By Denise Gee Peacock

At the 41st National Missing Children’s Day commemoration May 22, 2024 in Washington, D.C., staff members from the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program and National Criminal Justice Training Center accompanied family members of missing children who have helped produce two multimedia resources for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide and the forthcoming What About Me? Finding Your Path When Your Brother or Sister Is Missing.

On the day before the Missing Children’s Day commemoration, the AATTAP-hosted family members paid a visit to the Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Afterward they attended an AATTAP reception recognizing them for their contributions to ensuring family members across the nation have access to the latest information and resources. They also were shown highlights of videos that will be featured on the Family Survival Guide website along with the publication once released. (Stay tuned to The AMBER Advocate for more details.)

Recognition and collaboration for better understanding—and a clear path forward

During the National Missing Children’s Day ceremony, the group received thanks for their efforts from U.S. Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon, OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan, and NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune—as well as attendee applause when they were asked to stand for recognition. They also heard from nationally revered parent-advocate and retired AATTAP-NCJTC Associate Patty Wetterling, who was a featured speaker at the event. Patty is the mother of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted and murdered in 1989. (Read more about her search for him, and her new book, Dear Jacob, here.) Wetterling also helped update the new Family Survival Guide.

Following through on a commitment made by OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan last year during her impactful meeting with the Family Survival Guide contributors at the conclusion of the Missing Children’s Day ceremony, this year’s event included an inaugural, private Family Roundtable meeting during which both Family Survival Guide and Sibling Guide family members discussed their experiences with being a part of these projects, their ongoing needs and goals as surviving family members who have experienced a missing child or sibling, and offered OJJDP and AATTAP leaders recommendations on ways to best support families and more broadly promulgate awareness and distribution of these and other critically important resources for family, law enforcement, community and child advocates.

“The AATTAP was honored to be invited by Administrator Ryan and other OJJDP leadership to facilitate a discussion with the families of missing and murdered children. We discussed ways to improve law enforcement response, preparedness, family support and protecting children. Bringing the important perspectives of both parents and siblings, they bravely and earnestly offered their personal stories and messages of hope for those facing the same unthinkable situation.”

Janell Rasmussen
Administrator, AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program

Commemoration highlights

Each year, the Justice Department also honors agencies, organizations, law enforcement officials, and others whose exemplary heroic efforts to help recover missing children and prosecute people who harm them.

“Our commemoration is taking a new format this year,” Ryan said. “OJJDP decided not only to highlight the tremendous work of law enforcement others in efforts to protect children, but also to take this opportunity to address the challenge is in this work— to learn more about issues related to missing kids, and hold in depth conversations with youth and families of missing and murdered children and other experts on these related topics.”

Following the commemoration, a cadre of experts, including a youth advocate with lived experience in the foster care system, participated in a panel discussion on the reasons why so many children and young adults go missing from care.  “They will suggest ways we can improve collaboration and to ensure the health and well-being of these children,” Ryan explained.

Ryan next recognized “members of family roundtable—parents, siblings and other family members with a loved one who has gone missing. They know firsthand the torment, confusion and emotional exhaustion of losing a child,” she said. “They lived it and they have channeled that sorrow into resources to helping others. Each of the family roundtable members here today has contributed to two important guidance documents."

When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide was announced at the 2023 Missing Children’s Day event. The new fifth edition provides a wider range of missing child situations; gives families immediate access to information via its online format; and allows them to hear parents’ advice and encouragement from the parents themselves, who speak directly to them through powerful videos.

As was the case with the Family Survival Guide project, the What About Me? project was developed by AATTAP’s publications team with guidance and oversight from the OJJDP. And both projects where shepherded by Helen Connelly, a former program administrator for Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC)—home to AATTAP and the NCJTC.

The new sibling survival guide will help a missing child’s siblings understand both the emotional turmoil surrounding the crisis and the ongoing search for their sibling. It will offer advice and resources; tips on self-care, mental health, and family dynamics; guidance on dealing with law enforcement, the media, and court; first-hand insight on what to expect and how to cope.

“While more than 1,200 children have come home safely as a direct result of AMBER Alerts, we must not forget that while the system is at work, searching for that missing child, that child’s loved ones are scared, frustrated, and mentally isolated. Providing emotional support to these family members is one of our most important jobs.”

Amy L. Solomon
Assistant U.S. Attorney General

Looking back—and ahead

This year marks the 40th anniversary of NCMEC, which has contributed to the safe recovery of more than 400,000 missing children.

Additionally, the OJJDP is celebrating 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The law that established our office OJJDP has supported youth and families across the nation, providing federal funds owing to states, territories, Tribes, and communities to protect children prevent delinquency and transform juvenile justice systems.”

