeared. But the odds are getting better for people like Stephen. As technology shrinks the world, hiding in it—or concealing someone else—becomes ever more difficult.

Families of the missing are no longer sitting back and waiting for someone to do something. These families are strong and realize they draw their strength from standing together. Individuals like Kelly Jolkowski of Project Jason and Libba Phillips of Outpost for Hope advocate for the rights of the missing. They rally families to find their voices, flex their muscles, and keep their cases alive.

Their tragedies do not define these families: they fuel them. They turn into lions, demanding better from their police and federal authorities and urging the passage of new laws that give their missing loved ones and the missing of the future a better shot at happy endings.

Sympathetic legislators who push for the truth and sponsor bills that make a difference; police haunted by the faces of the missing who continue their investigations off the clock; private investigators who donate their services for free to those whose wallets are empty—these are the dramatis personae of happy endings.

And more happy endings are possible. As Jaycee Dugard, Shawn Hornbeck, and Ben Ownby prove, they are out there waiting to be found. If only people didn’t mind their own businesses but acted upon their suspicions; if only police had the resources to follow up on all leads instead of having to choose the most viable; if only the ball got rolling sooner instead of later—who knows how many opportunities for happy endings are out there, waiting to be discovered?

And if we start paying attention, if we demand better training for our police, better laws, better resources, better efforts, and we all get involved, who knows how many of our missing can be brought home?

It is time to find out.

T
he best resources now can be found online. In fact, the Internet has revolutionized the way missing persons cases and the matching of unidentified remains are investigated. Most publications devoted to missing persons are also on the Internet or can be downloaded. Here is a list of good resources for those starting this terrible journey, as well as for anyone interested in helping others confronting the loss of a loved one. But, as always, the very first resource should be your local, state, and, if applicable, federal law enforcement agencies.

These sites are listed in no particular order. Also, please be careful when navigating these legitimate organizations so that you do not accidentally end up on a site capitalizing on the name of the person you are attempting to find. Some fraudulent sites attempt to exploit missing persons for profit and scam unsuspecting visitors.

Volunteer Organizations and Web Sites

Project Jason (projectjason.org)

Offering advice, support, and publicity and named for Jason Jolkowski, Project Jason is a comprehensive starting point for the public and for families of the missing. The organization hosts an annual coping skills retreat, the only one of its kind.

The Charley Project (charleyproject.org)

A comprehensive and well-maintained database, the Charley Project is the archived home for more than 8,500 cold cases and more than 500 missing persons cases, which can be searched in many different ways. It is not an assistance organization.

Cue Center for Missing Persons (ncmissingpersons.org)

A site devoted to working for the recovery of missing persons, the Cue Center for Missing Persons hosts a respected yearly conference.

Outpost for Hope (outpostforhope.org)

Libba Phillips’s site shines a light on those most often neglected by investigators, including foster kids and the homeless.

Shawn Hornbeck Foundation (alostchild.com)

Founded by a recovered abducted child, this foundation seeks to help the families of the missing with their publicity efforts.

AMECO (amecoinc.org)

This association of nonprofits specializes in missing children. Many of their member organizations also serve missing adults. AMECO is a good place to research other organizations. If they belong to AMECO, they’re valid.

The Center for Hope (hope4themissing.org)

The Center for Hope was created by missing college student Suzanne Lyall’s parents, also the originators of the state playing card program, which prints playing cards with photos and identifying information about missing persons. They are distributed to prisons and jails for the use of inmates in hopes someone might recognize the victim or know something about the case. The Center for Hope offers a number of resources for families of the missing.

Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (jwrc.org)

Named after an eleven-year-old boy who was abducted while with a group of children, this organization offers, among many things, advice and safety information for at-risk children.

Laura Recovery Center (lrcf.org)

Established to honor Laura Smither, a Texas child who was abducted and later found murdered, this organization works with law enforcement and communities to reinforce the safety of children.

Morgan Nick Foundation (morgannick.com)

Set up to honor an abducted six-year-old who has never been found, this foundation assists parents and others facing similar circumstances.

The Polly Klaas Foundation (pollyklaas.org)

With the aim of fostering child safety, this foundation promotes awareness and helps keep missing kids in the news.

radKIDS (radkids.org)

An effort sponsored by the family of abduction victim Elizabeth Smart, this organization teaches kids how to defend themselves from abduction attempts or attacks.

Child Quest International (childquest.org)

This nonprofit works to prevent and recover abducted or missing children worldwide.

International Cruise Victims (internationalcruisevictims.org)

Families and victims of crimes and disappearances aboard cruise ships can find individuals with similar experiences here.

Bring Sean Home (bringseanhome.org)

The Web site built around the parental abduction of the now recovered and returned Sean Goldman advocates for laws making it harder to conceal a child stolen from a custodial American parent.

Government and Other Resources

America’s Most Wanted (amw.com)

John Walsh, who lost his son Adam to abduction, has proven to be a true friend to both victimized families and law enforcement with this television show and Web site devoted to balancing the scales of justice.

National Coalition for the Homeless (nationalhomeless.org)

This large group advocates for the rights, safety, and dignity of the homeless.

National Runaway Switchboard (nrscrisisline.org)

This group sponsors efforts to get runaways off the street and, if possible, back home. Crisis line is 1-800-RUNAWAY.

The Hague Convention (hcch.net)

This international treaty governs adoption and custody issues spanning the globe.

Children’s Rights Council (crcjapan.com)

This coalition of parents is involved in custody issues with Japanese citizens.

National Alliance on Mental Health (nami.org)

This organization works with families and individuals who are dealing with mental illness.

National Institute of Mental Health (himh.nih.gov)

This government agency works toward solutions for persons suffering mental disorders.

National Center for Victims of Crime (ncvc.org)

This coalition dedicates itself to victims’ rights.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI.gov)

Site includes a list of current missing and kidnap victims, both children and adults.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (missingkids.com)

Home base for this organization founded by the Walshes, this organization offers its services to law enforcement agencies without charge.

Fox Valley Technical College (fvtc.edu/public).

This Appleton, Wisconsin, college has led the way in bringing families and investigators together in the field of missing persons and recovered unidentified human remains. Their annual conference is excellent.

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (namus.gov)

A clearinghouse for missing persons and unidentified human remains, NamUs brings together the public, law enforcement, and medical examiners in a unique project that has already resolved several disappearances.

Center for Human Identification (unthumanid.org)

The University of Texas’s ongoing forensic and human identity project, the Center for Human Identification is considered the premiere program of its kind in the country.

Most states have free searchable sexual predator databases. They can be found by searching by state name.

Many states also have missing persons clearinghouses, which can also be found using your search engine.

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