Michelle Malkin » Praying for Marizela: Month 5

Praying for Marizela: Month 5

By Michelle Malkin • August 5, 2011 06:09 PM

Five months ago today, my 18-year-old cousin Marizela Perez vanished from the University District in Seattle near the campus of the University of Washington, where she was a freshman.

The police have made no new progress in her missing persons case. Since I last updated you in July, we’ve had no new leads or breaks — and there still has been no sign or word from Marizela.

We thank everyone around the country who continues to keep their eyes and ears open — and everyone who continues to keep Marizela and her parents in their thoughts and prayers.

I want to call attention again to the NAMUS database as an invaluable yet underutilized tool for families of the missing and law enforcement agencies:

Families with missing loved ones have had few places to turn in their quest for answers, until now. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in partnership with the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC) have developed the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) — a searchable database that can provide families with hands-on access to a national database of records related to missing and unidentified persons.

Launched in January 2009, NamUs (www.namus.gov) serves as a national repository for information on missing persons and unidentified remains. It is designed to facilitate the work of the diverse community of individuals and organizations who investigate missing and unidentified persons and crosses borders of states, counties, municipalities and precincts. The system reaches between different law enforcement professions and allows the general public to become actively involved.

NamUs Facts

* Nationwide, there are an estimated 100,000 active missing persons cases and more than 40,000 sets of human remains that have not been identified.

* The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a free web-based tool — accessible to everyone, but geared to families of missing persons, law enforcement, medical examiners/coroners and victim advocates — to assist in solving of missing and unidentified persons cases in the United States.

* Data regarding missing persons can be entered in NamUs by law enforcement professionals, missing persons clearinghouses and the general public.

* Anyone can access the NamUs system to search or track cases, print missing persons posters, find resources and even map out travel routes in an effort to locate a missing person.

* The system searches for potential matches between missing and unidentified cases. Potential matches are presented to law enforcement case managers for closer review.

As this recent Washington Post piece on missing persons and their families spotlights, the agony of unsolved cases is shared by so, so many:

Despite a handful of high-profile cases, few of those who are desperately being searched for by police and despondent family members ever make headlines.

There are just so many of them — every year, hundreds of thousands simply disappear. According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, last year there were 692,944 new reports of individuals who were missing and not assumed to be gone by their own choice. These people, for instance, might have a mental or physical disability, or the circumstances under which they disappeared indicate that they were in physical danger, or there is a reasonable concern for their safety. Those younger than 21 are automatically counted as missing regardless of whether their absence is voluntary or not.

Approximately 51 percent of those reported missing in 2010 are female, 60 percent white or Hispanic and 33 percent African-American, roughly mirroring the U.S. population, though almost 80 percent of the missing are younger than 18.

If it seems like nearly 700,000 missing people in one year is a lot, it is. And these are just the cases that are reported to the federal clearinghouse.

They may be gone — but they are never, ever, ever forgotten by the loved ones who continue to search, hope, pray, and yearn for their return.

Emem: You are so loved. Dear Lord, bring her home.

***

Missing persons flyer and background information at www.findmarizela.com

Donations and tribute bracelet information here.

Lahat ay magiging maayos. (“All will be well” or “Everything’s going to be okay.”)

~ For the latest breaking news, be sure to join Michelle's e-mail list ~

Posted in: Marizela

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Comments

#1

On August 5th, 2011 at 6:11 pm, spaceycakes said:

please come home.
#2

On August 5th, 2011 at 6:16 pm, happyscrapper said:

Michelle…No matter where Marizela is right now, I know that God has her in His loving arms. I pray that she will come walking in the door one day. If not, I pray you and your family will find the answers you need and will have peace.
#3

On August 5th, 2011 at 6:22 pm, AlohaGuy said:

The police have made no new progress in her missing persons case

(sigh)

The NAMUS database sounds like a great idea.
#4

On August 5th, 2011 at 6:25 pm, letget said:

Michelle and the family of Marizela, please know that numerous times a day I pray for her. Even when I wake up at night and can’t sleep, I talk to God about all those I as Him to be with. God knows what happened and He has her in His arms whatever the outcome.
L
#5

On August 5th, 2011 at 6:34 pm, T-Bone said:

Wow, 40,000 unidentified remains. So many bigger issues in life than we realize.

Praying for a safe return.
#6

On August 5th, 2011 at 6:47 pm, bjc said:

*I continue to lift her up in my thoughts and prayers; Her safe return would be the most welcome news this year for all of us that feel close to MM through this blog and know she is most deserving of a positive outcome.
*Lord, hear our prayers!!!
#7

On August 5th, 2011 at 7:02 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

(sigh) Seems like forever. Marizela please come home.
#8

On August 5th, 2011 at 7:29 pm, zorro said:

I am praying every day for Marizela, your family and all those who are missing.

All I can say is trust in God.
#9

On August 5th, 2011 at 7:33 pm, TigerLady said:

Every time I see her face on the right side of the screen on your blog I say a little prayer that she is safe and will come home. I know she is in God’s hands, too and hopefully you will be reunited with her soon.

We Missourians know that there is always hope. I remember back in 2002, I believed Shawn Hornbeck to be dead after he disappeared from his home in Washington County, Missouri. The night it was announced on the news that he had been found, 4 years later, I felt humbled, realizing that my faith was so small.