“As you know thousands of children go missing in the U.S. every year,” Ryan said. “While most are safely recovered, others are found deceased and never identified. Currently there are more than 1,000 children whose remains have been found, but have not been identified. We want to help name them and return them to their families, communities and loved ones.”

The OJJDP and NCMEC, with support from the DOJ—and training and technical assistance from the AATTAP and NCJTC—will work with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify these children, Ryan explained, adding, “they deserve no less.”

“I’m honored to reflect on our shared responsibility of responding to [cases involving] missing children and supporting their loved ones. And it's especially meaningful to be in the company of parents and family members of missing children. Your presence honors your loved one, and helps represent the thousands of families still searching for their children.”

Michelle DeLaune
President and CEO, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Wetterling to DOJ & NCMEC: ‘You Save Lives. You Saved Mine.’

NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune welcomed Patti Wetterling to speak, recognizing her as “a longtime friend and a personal source of inspiration.”

“Her son, Jacob, who went missing when he was 11 years old, was abducted near their home in Minnesota,” she said. “Patty has given her life to advocating for her son. She has raised a beautiful family. She is a fierce mother and has changed this world with every person she speaks to.”

“We're so honored that you could be with us today,” added Attorney General Solomon. “We’re indebted to you for your years of advocacy on behalf of missing children and for the work that you continue to do to claim a brighter future for our children.”

The following is an excerpt of Wetterling’s remarks at the 2024 National Missing Children’s Day event:

I want to thank you, Liz Ryan, for meeting with the group, this amazing group. [She gestures to the families group attending the ceremony.] I belong over there with you, my heart is with you, and we draw strength from you. And I also want to thank everybody at NCMEC and the DOJ. You save lives, you saved mine. 

National Missing Children's Day is an amazing time to shine a light on a dark topic. When my son Jacob was kidnapped, I knew nothing about crimes against children. ‘Who would do that?’ I cried! ‘Who would harm a child?’ It is an unimaginable pain.

After a few days, sleep deprived and depressed, I crawled into bed and pull the covers over my head and decided I'm never gonna get out of bed again. It's too hard. It hurts too much. I can't do it. With tears streaming down my face, I suddenly saw Jacob curled up in a ball somewhere saying the same thing. “I can't do this anymore. It's too hard. They're never going to find me.”

Screaming I got up and said, ‘Hold on Jacob, we will find you! But you have to stay strong!’

I got out of bed. That decision to get out of bed was the first of many choices that we made. And for me, it was in the early days—and 34 years that have followed—I decided I couldn’t live in the darkness, and I chose to seek light. Instead, I chose to fight for the world that Jacob knew and loved—a world that was fair and kind and safe for kids.

When I was given that phone number for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, I learned so much about the problem; how many children were missing and exploited and what we all needed to do to bring them home. Most kids come home because somebody is aware of their abduction. They look at the pictures. And if they see something unusual about a child, or a child in a bad situation, they trust their instincts and call the police.

We tried to make sure everybody got Jacob’s pictures. We had to mail pictures out back in 1989. We sent them all over. But my favorite story was when a couple was traveling from Minnesota to Florida, and they thought they saw Jacob. They recognized the picture and said, ‘He was with a man who's very thin and he didn’t look like he wanted to be with this guy.’ But they didn't know who to call. So eventually they called the FBI in Minneapolis. When they described the man that this boy was with the FBI agent knew who they were talking about… they caught up with him in Flagstaff, Arizona. And clearly [the child they found with him] wasn't Jacob.

But one 12-year-old boy got to go home because somebody was aware of the problem. They looked at the pictures and they took that extra step of being there for the child. In those 34 years since Jacob was kidnapped, I've learned that collectively, we are strong when we pool ideas and resources. Through Team HOPE and the family and sibling survival guides. We support each other and offer assistance to other families walking down this difficult path.

When a when a child is missing, it affects the entire world. Classmates, teachers, neighbors, cousins, friends—all have their worlds turned upside down… We have to keep missing children in our hearts until we can hold them in our arms again.

We are all the hope for all missing children, as well as all children who are home safe today. We can never give up hope. And together, we can, and we will, build a safer world for all of our children.

AMBER Alert Europe launched an educational campaign on Missing Children's Day, May 25, 2018, to teach children how to protect themselves when they are lost or abducted. The campaign included a coloring book that helps children learn how to get from home to school and back safely. An animated video was also made available to instruct parents what to do if their child is missing. The prevention campaign was shared by police in Slovenia, France, Slovakia, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Poland and The Czech Republic.

