Issue 63

Our Summer 2025 issue turns a lens on AMBER in Indian Country—specifically via three powerful new videos that highlight the value of AMBER Alert plan implementation, multijurisdictional collaboration, and response preparedness in Tribal communities. Filming—by an Indigenous-led production company—took place in New Mexico and features the voices of Tribal law enforcement and government leaders from around the country. The issue also spotlights the groundbreaking rescue of more than 60 missing children in Upstate New York. And it introduces you to a Tulsa, Oklahoma, AMBER Alert Coordinator who takes a “pedal to the metal” approach to finding missing children. Speaking of which, this issue will help you get up to speed on child protection headlines from across the U.S., Indian Country, and around the world.

For the best viewing of this file, ensure your browser and PDF viewer are updated to the latest versions.

Download PDF Download Screen Reader PDF PDF En Español

Features

Jenelle Roybal Pojoaque Pueblo being video'd by Bravebird in Santa Fe

AMBER Alert in Indian Country—in Focus

Help, Unity & Hope: A new video project about AMBER Alert in Indian Country has U.S. Tribal child protection leaders [..]

Mission:Rescue

A groundbreaking rescue operation in [..]

Pedal to the metal for missing children

Lieutenant Chris O’Keefe of the [..]

U.S. Briefs

Abducted toddler found alive after 25 years

“No cold case is ever truly closed.” So said New Haven, Connecticut, Police Chief Karl Jacobson in crediting officers and detectives for their diligence in reinvestigating the cold case of a toddler abducted by her mother. For 25 years, officers knew Andrea Michelle Reyes only by a photo of a smiling dark-haired child in a [..]

Texas event provides resources for families

For 11 years, “Missing in Southeast Texas Day” has been bringing resources to families with missing loved ones. During this year’s event in Houston, dozens of families made connections with law enforcement, social services, and forensics experts dedicated to locating missing persons. Family members were able to provide DNA samples, enter information into the National Missing [..]

Security camera captures thwarted abduction

More than a dozen Good Samaritans are being called heroes after rescuing two children, ages 2 and 6 months, and their mother, from a vehicle fleeing a Jacksonville, Florida, parking lot. Video footage released by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) shows bystanders rushing forward and safely pulling the woman and a child, who were being [..]

Indian Country Briefs

Diné task force undertakes training

The Missing & Murdered Diné Relatives (MMDR) Task Force continues to ramp up training initiatives as part of its strategy to combat the crisis of missing and murdered people across Navajo Nation. The Arizona group recently met with representatives of AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC), part of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance [..]

FBI surges resources in ‘Operation Not Forgotten’

The FBI is surging resources to investigate unsolved cases in Indian Country, including those relating to missing and murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP). As part of “Operation Not Forgotten,” 60 FBI agents will be temporarily deployed to 10 field offices nationwide to work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Tribal law enforcement [..]

Arizona, New Mexico approve ‘Turquoise Alert’

The disappearance and murder of a 14-year-old girl prompted Arizona lawmakers to pass “Emily’s Law,” establishing a new emergency alert for missing Indigenous persons. The Arizona Legislature had been considering a “Turquoise Alert” system when Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache teen, was found murdered after she was reported missing from a group home in [..]

International Briefs

New protocols lauded, credited for solving missing persons cases in Guyana

Changes in how the Guyana Police Force responds to missing persons reports are delivering results, with a stepped-up focus on children. Three missing persons cases were reported to be resolved about a week after new emergency protocols went into effect in late April. The revised procedures enable a faster, more coordinated national response to missing [..]

State Department releases annual report on International Parental Child Abduction

Law enforcement officials wanting to stay updated on the issue of International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) can glean the latest information from the U.S. Department of State’s 2025 annual report. The report, which was submitted to Congress, discusses compliance with The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. That treaty provides a [..]

Lost Person Behavior expert discusses wooded searches after two girls go missing

A search for two young siblings missing in a heavily wooded area near their Nova Scotia home prompted the Canadian Broadcast Corporation to tap Robert Koester, author and app creator of Lost Person Behavior, for insight on what search-and-rescue teams face. Koester, who is also a search mission coordinator with the Virginia Department of Emergency [..]

AMBER Advocate Magazine