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New resources available to help police solve Ohio missing persons cases

Ohio BCI hopes to bring awareness to about 1,500 missing persons cases
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SPRINGDALE, Ohio — There's renewed hope for families of missing people in the Tri-State.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, also known as BCI, is hosting "Missing Persons Day" on Saturday, September 17.

The goal is to engage with families, friends and law enforcement about the resources available to help in missing persons cases. The event is also planned to bring awareness to missing and unidentified persons cases in Ohio.

Roger Davis, BCI Special Agent in charge of investigations, said the department estimates there are 900 missing adults in Ohio and 650 missing children. That includes children who walked away from home, who may be caught in the middle of a custody battle and children who may be in serious trouble after getting caught up with dangerous people.

Davis said this is an opportunity to bring fresh eyes to some of these missing persons cases and for law enforcement to learn what other resources are at their disposal.

“The main thing I want to stress is don’t ever give up," Davis said. “Not only local law enforcement, but the individuals here from our criminal investigation unit, the laboratory or investigations, everyone takes a vested interest in these cases. We don’t ever look at a case and think, there’s no possibilities.”

Davis said each case is important to investigators and they want answers just as much as the families.

The event will offer:

  • DNA collection from families of the missing for Project LINK
  • Opportunities to ask law enforcement and coroners’ representatives for assistance on cases
  • Facial reconstructions of unidentified persons
  • Crisis support for families
  • Information on human trafficking
  • Child fingerprint cards

There will also be a candlelight vigil for the missing. BCI is asking that you RSVP here if you’d like your loved one to be honored.

The event is free and open to the public. It is being held at the Springdale Police Department from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m.

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