Five tribes gathered at the Ak-Chin Indian Reservation in Arizona to celebrate National Missing Children's Day on May 25, 2011. More than 65 people, including federal, county, and municipal law enforcement officers, participated in the celebration and a two-day investigative training session. The Ak-Chin Tribe produced and showed a child abduction video, and the Tribe's youth council demonstrated dancing and constructed small adobe huts and native grass shelters for table centerpieces.

Erin Runnion with Ed Smart at 2009 Missing Children's Day ceremony
Erin Runnion, left, with Ed Smart

Law enforcement did everything they could to save her daughter's life, but it wasn't enough, said Erin Runnion, an advocate for the prevention of child sexual abuse and abduction and the guest speaker at the 2009 National Missing Children's Day Ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 21.

Samantha Runnion, a 6-year-old child was brutally murdered July 15, 2002, after a man abducted her from her front yard in Orange County, California. However, her death is not in vain, as Erin Runnion has made it her life's mission to ensure Samantha's tragic death is a catalyst for positive change. As the founder and director of the Joyful Child Foundation, Runnion is motivating concerned citizens to be pro-active in their responsibility to protect children from sexual abuse and abduction.

“It should not take a tragedy to unite a community,” said Runnion. “But it does take a community to keep our children safe.”

Samantha's death did prompt the governor of California to immediately begin a statewide AMBER Alert program. But Runnion said her daughter's death has not stopped the “pandemic” of missing kids.

“We need to give law enforcement the tools they need to bring these children home,” said Runnion. “I want us to be prepared so we are not scared.”

The Department of Justice/Office of Justice Programs honored law enforcement officers and citizens at the ceremony who showed a tremendous amount of courage to save missing children. Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden provided more tools for law enforcement by announcing that $50 million in Recovery Act funds would go to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) program. Since ICAC started in 1998 agents have handled more than 100,000 complaints of child sexual victimization.

“These perpetrators violate every notion of decency we have,” said Ogden.

This year's ceremony also marked the 25th anniversary of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Ernie Allen, NCMEC President and CEO, said NCMEC has recovered more than 138,000 children during that time and the recovery rate has gone from 62 percent in 1990 to 96 percent today. But Allen noted that much of the change was due to personal tragedy.

2009 Missing Children's Day ceremony audience and setting
Attendees at the 2009 National Missing Children's Day ceremony.

“We have come light years,” said Allen. “America is better prepared and most of America's missing children are coming home. It has been a revolution that has taken place in our lifetime.”

Laurie O. Robinson, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs and the National AMBER Alert Coordinator, spoke at the ceremony about what motivated law enforcement and concerned citizens to get involved when a child goes missing.

“Out of compassion and concern each of these men and women worked quickly to remove a child from imminent danger,” said Robinson. “We know nothing, but your child's return will make things right again. But you should know that others care deeply about your child and are working hard to bring your children home.”

Deputy Attorney General David Ogden also thanked AMBER Alert partners for sharing in that compassion for missing children. “Our AMBER Alert partners continue to bring children home safely,” noted Ogden. “National Missing Children's Day is not just one day, the work must continue every day.”

“We can't fight this problem alone,” Robinson added. “All of you are partners. Every child who grows up safely is a tribute to you. Never give up.”

Nurse Follows Her Instincts to Save Child

Nurse Julie Mosbacher
Julie Mosbacher

Her instincts told her something wasn't quite right. After 25 years as a critical care nurse, Julie Mosbacher, the recipient of the 2009 Missing Children's Day Citizens Award said it takes a lot to “rattle my cage.”

This held true in March 2007 when Mosbacher was working an early morning shift at the West Park Hospital in Cody, Wyo. and a man came in making strange requests and acting psychotically.

“I just knew something wasn't right,” said Mosbacher, who was recognized May 21 by the Department of Justice at the National Missing Children's Day Ceremony in Washington, D.C., for her efforts in helping to recover the abducted child.

The man eventually brought a baby boy into the hospital wearing only a diaper. The boy had been left in the suspect's vehicle for a considerable time, and it was only 20 degrees outside. “The boy was scared. He didn't know what was going on,” said Mosbacher.

Based on her “gut feeling” Mosbacher called the police and learned that an 18-month-old child had been kidnapped after a double murder 60 miles away in Red Lodge, Montana.

“I'm just a nurse doing my job and following my instincts,” said Mosbacher.

Detective Goes Undercover to Stop Fathers from Abusing Children

Detective Neal Spector
Detective Neal Spector

What happens in internet chat rooms can sometimes leave the most hardened investigators cold.

Detective Neal Spector, with Florida's St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, received the 2009 Child Protection Award May 21 at the National Missing Children's Day Ceremony in Washington, D.C., for his undercover efforts in helping to apprehend child sex offenders.