I will continue praying for Em and know God will hear our prayers.
#10

On August 5th, 2011 at 7:34 pm, backwoods conservative said:

Words fail me when I try to express the sadness I feel knowing she has been gone from you for so long. I’m still hoping that somehow, some way you will find a happy ending.
#11

On August 5th, 2011 at 7:35 pm, SignPainterGuy said:

Marizella is not forgotten ! Still praying, still hopeful, still confident !
#12

On August 5th, 2011 at 7:39 pm, Lindsay said:

I still pray for Marizela each time I see her photo for her return.
#13

On August 5th, 2011 at 8:06 pm, redgypsy said:

I, too, am still praying for her. God bless her and keep her; and her family.
#14

On August 5th, 2011 at 8:38 pm, Barred said:

So heartbreaking. You know that you have to go on doing your everyday things, but it is always in the back of your mind. Prayers for you and Marizela’s family.
#15

On August 5th, 2011 at 8:40 pm, tre said:

Mark 11:22-23
22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Every morning I say a special Prayer for her.
#16

On August 5th, 2011 at 8:48 pm, Strongbow said:

My heart skipped a beat when the page popped up with Marizela’s picture. I was hoping for a “WE FOUND HER AND SHE’S FINE” post.

I feel strangely connected to this incident. I was in Seattle for the very first time while attending the Emerald City Comic Con when Marizela disappeared. I’m a retired police lieutenant, and I keep wishing I could help more directly (other than my donation to the PayPal fund to continue the search). I wish I had pull with SPD so that I could push unofficially to keep things moving along–but I just don’t know anyone up there.

I’ll keep hoping for a giant banner that takes up the whole page one day when I click on the link to the site proclaiming her safe, sound and with her family again.
#17

On August 5th, 2011 at 9:36 pm, Paratus said:

I pray for her return. I have no idea how painful this is for her and her family, but I do have kids and can only imagine.
#18

On August 5th, 2011 at 10:17 pm, WarEagle82 said:

I continue to pray for you cousin and your family for her safe return. Never lose hope.
#19

On August 6th, 2011 at 8:37 am, JT said:

My family still prays for her and your family.
#20

On August 6th, 2011 at 9:49 am, Roblavett said:

Still praying, still aware.
#21

On August 6th, 2011 at 11:26 am, dan708 said:

Five months already? Every day must be an eternity for you and the rest of her friends and family, MM. Continued prayers for a miracle from eastern PA.
#22

On August 6th, 2011 at 12:34 pm, cbmi said:

I pray for peace and comfort for Marizela and your entire family.
#23

On August 6th, 2011 at 1:48 pm, 1ConcernedMom said:

I keep hoping some day soon you’ll tell us Marizela has been found. I pray for her safe return and for you and family members daily, and I will continue to do so until she is found. Please dear Lord, safely return this lovely young lady to her family.
#24

On August 6th, 2011 at 1:55 pm, Regulus said:

Thank you for keeping those of us who are following this in mind, and informed.
#25

On August 6th, 2011 at 2:43 pm, Sichiban said:

I’m praying for your cousin, Michelle, and trying to keep a positive thought. I tell myself that miracles have happened before, and this might still be one of them.
#26

On August 6th, 2011 at 5:25 pm, yaymm said:

Every day when I turn my computer on Michelle, I go to your website to see if there is anything new on Marizela. Every day I am disappointed to see there is nothing new. Some day there will be an answer. Keep the faith.
#27

On August 7th, 2011 at 1:41 am, Zesty said:

Praying, and sending our love. And still telling people about her. Tre, Mark 11:22 and following is so right on. We remain expectant of good news.
#28

On August 7th, 2011 at 12:43 pm, NotTheMama said:

Those numbers are staggering.

My prayers continue for Marizela.
#29

On August 7th, 2011 at 12:51 pm, sbw999 said:

My continued prayers for Marizela and her family. Sad.
#30

On August 7th, 2011 at 10:12 pm, OneNation said:

Very heartbreaking, I think of what you and your family are dealing with, ofter. Just feel so helpless.
#31

On August 8th, 2011 at 12:10 pm, ITookTheRedPill said:

, last year there were 692,944 new reports of individuals who were missing and not assumed to be gone by their own choice…
If it seems like nearly 700,000 missing people in one year is a lot, it is. And these are just the cases that are reported to the federal clearinghouse.

My gosh. I never knew that that many people went missing every year. Not knowing any better, I would have guessed 1% of that number. Very sobering.

Father God, I pray in the name of your son Jesus Christ for the safe return of Marizela Perez, and for all of those who are currently missing. Please deliver them and us from evil.
#32

On August 9th, 2011 at 9:44 am, changjin89 said:

Miss Marizela is in our prayers here. May the Good Lord have some special temporal mission to prepare her for, and may her dear family be comforted the while.
#33

On August 12th, 2011 at 10:32 pm, OneNation said:

Michelle,

I just sent one son off to college today and another one starts in two weeks. After reading about everything you have gone thru, I have had my sons write down all passwords to ALL internet accounts. I told them to seal them in an envelope. I stated I will respect their privacy but if an emergency arises, those envelope go directly to the authorities (after I xerox, of course.) I think the frustration you have had with getting into Marizela accounts, should be a lesson for all Parents, to have this information, just in case something happens. I think of the struggles you and your family are going thru often, and feel so helpless. Praying for her safe return.