If you’re the type of individual that consistently keeps up with the news, you’ll have likely heard of Carlie Trent. The missing 9-year-old Tennessee girl was recently found safe. The news is finally good for a change. The girl’s uncle, Gary Simpson, was taken into custody. So, even though it is difficult to sympathize with Simpson, nobody was harmed. Of course, this is simply one good news store. Countless others remain missing within the state of Maryland and will likely never be found. In order to shed light on some of these missing children, some of their cases will be explored below.
To assist law enforcement agencies throughout the United States find missing and exploited children, the FBI developed the National Crime Information Center File. This instrumental tool has proven to be a very valuable asset, since its launch in 1975. In order to qualify for name placement on the file, missing persons must meet certain criteria.
- Diagnosed with a mental or physical disability
- Must show signs of being an endangered missing person
- Missing, following a major catastrophe
- Juvenile (20 years of age and under)
- 21 Years of age and older, with signs of being in imminent danger
It was reported that on December 31, 2013, 84,136 names were listed in the file. These records were still active, meaning that law enforcement agencies were still actively looking for these individuals. Out of the 84,136 missing persons, 33,849 were classified as juveniles 18 years old and younger and 9,706 between 18-20 years of age.
Armanda Anderson is a 17-year-old female, who went missing from Baltimore, Maryland, in October of 2015. It is suspected that the girl could be in Rosedale or may have remained in the Baltimore area. Authorities also believe that Armanda may be in need of medical attention. Armanda’s case has been labeled as an endangered runaway. Unfortunately, it has gained very little, if any, media attention.
Kira Byrd is yet another 17-year-old female, who went missing from Maryland. Kira was last seen in Germantown, Maryland on May the 11th of 2016. She was last seen wearing sandals, black pants and a blue and white jacket. She was also believed to have been carrying a brown bag. And once again, Kira has yet to receive any local or national media coverage.
Nyree Calhoun disappeared on March the 19th of 2016. She was last seen in the Gaithersburg area of Montgomery County, Maryland. During the time of her disappearance, she was wearing a black hoody, black leggings and black sneakers. She is 15 years old and weighs 140 pounds. Sadly, the girl has no missing page dedicated in her honor and the media has remained silent.
Of course, not all missing people are young. Anyone can go missing and that includes the elderly. On April the 8th of 2013, George Powell Sr. was last seen after leaving the Saint Thomas More Nursing Home in Hyattsville. At the time, Powell was 70 years old and was suffering from dementia. He was last seen wearing an Obama t-shirt and is believed to be in the nearby area. He could also be in Morningside Maryland.
On June 27, 2015, Milvian Reyes-Villatoro and her three sons were reported missing in Prince George’s County Maryland. Thanks to the efforts of the local police department and family quick response to the missing report, mother and children were found safe.
If any of these individuals are familiar, you should be sure to contact your local law enforcement office immediately. Remember that many missing people are miraculously found at many years.