By Jody Garlock
Bill Boldin is one of those people who always knew what he wanted to do in life. At age 15, he became a youth cadet for the Canton, Ohio, Police Department, where he learned about law enforcement, experienced different types of training, and volunteered at events. That early stint solidified his desire to work in law enforcement and ultimately led to a more than 30-year career, much of it spent with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
What he didn't anticipate was that the same relentless pursuit that defined his fugitive work would lead him to one of the most meaningful chapters of his career. In 2015, after passage of a federal law that allows the Marshals to assist local agencies in missing children investigations, Boldin was tasked with developing a program for the USMS Northern District of Ohio. "Over the next six or so years, more than 250 missing children were found in Northern Ohio, and they still lead the nation in recoveries to this day," says Boldin, who went on to become the national coordinator for the USMS National Missing Child Program.
We talked with Boldin, who retired from the USMS in late 2025, about his career and about the Marshals' role in helping find missing juveniles — a function that may not be widely known even a decade later.
How is it that the Marshals became involved in missing children investigations?
The 2015 JVTA [Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act] provided USMS the statutory authority to assist with missing juvenile cases. Prior to that, the child had to be with a registered sex offender or fugitive. The USMS can do everything to find missing kids that they do to find fugitives — that's actually how they got into the business. The Marshals are the best at finding people who don't want to be found. The vast majority of missing juveniles are high-risk runaways who are actively trying to not be found by parents, social services, or the police, or they are with age-inappropriate adults who are trying to hide them.
Talk a bit about that — children who have run away from home and the importance of finding them.
In the past, repeat runaways were considered habitual and not many departments put forth the effort to find them. That has really changed. We realize that there is no shortage of adults waiting to take advantage of every kid out there who's a runaway. It's impossible for them to stay a runaway without some adult 'help.' It's not just that it leads to trafficking and sexual abuse, it's all levels — retail theft rings, drugs. It's rare, if ever, that we recover a runaway and there isn't all kinds of criminal activity occurring in the same place.
What makes the Marshals a good fit for investigating missing children cases?
The same skill set used to hunt down fugitives is the same used to find missing kids. It's a combination of deep-diving into a person's digital presence and old-fashioned police work — getting off your butt and knocking on doors. You're not going to find fugitives or missing kids while sitting behind your desk. When we're out looking for a missing kid, we get such a positive response from the community.
What should law enforcement understand about the USMS involvement in missing children cases?
There are two main points. First, the child must have been reported missing prior to their 18th birthday. USMS can't work missing adults but can work the case as long as they were a juvenile when they went missing. Second, there must be a request or approval from the originating law enforcement agency. USMS can't take direct requests from the public.
It's been more than 10 years since the JVTA law passed. Are people aware of it and what it allows?
For years it wasn't really known to local law enforcement that the Marshals could help, but it's becoming more known. It was definitely a goal of the agency to try to get the word out. USMS has legal authority, but zero congressional funding for the Missing Child Program. As a result, different offices in different parts of the country have varying degrees of ability to assist with the program. Not all have sufficient manpower.
Do you have a success story to share with us?
One specifically involved an AMBER Alert. A subject in southern Ohio assaulted and attempted to murder his ex-wife and abducted three young children. He was extremely violent and a danger to the children. Hours later, phone pings placed him in Cleveland, but then the phone was shut off. It was a densely populated urban area with apartment buildings, and the subject had no known connections to the area. While searching for his vehicle, an AMBER Alert tip reported a possible sighting in that area. Based on that tip, we had a much smaller area to search. When the subject was located, he ran. He was caught but refused to say where the children were. A door-to-door search in the building found them alone in a vacant apartment.
What are you doing now that you've retired from the USMS?
I'm working part-time as a detective with the Dalton, Ohio, Police Department and am assisting other agencies with long-term missing child cases. I'm still a committee member and actively involved with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Conference [part of the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College]. I'm also a member of the Ohio Missing Persons Investigative Network run by the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Police work gets in your blood — it's in your system. You'll see an AMBER Alert, and it's everything to not get in your car and go. So I'm still staying involved. I'm looking for my next adventure.
Seeking USMS Assistance?
Contacting a local U.S. Marshals Service office is typically the easiest and fastest way to seek potential support from USMS in a missing and endangered child case. Other options include emailing [email protected] and requesting assistance form USM-641.
*583 missing children were located or recovered with assistance from the U.S. Marshals, according to fiscal year 2025 data. In that same period, the USMS received 823 requests from law enforcement for assistance in missing child cases. USMS located or recovered more than 4,561 missing children since 2015, when it received enhanced authority. Of those recovered, 61% were found within seven days.