With great sadness, I must announce...

[WasBlind]

Another pestilence has entered the missing persons arena.

It has recently been brought to my attention that someone has been spreading personal case information on-line, via e-mails and on posts on missing persons boards.

This is not only insensitive, it could prove fatal. In the work we do, you take everything that is told to you about a case to the grave, unless you must testify before a grand jury, etc.

Details of cases are never discussed between those who are truly committed to finding our missing loved ones, for it not only jeopardizes getting them back, but God forbid, should someone have brought harm to your missing loved one, it jeopardizes justice.

Please beware, and be cautious. Anyone who offers free services to you and then at a later date asks you to divulge personal information about your missing loved ones case is only a wanna be detective. For those reading this who insist on going into macabre details, somehow thinking you are helping a family, you are NOT helping that family.

Case in point, one such person has brought so much disrespect and disdain upon a certain family, that family now has to sleep with their lights on. They are constantly threatened, in writing and in real life and are nowhere near getting answers for their missing loved one. One person is spreading secret police information told to the family in confidence and later relayed to this person in a moment of emotional weakness. This is like a roller coaster, we have great highs and deep lows in the search. Moments of intense hope, and the next deep despair.

If anyone asks for money to do anything, be suspicious. I hear all the time about people who wish to get money or fame out of searching. There is NO money and there is NO fame in searching for the missing.

If you are not involved, but wish to be, ask yourselves a few questions. Do you want fame? Do you want money? If the answer is yes to either question, please do something else.

Do you want to be a detective? Then go to school, become a professional and learn why things must be kept in confidence. Do not pretend to be what you are not. Do not think that watching 109 episodes of Columbo or CSI makes you a professional.

If you wish to be engrossed in macabre details, please consider working at a morgue, or anyplace but the missing persons arena.

You may look a gift horse in the mouth, especially if that gift horse is being dishonorable.

This person has violated my trust, the trust of those I work with, and thereby the trust we all fought so hard to gain, the families trust.

I've already put one in jail for this nonsense, stealing money from families. I will do anything in order to protect those I represent.

Do not drop my name in e-mails, or the names of those I love (who do not support you or are partners with you in any way) pretending to have an association with me, or any other legitimate organization. You have no association with them and no legal or other right to claim this or imply it. Doing this reeks of wanting glory rather than having a true desire to help.

This is not a game. Lives are at stake here. If any family member of a missing person wishes to know what I mean, please feel free to contact me.

May God have mercy on those who would re-victimize the most vulnerable in society.

With HOPE, Lanie
Help For The Missing
HelpForTheMissing@yahoo.com