Spector posed online as a father and began chatting with Lonnie Waite from Ashland, Mass., who said he was interested in sexually abusing children, including his own daughter. Waite also confided that Dominic Pace, a New Hampshire father, sent him videos of himself having sex with his 4-year-old daughter. Waite admitted he had also sexually abused his daughter. He then sent the detective videos showing him having sex with another girl under the age of 12.

Spector was concerned that the child abuse was ongoing and worked with the Massachusetts State Police to arrange a time when Waite would be online at home.

“The end result is the greatest reward, when you rescue a child,” said Spector. “You have to work as a team to save a child.”

Waite pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and Pace was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.

Agent Recognized for Creating Program to Find Child Prostitution Victims

A 15-year-old girl was being advertised for prostitution on Craigslist. FBI agents in Washington, D.C., knew that every second that passed put the girl's life at greater risk for harm.

FBI Special Agent Greg Ryman, the recipient of the 2009 Missing Children's Day Law Enforcement Award, received the recognition for his development of Childfinder, which is a program that analyzes phone numbers, nicknames, physical characteristics and other key words listed in advertisements. The program also allows agents to be notified when an ad matches their case. Only 19 hours after the software was up and running a match was made on the 15-year-old girl. Agents quickly set up an undercover operation and safely recovered the victim.

“It's humbling,” said Ryman of the award, which he received May 21 at the National Missing Children's Day Ceremony in Washington, D.C. “I met a couple of the parents here today who lost children. They reminded me why we do what we do.”

The FBI agents believed the girl would have been moved from city to city and knew it would have been impossible to quickly analyze the erotic service advertisements listed on the website in more than 300 cities.

“There are a lot of girls out there,” said Ryman. “The faster they can be found, the faster we can get them off that lifestyle, and the quicker they can be returned to a normal functioning life.”

The Childfinder software is now being used by other offices and has already recovered four juvenile victims.

ICAC Team Honored for Stopping Abusive Swimming Coach

Five members of the South Florida ICAC Task Force
Members of the South Florida ICAC Task Force

Florida's swimming coach of the year had a secret. Robert Caragol was a well-respected leader in the community but no one knew that he also collected child pornography or that he was sexually abusing some of his young swimmers.

The South Florida ICAC Task Force received the 2009 Attorney General's Special Commendation Award on May 21 at the National Missing Children's Day Ceremony in Washington, D.C. for investigating and prosecuting the perpetrator who betrayed a community's trust.

“We were glad to take a child predator out,” said FBI Special Agent Alexis Carpenteri. “Parents trusted their children with him because he was supposed to be trusted.”

“I'm happy to be able to protect kids and I am honored to get this award,” added FBI Special Agent Michael D. Levrock. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Tantillo said he was humbled by the award. “It's terrific to receive this award with agents who I admire greatly.”

The case was a team effort involving several federal and local law enforcement agencies and an Internet company. “All the different agencies came together with the same goal to accomplish the same mission: protect children,” said Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Mike Bentolila.

It began when America Online sent a Cybertip to NCMEC that Caragol might be sending child pornography over the Internet. ICE Agent Bentolila and Broward County Sheriff's Detective Jennifer Montgomery made the initial contact with the suspect at his home in Plantation, Florida. Caragol eventually admitted to sharing hundreds of child pornography images and sexually abusing five boys he met through coaching.

“I'm glad this guy isn't in a position to hurt any more kids,” said Montgomery. Ironically Caragol's May 21 sentence hearing had to be postponed because everyone involved in the case was at the ceremony.

Poster Contest Winner Has a Heart for Missing Children

Winning Missing Children's Day 2009 poster showing a ribbon with children's names as well as "Bring Our Missing Children Home"
Dakhota-Rae Brown's winning Missing Children's Day poster

Dakhota-Rae Brown found out there was a Missing Children's Day Poster Contest the day before the poster was due. The fifth grader at Henderson Elementary in Cheyenne, Wyo. went immediately to work.

“I made the poster that night,” said Brown, the 2009 Missing Children's Day Poster Contest winner. “I put ribbons with the names of missing children on it. There's a home with a heart to show we miss them.”

Brown said she was surprised when she found out her last minute entry was selected over posters from students in 43 states and the District of Columbia. She hopes her poster will make a difference.

“I hope people realize there are children missing and they want to come back to their home and see their family,” Brown added.

Brown attended the National Missing Children's Day Ceremony May 21 with her family and her teacher. She is the tenth winner since the poster contest was started. Before the ceremony Brown talked about the importance of the AMBER Alert when children are abducted.

“I think the AMBER Alert is a good idea,” said Brown. “We know there's someone out there looking for missing children.”