Wednesday, November 1, 2017

The Mystery of the Missing Person


I love a mystery, always have, always will.  I started reading Nancy Drew as
a young girl and she lead me on a life long path of getting to the bottom of
suspicious activity.  If something strange or mysterious happens, I am like 
a pit bull and can't let go until I have the answers.  

The other night I could not sleep.  I am not sure why.  Perhaps I had too
much coffee too late in the day.  I sometimes do that, and I blame it on the
Donut Shop Keurig coffee I love so much. Whatever the reason, I was 
awake.  I didn't want to read because I thought if I turn turn on a lamp,
the light stimulus would threaten any sleep potential, so I turned on the
radio to an overnight talk show I sometimes listen to.   That show is
Coast to Coast AM.  It's so entertaining.  Sometimes the guests talk about
extraterrestrial beings, or ghosts, or big foot.  It's often over the edge and I
end up laughing.  On this particular night, the guest was talking about
missing persons.  The kind of missing persons who leave no trace and
often no reason for their disappearance.  




The guest explained that there are often patterns regarding the type of 
person that goes missing. They are often quite religious in their beliefs, and
are often very well educated.  He mentioned a particular German scientist
who went missing following a hike in the mountains in the western US.
In fact, the guest said that missing persons are often of German descent.

This struck a chord with me.  I have a dear friend who told me about
his great grandfather who was a prominent Lutheran pastor.  He went 
missing and no trace of him was ever found.  He left behind a wife, and
family, and loyal parishioners.  No one ever really learned why he 
disappeared nor what happened to him.  I cannot imagine how difficult
and heartbreaking that must be for the family and friends.   There are 
many legal issues also associated with such a disappearance which add
to the pain and stress of the loss.




I started to do some research as to how many people just disappear and 
what the circumstances could be that would prompt the situation.  We
all know that children can and do disappear every year.  According to 
statistics, approximately 33,000 children are missing on any given day.
That is a huge number.  I had no idea it was that large.  The thought of
children being away from home is so terrifying to me.  The situations they
may encounter are too frightening to think about.  What can be done to
prevent this tragedy from occurring and how can we find these kids?

The number of missing persons is higher for adults.  It's approximately
50,000 at any given time.  Adults may, or may not leave willingly.  
The causes for slipping away unannounced are many.  Drug and alcohol
abuse is a prominent factor as is dementia.  There are also some who
are unhappy and choose to leave their spouse and or family without a
trace.  Financial problems, depression or anxiety can facilitate a 
person's decision to flee.  Perhaps crime is the basis for their choice.




As I was listening to the show, I wondered how many scientists who are
close to solving, or have already solved a problem that could be of benefit to
humanity?  Could their disappearance be considered a case of foul play?
When my friend's great grandfather disappeared without a trace, the
realm of forensics was far less sophisticated than it is today.  That being
said, how would one walk out the door one day and just vanish with
no trace of them to be found?  Have they altered their appearance?  Are
they leading a double life?  Were they kidnapped?  Were they abducted by
alien beings and are now living on a ship out in space?  Or if you follow
the concept of rapture, have they been whisked away and we are the
ones who have been left behind?  Something to ponder.  If I could
consult Nancy Drew, I would.


Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley




7 comments:

  1. My paternal grandfather disappeared when my dad was nine years old. As far as my dad can remember the police suspected foul play, but no one ever really knew.

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  2. So sorry to hear this. Such a tragedy.

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  3. Where's Nancy when you need her? I featured Nancy Drew Mystery Stories each Friday last month, and I had so much fun. I would love to play the Nancy Drew game with you and Bentley, Susan!

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  4. Susan, I really enjoyed this post. So many different scenarios as to who, what, and where? Who are they, What happened, and Where are they now! I think you would be a very good Nancy Drew! I love a good mystery. Jill

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  5. I was a real bookworm growing up and Nancy Drew was a favorite. She was always so clever. What a shocking number of people go missing! Interesting comment about the rapture. Were all these missing people, good people? hummmmm.

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  6. Susan, I read Nancy Drew and another, Judy Bolton. I can't find any of those books today. No one seems to even remember them. I loved them as much as Nancy. I too love a good mystery and can't stand unsolved ones. Maybe I was a detective in another life. Great post. Thank you. Sandra

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Oliver and I LOVE and read every comment.

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