More than 600,000 men, women and children are reported missing in the United States each year.
Please take a few moments to read the stories of this week's missing people. If you recognize one of them, help end a family's uncertainty by contacting the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Typically someone, somewhere knows or sees something that could help law enforcement recover a missing person. And whether you realize it or not, that someone could be you.
Chad Cookson
WTNH.com reports that Connecticut police are trying to locate Chad Cookson. The 44-year-old from Naugatuck was last heard from on Aug. 22, when he spoke with his son by telephone. Cookson's son told police his father was depressed because of the recent death of his mother. Cookson is described as 250 pounds and 5 feet 10 inches tall. He has brown hair and brown eyes. His vehicle, a red 2001 Pontiac Montana, with license plate 705-FET, is also missing. Anyone with information on Chad Cookson's whereabouts is asked to contact the Naugatuck Police Department at (203) 729-5221.
Abigail Hernandez
Abigail Hernandez, 14, of Conway, N.H., was last heard from on the afternoon of Oct. 9, when she left Kennett High School. When she was reported missing, authorities used a K-9 search dog to track Hernandez's scent from the school to her Village Way home. Where the teen went thereafter is unknown. Hernandez is described as 118 pounds and 5 feet 4 inches tall. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and black yoga stretch pants. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Conway Police Department at (603) 356-5717.
Jeremy A. Lopez
Jeremy Lopez, 11, of Cleveland, was last seen on Oct. 10, when he left Clark Elementary School with Nehemias Lopez, his noncustodial father. According to police, Nehemias Lopez, 43, did not have permission to take his son. Investigators believe they may be heading to Cincinnati. Jeremy Lopez is described as 4 feet tall and 100 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray sweater with black sleeves. Nehemias Lopez is 5 feet 4 inches tall and 130 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark sweater and jeans. Authorities said he could be driving a dark blue four-door vehicle. Anyone with information about the pair's whereabouts is asked to contact the Cleveland Police Department at (216) 623-5200.
Diane Miller
Authorities in Clayton County, Ga., are seeking the public's help in locating 58-year-old Diane Miller. According to WXIA-TV Atlanta, Miller was last seen leaving her home on Sept. 29. Her caregiver reported her missing on Oct. 9. Authorities said Miller is schizophrenic and suffers from bipolar disorder. Investigators do not believe she has her medicine with her. Authorities have not released a physical description of Miller. She was reportedly last seen wearing a blue/black sweater and black pants. Anyone with information is asked to call the Clayton County Police Department at (678) 878-5642.
Avonte Oquendo
Avonte Oquendo, 14, of Rego Park, N.Y., has been missing since Oct. 4. The teen was last seen leaving Riverview School, at 1-50 51st Ave. According to the New York Police Department, Oquendo is autistic and cannot speak. Authorities have distributed flyers and conducted several searches, but have yet to find any sign of the missing teen. Oquendo is described as 5 feet 3 inches tall and 125 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray striped shirt, black jeans and black sneakers. The law firm Mayerson and Associates is offering a $5,000 reward for the safe return of the teen. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
Regina Camille Riley
Twenty-year-old Regina Riley, of Long Beach, Miss., was last seen in the Delisle area on Sept. 27. According to police, Riley has asthma and does not have her medication. No further details on her disappearance have been released. The missing woman is described as 200 pounds and 5 feet 8 inches tall. She has two fleur de lis tattoos on her upper chest. Anyone with information is asked to call the Long Beach Police Department at (228) 863-7292.
Cierra Cheyenne Swodeck
Oct. 6 was the last time family members saw 17-year-old Cierra Swodeck, of Russell County, Kan. According to the Russell County Sheriff's Office, they have received unconfirmed leads indicating Swodeck could be in Missouri. She is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 110 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black vest, gray shirt and black pants. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's office (785) 483-2151.
Daphne Viola Webb
Authorities in California are investigating the disappearance of 1-year-old Daphne Webb. According to police, Webb was last seen on July. 10, when she was abducted by a stranger in East Oakland while sitting in a parked car with her 87-year-old grandmother. The child is described as 30 pounds and 2 feet tall. She has curly black hair and a deformity in her left ear. Webb was last seen wearing orange two-piece pajamas with pink hearts. A $20,000 reward is being offered for information that helps to locate her. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department at (510) 238-3641.
Melissa Wetzel
Authorities in Washington County, Md., are trying to locate 25-year-old Melissa Wetzel. According to Your4state.com, she was last seen on Oct. 10 leaving a Hagerstown house in a 2008 white Hyundai with Maryland license plate 6FKW69. Authorities have not released any further information on her disappearance. Anyone with information about Wetzel's whereabouts is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriff's Office at (240) 313-2100.
COLD CASE OF THE WEEK:
Corrie Anderson
Corrie Anderson, of Busti, N.Y., has been missing since the afternoon of Oct. 28, 2008. According to New York State Police, Anderson was last seen when she visited her boyfriend, Mike Samuelson, at the Lake County Dodge dealership in Jamestown. Items later found at Anderson's house suggest she made it home prior to her disappearance. Family members reported her missing later that day. On Oct. 30, 2008, a hunter discovered Anderson's 2005 Dodge Caravan abandoned in a field approximately 2 miles from her home. In 2012, authorities named Anderson's estranged husband, Ken Anderson, a "person of interest" in the case. At the time of her disappearance, Corrie Anderson was 26 years old, 5 feet 11 inches, 170 pounds, with green eyes and blond hair. She was last seen wearing black corduroy pants, a black leather jacket and small wire-rimmed glasses. Anderson's keys and purse are also missing. Her purse is described as black, 8-inch square, with a G.H. Bass & Company logo. Her family has set up a website devoted to the case, which can be found at www.findcorrie.com. Anyone with information regarding Anderson's disappearance is asked to call New York State Police at (716) 665-3113.
Each and every missing person, regardless of age, race, gender and circumstance, deserves to be found. Please join us in our campaign to raise awareness by sharing the link to this story on your social media accounts.
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