Today is the 2nd Annual Missing in Harris County Day event. The event will have two areas for families to report missing loved ones: 1) a loved one missing in Harris County and 2) a loved one missing anywhere in South Texas. If your loved one is missing in Harris County you will work with representatives from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. If your loved one went missing in South Texas you will work with representatives from the South Texas Human Rights Center and Argentinian Forensic Anthropology Team. We encourage any of our readers with missing loved ones to please come to the event today. If you do not have a missing loved one but would like to learn more about the humanitarian crisis on the border you are welcome to come and join in a variety of other activities planned for the day as well.
The event will have free refreshments, personal guides to escort families of the missing, semi-private areas to talk with missing persons professionals, forensic professionals performing identification cheek swabs, Cyber Security demonstrations, panel discussions addressing missing persons issues, Child ID kits, activities for children, and much more.
Please bring the following if you are searching for a missing loved one: ID documents and photos of the missing person; two of the missing person’s closely related family members from the mother’s side for the collection of identification cheek swabs plus any other family members that can give a reference DNA sample; X-rays, dental or medical records, or other identifying documents; families and friends are welcome to wear memorial t-shirts and bring posters to commemorate their missing loved one.
Schedule of Events for the 2016 Missing in Harris County Day Event
10:00 AM – Event opens (Food and atrium with informational booths is open and available; Families can begin filing missing persons report
11:00 AM – Introductory Remarks
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM – The Missing and Exploited Discussion Panel
Co-Facilitators: Dr. Dwayne A. Wolf, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, HCIFS and Dr. Christine Kovic, UH-CL
Panelists: Dr. Krista Latham, University of Indianapolis; Lt. Manuel Cruz, HPD Missing Persons; Lise Olsen, Houston Chronicle Reporter; Carol Haaga, mother of Paul Schrum; Nancy Lopez, sister of Nidia Rodriguez; Karen Olvera, niece of Adalberto Chavez; Yesseinia Olvera, niece of Adalberto Chavez; A representative on trafficking issues
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM – The Missing Children Discussion Panel
Facilitator: Beth Alberts, CEO of Texas Center for the Missing
Panelists: Tim Miller, CEO of Texas EquuSearch; Officer Darrin Buse, HPD Missing Persons; Gloria Esparza, mother of Ryan Esparza; Jo Ann Lowitzer, mother of Ali Lowitzer; NCMEC Project Alert representative; NamUs representative
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM – Continue to collect missing persons information
Event Details: Date – Saturday May 14, 2016; Time: 10am-3pm; Location: University of Houston-Clear Lake (Bayou Building Atrium)