The Police’s Role in Missing Persons and Unsolved Murders
During the course of the last few months, News Five has taken a deeper look at what happens with cases involving missing persons and murders that remain unsolved. We’ve covered the aspect of the families of those persons who are either still hoping for closure in the case of the unsolved murders. We’ve also covered stories of others who anticipate the return of their loved ones, in the case of those who are missing. We’ve also looked at the forensic element of solving those puzzles, where biological evidence plays a part when eyewitness testimonies are scarce. And today, we sat down with Senior Superintendent of Police, Gerald Jones, who explained what investigators do in scenarios where persons are either murdered or simply go missing. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Anisha Young
Marion Ali, Reporting
The story of Anisha Young brings back a vivid reminder of the horror her family endured when she went missing in December of 2018. Five years later, they are still hoping for some indication of her whereabouts. Anisha is just one case among countless others that have vanished without a trace. For those of us who don’t know how the police handle these cases, we sat down today with Senior Superintendent of Police, Gerald Jones who is the Deputy Head of the National Crimes Investigation Branch.
Gerald Jones
Senior Superintendent of Police, Gerald Jones, Deputy Head, National C.I.B.
“We’ll get in contact with the senior police officer for which the senior police officer would give the understanding for us to definitely disseminate the information to mobiles, foot patrols as well as motorcycle patrols that yes, we have a report of a missing person and to be on the lookout for such. So we will coordinate our efforts within our internal communication network system that we use. That photograph and information will then send to the police public press officer who is the only authorized entity to disseminate information to share to members of the general public, as well as to the media. We will inform all ports of entries to be on the lookout for that individual, and like I said, as time goes by, police officers will definitely have to canvass the scene if there is a scene. Sometimes we cannot establish a scene right there and then, but we normally ask and request the Scenes of Crime to come in to canvass a scene. The place where the last person was seen, maybe the person was in a vehicle, maybe the person left home and did not return back. So we would need to look at evidentiary support.”
Jones says that because time is crucial in finding people that go missing, the department has cut down on the turn-around time before that information is disseminated.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Gerald Jones
“In the past, if an adult have been reported missing, we would wait for 24 hours before we initiate any activity as such. That is no longer the case. From the moment a person has been reported missing, be it an adult or a minor, immediate steps are put in place in order to locate that individual. So, we will partner with other agencies, maybe BDF, Coast Guard, depending if the person is missing at sea, to coordinate efforts to locate that individual.”
Marion Ali
“So, within a few hours?”
Senior Superintendent of Police, Gerald Jones
“Within a few hours.”
But what happens to cases, like Anisha, where the persons have gone missing? There is a window of seven years, within which Jones says the investigation continues.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Gerald Jones
“Police are being actively on case at all times. So as long as evidence are forthcoming, police will always be actively involved in conducting an investigation. There are times when it’s a bit slow down. It slows down. However, we rely on community outreach again, members of the public to come forward to share information or we get intelligence from our very own police officers and then we continue with our investigation.”
Marion Ali
“There are times when the person is missing for years and then it’s like a dead end. There’s nothing that comes forward, right? And in that matter, we will then come in together and sit down and have the file that has been compiled so far, read over those documentations and get the assistance probably with our legal advisor or our very own commissioner of police who is an attorney of course, train and even the, or DPP office or commanders. And see where we can go forward with that investigation.”
After a person goes missing for seven years or longer, they are legally presumed dead. But Jones says there is a high success rate of finding persons who go missing, whether they intentionally just took time away from their usual surroundings and later return, or they migrate elsewhere without telling anyone. Statistically, persons who are reported missing number the most between the ages of thirteen to seventeen, and a higher percentage of females return home than males. But what about murders that go unsolved? Jones explained that the most crucial aspect of a murder is gathering the evidence.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Gerald Jones
“We look for witnesses, we conduct interviews. the evidence and ensure that we prosecution. We will definitely conduct interviews on potential witnesses that can help us. We will rely on CCTV, maybe footages that can help us in the aid of the investigation.”
And just like missing persons who are never found even with the information gathered, there are murders that are never solved. Jones says they also remain open investigations.
Senior Superintendent of Police Gerald Jones
“We try and make ensure that there’s a case file manager in place to say, okay, you know what do we have here, what are you doing with this matter now and where are we with this matter, so that accountability is there. Those cases never closed. Investigations are still being conducted behind the scenes. There’s certain things within investigation that can be shared with the public and certain things that cannot be shared with the public, the reason being because it might hamper or interrupt the investigation. We encourage persons if they haven’t heard anything that they will come and speak to the officer in charge of that formation or the investigator because they have a right to know what is happening with their case.”
Jones reminded Recently, there was an arrest of a person who was charged with a murder that occurred in southern Belize in 2021. Currently, the murder count for 2023 stands at 81. Marion Ali for News Five.
