Augusta - May is Missing Person Month in Maine.

Statistics show that 800,000 people under the age of 18 are missing each year, that's a bout 2,000 children reported missing each day.

In Maine, many missing persons cases are solved quickly, but some remain unsolved decades later.


Log on to the Maine State Police website and you'll find fourteen names under the Missing Persons tab.

It's not a complete list, but it ranges from Douglas Chapman, 3, who disappeared in the 1970's, to Jeremy Alex, 30, who hasn't been seen since 2004.

These are cases that have never been solved, but are still being worked on.

'' Every detective within the State Police is assigned an unsolved case, if not two or three," said Sgt. Jeffrey Love with Maine State Police.

" They're constantly reviewed, there are re-interviews, there are new tips that come in. There are a variety of tings that keep these cases going in the forefront," added Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Local police departments handle most missing person cases, but there are times State Police is called in .

" It could be foul play, this could be a lot larger than they had first anticipated, so they'll bring us in and we'll work the case jointly," said McCausland.

A lot goes into looking for someone who has disappeared.

" Missing persons cases many times are the equivalent of a homicide investigation except obviously we don't know where the person is and we don't know whether the person is a victim or not," said McCausland.

One of the most obvious names missing from the online list, is Ayla Reynolds. The now 2-year-old was reported missing by her father in December.

Police believe foul play is involved in the case but have not made any arrests or found the little girl.

Tips continue to stream in, police just need the big break.

" It could take just a small piece of information to connect all the other dots that we might already have in the case," said McCausland.

Technology also plays a crucial role in solving these cases.

" The Crime Lab has been fantastic for these types of investigations, DNA, forensics, the crime scene processing," said Love.

No matter how long someone has been missing, the investigation never just ends.

" It could be something someone heard, saw, remembers from past reflection," said McCausland. " One call could break a case wide open."

That is the thing all of these missing person cases need; the one tip that will lead police to the missing and lead the family to closure.


If you have any information that could help police find any missing person, you're urged to call State Police at (207) 624-7143. You can also leave an anonymous tip. To learn more about that click here.

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