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Missing Children - How Does A Child Disappear Without A Trace

How does a child disappear without a trace? How does no one see a child abducted by a stranger just a few feet from home? How does no one recognize a child missing for years living in an apartment complex less than an hour from his family? How is a missing child playing out in the open, talking to neighbors in the complex, reporting a stolen bike to police, while his parents constantly remind everyone that he is missing, and no one recognizes him?

In a miracle or a misfortune a missing child lives in a community barely an hour away from the spot of his abduction. How many other abducted children have we passed by in our hurried lifestyles, in a store, at our child’s school or on the street? How many children look familiar, yet we cannot place in our mind what it is that draws us to look at them a second time?

Ben Ownby got off his school bus, to walk home 500 feet, where his dad would meet him everyday at 4:15 p.m. Before he got home, he disappeared, and no one saw his abduction. An observant young man, and friend of Ben’s, who had ridden the same school bus, noticed a speeding white truck passing his car on the road. Mitchell Hults had never seen that truck around the area, took notice of the make, model, and other important details. Later when Ben’s father called Mitchell asking if Ben rode the bus home from school, Mitchell’s instinct told him something was wrong and it had to do with that truck. Ben was a victim of abduction.

In November 18, 1993, nine-year-old, Angie Houseman rode her school bus home to her bus stop in Saint Ann Missouri. Angie only had to walk past eight houses to get home, yet she disappeared with out a trace. How does a nine-year-old young woman disappear in daylight in a suburban neighborhood without anyone seeing anything suspicious before, during, or after her kidnapping? A deer hunter found her body nine days later, in the August A. Busch Wildlife Preserve, tied to a tree, her clothes and backpack nearby. Angie had died slowly of exposure. According to law enforcement, her captor tortured Angie for a week sexually, before letting her die in the woods.

How does a child killer remain free for 13 years? Someone somewhere knows the sick sadistic person that killed Angie. He likely has bragged or talked to others about what he has done. Perhaps he has spoken to others about Angie’s murder in the form of a fantasy. Speaking about what he would like to do to a child when in reality he has already carried out every detail of which he speaks in person or online. If anyone knows who the killer is or knows of someone who has said these kinds of things perhaps in a fantasy chat room online please contact the Saint Louis Missouri Major Case Squad or FBI.

How does a nine-year-old boy vanish when walking in his neighborhood at dinnertime and no one noticed? Scott Kleeschulte rode his bus home from Coverdale Elementary School June 8, 1988 around 3:30 p.m.; it was the last day of school. He went out to ride his bike when a short time later a thunderstorm hit the area, resulting in some flash flooding in the area. Scott could have fallen into a storm sewer as one theory suggests, yet a neighbor saw him after the storm walking at West Adams Street and Ken Drive. The theory police and his parents believe happened that day is that someone abducted Scott.

Peggy and Richard Kleeschulte still live in the same home Scott left on June 8, 1988. They want to know what happened to Scott that last day of school. With the recent discovery of two missing Missouri boys found in a Kirkwood Missouri apartment of a local man named Michael Devlin, they wonder if they might get some answers soon. Michael Devlin would have been twenty-three years old when their son disappeared, and they wonder if there is a connection.

Charles Arlin Henderson disappeared in Moscow Mills Missouri July 25, 1991, while riding his bike around 5:30 p.m. In Missouri, Moscow Mills is farm country. Although Arlin lived out in the country, he also lived in a trailer park, and there are many people in a trailer park. How did no one see anything?
There are likenesses between multiple kidnappings in Missouri of other children, including Arlin Henderson, and these abductions are under investigation to see if there are any connections to Michael Devlin.

If you have any information about any missing child please call your local police or FBI. If you believe you have information that would help solve a missing child case or a child murder case, please call your local police or FBI, regardless of how significant you feel the information may be. You may remain anonymous when reporting a tip to police, especially if you fear revenge for reporting your information.

Please look closely at the children you interact with daily. If you feel something is not right, then follow your instinct and check it out. Call the police, or go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children [NCMEC] www.missingkids.com and do a search for a missing child fitting the child’s description. You can ask the child their name and if anyone is hurting them or took them away from their family. For more information on a missing children please go to the missingkids.com or AMW.com websites and type in the missing child’s name and you will find up-to-date information about that child’s case.

Until next time I send angels to all the children in need...Angels above you, Angels below you, Angels all around you~ To keep you safe~


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Content copyright © 2013 by Erika Lyn Smith. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Erika Lyn Smith. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Erika Lyn Smith for details.



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