Even though Kelsie has been our focus, please know that we wish for the return of all missing persons. Our hearts break for their families and friends because we share that same agony—we continue to search for a missing loved one.

 

For several years, we have worked relentlessly just to keep hope alive. Some days the grief is so taxing, it is nearly impossible to get out of bed in the morning, only to slump through the day and then toss and turn throughout the night. And our story continues to this day.

 

With all of the help that the police can offer, their resources are limited. The family may endure hours and hours, days and days, weeks and weeks of constant battles. You will oftentimes face impossible odds, but we implore you to push further. Channel the whirlwind of strength it takes to get through this. Lean on those around you. Because if you do not fight whole heartedly for your loved one, no one will.

 

We have created the list below to help the family and friends of other missing persons take crucial steps to find their loved ones. We have also shared some of our experiences:

 

• Design a flyer immediately and begin to hang many in public areas where the person went missing. (Click here for an example of Kelsie’s flyer.) This may seem obvious, but it must be noted that if you don’t do this—no one will. The police do not hang flyers.

• Create a Facebook page. Post information regarding the missing person and ask people to share the content. Social media messages spread like wildfire. We’ve used Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram.

• Reach out the media with the missing person's information. We’ve contacted TV stations, radio stations and newspapers. We’ve spoken with both local and national affiliates. Give interviews and share your story as quickly as possible. If the media ignores your plea, reach out again and again and again. Be persistent. We continue to contact some outlets that have turned us down over and over again.

• Hold weekly meetings with the immediate family members so that everyone stays on the same page with the status of the investigation.

• Hold a press conference. In addition to holding a police-orchestrated press conference, we also held our own family press conference to make sure that we shared what we considered to be important details about Kelsie’s case.

• Issue a reward for information. Post this reward on flyers, social media, etc.

• Take advantage of any opportunity to bring awareness to your struggle. Laura, Kelsie's mom, wrote a letter to her daughter that published in "Letters to the Missing" by the Media for the Missing.

• Hold searches in areas where the missing person disappeared. Prepare for hours of grueling searching and a few days recovery. The emotional and physical toll can be draining.

• Embrace the community where your loved one went missing. We have met a great deal of lifelong friends in Pueblo, a city we never knew, because of Kelsie's disappearance. There are good people across the globe that are willing to lend a helping hand.

• Consider hiring a private investigator or specialist in missing persons, if you feel as if you need to supplement police work. We asked for recommendations and then met with candidates accordingly. Keep in mind that these services can get very expensive very quickly.

• Build a website to provide information about the missing person. (We used Wix.com, which is fairly intuitive and offers video tutorials. And although we cannot build a custom website for every missing person, we have provided step-by-step instructions for families in the past.)

• Put up billboards in the area where you believe the person was last seen. We worked with Lamar Advertising and they were simply amazing. They understood our plight and were very helpful.

• Send a print mailer to the area where the person last went missing. We used a print-and-mail service to target homes around where Kelsie was last thought to be.

• Register with missing persons websites. Namus.gov is a key national resource for missing people.

• Hold events, rallies, balloon releases, etc. to help to fundraise and spread awareness of the missing person’s disappearance. The events can be empowering. (Click here to see some of our awareness and advocacy efforts.)

• Host a prayer vigil and have masses dedicated to honor the missing person. We were overwhelmed with the amount of support we received from church groups.

• Attend a retreat to connect with other missing persons. (Laura, Kelsie’s mom, has attended Project Jason Keys to Healing in the past.)

 

Not every tip and tactic above will apply to every family’s situation, we understand, but we will continue to log our findings as we share our struggles. Our best wishes to each and every one of you. Send an email. Message us personally. We are here for you.

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Our blessings and our love to you and yours.