Marc Klaas was one of the notable participants in the first Missing in California workshop, in 2018 at Sacramento State. The second edition of the gathering aimed at locating and providing information about people who have gone missing is scheduled for June 8, 2019. (Sacramento State file)Sacramento State again will host “Missing in California,” a one-day workshop that brings together law enforcement and community agencies to help families find long-absent loved ones.
The second annual “Missing in California” is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at Harper Alumni Center, 6000 College Town Drive. Campus parking near the building is free during those hours.
The 2018 event was the first statewide workshop of its kind in California.
Twenty-six families sought help finding loved ones or at least attaining some closure. Eight of those 26 missing-person cases, dating to 1954, had never been reported. Law enforcement investigators eventually located three of the eight missing individuals, and all were alive and well.
The remaining 18 cases were forwarded to law enforcement agencies in the area where the missing were last seen.
“The biggest message is that every case – even those already known to law enforcement – was assisted in some way,” says event organizer Paige Kneeland, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy who has worked missing-persons cases for 13 years.
“Cases with no previous DNA reference now have family DNA that was collected at last year’s event. Photos were added to case files that previously had none. So these events are totally worthwhile.”
Families are encouraged to bring photographs of the missing, along with medical and dental records, to share with investigators. Family members may provide DNA samples, as well.
Students from Sacramento State’s LECS (Law Enforcement Candidate Scholars) program again will assist families as they navigate various reporting stations and paperwork at the event.
New to this year’s “Missing in California” is a support group meeting at 1:30 p.m., hosted by Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Sacramento.
“There are groups for families who’ve lost a loved one to a violent crime, but there are no support groups for the families of the missing, other than online,” Kneeland says. “Some families I’ve talked to want a physical place they can go and meet other families who are struggling like they are.
“While this only gives them a once-a-year support group meeting, at least families can connect and share contact information and continue to support each other from a distance.”
Among the law enforcement agencies scheduled to attend “Missing in California” are Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento State Police Department, California Department of Justice, California Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Community resources include Bureau of Indian Affairs, WEAVE, Mexico Consul General, California Rescue Dog Association, and KlaasKids Foundation.
Interpreters will be on hand to assist non-English speakers with Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Hmong, Punjabi, Russian, and Spanish. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will be on site.
Drop-ins are welcome, but appointments are recommended for “Missing in California.” Contact Kneeland at (916) 874-1751 or ckneeland@sacsheriff.com to make an appointment. – Dixie Reid