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More than 600,000 men, women and children are reported missing in the United States each year.
Please take a few moments to read the stories of this week's missing people. If you recognize one of them, be a hero and contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Typically, someone, somewhere knows or sees something that could help law enforcement recover a missing person. And whether you realize it or not, that someone could be you.
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Lauri Bernick
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Gastonia Police Department
Authorities in North Carolina are investigating the disappearance of 53-year-old Lauri Bernick. According to the Gaston Gazette, Bernick was last seen on Oct. 22 at Walkers Ridge Apartments in Gastonia. The missing woman had been hospitalized for a broken arm approximately three days before she disappeared. Bernick is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, with reddish-brown hair and green eyes. She has a scar on her lower lip and may be wearing glasses. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gastonia Police Department at (704) 866-3300.
Benjamin Gordon
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Mason County Sheriff's Office
Benjamin Gordon, 15, of Mason County, Ill., was last seen on Nov. 18. Authorities have not released any additional details about the circumstances of the teen's disappearance. He is described as 165 pounds and 5 feet 10 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, brown jacket, black jeans and gray shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call the Mason County Sheriff's Office at (309) 543-2231.
Kiana Haggermaker-Tucker
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Delavan Police Department
WTAQ.com reports Wisconsin police are trying to locate Kiana Haggermaker-Tucker. The 16-year-old from Delavan was last heard from on Sept. 26. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Haggermaker-Tucker is considered an "endangered runaway," but could be with a man and they may be en route to Milwaukee, Alabama or Rockford, Illinois. No additional details have been released. Haggermaker-Tucker is described as 135 pounds and 4 feet 9 inches tall. She has brown eyes and her hair was red and black at the time of her disappearance. Anyone with information regarding Kiana Haggermaker-Tucker's disappearance is asked to call the Delavan Police Department at (262) 728-6311 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
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Allante Latrice Hill
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Flint Police Department
Authorities in Flint, Mich., are trying to locate 19-year-old Allante Hill. According to mlive.com, she was last seen in the early morning hours of Nov. 2, in the drive-through of a McDonald's restaurant. Hill was in a white 2001 to 2008, four-door Buick Century or Regal. The vehicle has a sunroof and a paper license plate in the back window. Family members told police it would be out of character for Hill, who recently signed up with Job Corps, to take off without notifying someone. She is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall and 250 pounds. She has a tattoo of a black flower on her left hand, between her thumb and forefinger. Anyone with information about Allante Hill’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Flint Police Department at 810-237-6821.
Brittany Lacy
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Kanawha County Sheriff's Office
Sixteen-year-old Brittany Lacy, of Charleston, W.Va., was last seen on Nov. 8, when she left her home to attend nearby Capital High School. The teen did not show up for her ninth-grade classes and has not been seen since. Authorities said they are treating the case as a runaway juvenile, because Lacy has contacted her mom twice since she was reported missing and indicated she was in nearby Kanawha City. No further details on the teen's disappearance have been released. Lacy is described as 111 pounds and 5 feet 5 inches tall. She has shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, black jeans and black boots. Anyone with information is asked to call the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office at (304) 357-0169.
Cleo Mae McKinney
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Manning Police Department
Cleo McKinney, 42, of Manning, S.C., was last seen on Nov. 8 when she was leaving for a trip to an undisclosed location. McKinney had told family members that she would return on Nov. 12, but she has not been seen since she left. Family members told police the missing woman had recently met a man in Hemingway, a small town located approximately 47 miles east of Manning. However, her family has no further information on the relationship and it remains unclear if the man was going to be traveling with McKinney. Authorities said the missing woman requires regular medication, but did not take any with her. Police have not released a description of McKinney. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 1-888-274-6372.
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Taylor Opel
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Lorain County Sheriff's Office
Taylor Opel, of Lorain, Ohio, has been missing since Oct. 17. The 15-year-old was last seen at her father's Sheffield Township home. According to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office, the girl may be with her mother, Joy Hunt, who is not Opel's custodial parent. Authorities suspect Hunt may have taken the girl to Indiana. For reasons not yet clear, authorities said Opel may be in danger. The young woman is described as 5 feet 2 inches tall and 110 pounds. She has red hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a dark gray sweatshirt, dark jeans and black boots. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Lorain County 911 Center at (440) 328-2800 or Lorain County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Josh Croston at (440) 329-3752.
Gary Paris
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Newark Division of Police
Authorities in Newark, Ohio, are seeking the public's help in locating 60-year-old Gary Paris. According to 10tv.com, Paris was last seen on the morning of Nov. 17, when a witness saw him exiting a taxi in front of his Newark apartment. Police say they are concerned for the missing man's safety because he has medical issues. No further details on his disappearance have been released. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Gary Paris is asked to contact the Newark Division of Police at 740-670-7201.
Derrick Shao
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San Francisco Police Department
Nov. 7 was the last time anyone saw 20-year-old Derrick Shao, of San Francisco, Calif. According to nbcbayarea.com, Shao, a student at San Francisco City College, was last seen in the 900 block of Ingerson Avenue. Authorities believe he was en route to a bus stop in the city's Bayview District, where he would typically board the MUNI 29 line for transport to college. Police said Shao never arrived at his scheduled classes on the day of his disappearance. He is described as Asian, 5 feet 10 inches tall and 185 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. Shao was last seen wearing black-rimmed glasses, a dark blue Northface hooded pullover, dark jeans, red, white and black Nike shoes and was carrying a black Jansport backpack. Anyone with information is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 553-1071.
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Alfred Wright
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Sabine County Sheriff's Office
Alfred Wright, a 28-year-old father of three from Hemphill, Texas, was last seen on Nov. 7 at a local package store. According to 12newsnow.com, Wright's wife asked his parents to pick him up from the store on the day he went missing, but when they arrived he wasn't there. A witness told the parents she saw Wright walking toward a nearby subdivision. Police reportedly found the missing man's clothing, a watch and some other items in the woods nearby. However, a search with cadaver dogs was unsuccessful and authorities say foul play isn't suspected at this time. Wright is described as 170 pounds and 5 feet 9 inches tall. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Sabine County Sheriff's Office at (409) 787-2266.
COLD CASE OF THE WEEK
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Findjesseross.com
Jesse "Opie" Ross, a University of Missouri student, has been missing since Nov. 21, 2006. According to police, Ross, then a 19-year-old sophomore, disappeared while attending a mock United Nations conference in Chicago, Ill. Police said Ross was last seen at about 2:30 a.m., leaving the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, where a conference dance was held. Surveillance footage from the hotel does not indicate Ross was intoxicated when he left. It is believed he was headed to his hotel, the Four Points Sheraton, located about 10 minutes away. What happened to Ross after he left the Sheraton Hotel remains a mystery. He never made it to his hotel and he has not been seen since. Authorities and private search groups have conducted extensive searches for Ross on land and in the Chicago River, which runs next to the hotel where he stayed, but none of the searches turned up any clues. At the time of his disappearance, Ross was 5 feet 10 inches tall and 140 pounds. He had red hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing a green warm-up jacket, white t-shirt, blue jeans and black gym shoes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at (312) 744-8266. For more information on the case or to make a donation for ongoing search efforts, please visit Findjesseross.com.
Each and every missing person deserves help. Please join us in our campaign to raise awareness by sharing the link to this story on your social media accounts.