Family dog saves baby's life, family cat conspicuously absent

A family dog helps keep a missing 22-month-old warm until rescuers can find them, S.C. authorities say.

Where is Josh Hancock?

Linn County authorities are looking for a missing man, Josh Hancock, who was last seen Aug. 6 at the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe, Fox 4 reports. I'm sorry, I don't have an image yet of Josh, though his picture can be seen briefly in Fox 4's piece.

MISSING: Virginia Wempe

UPDATED: She's been found, and she's OK.

PREVIOUSLY: Sorry for the delay, just saw this one in my email inbox. It was issued shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday.

From KCPD: Police are seeking help in locating a missing, possibly endangered, 83-year-old woman. Virginia Wempe, wf, 5-20-1927, was last seen this morning driving a light blue Lincoln Town car, Missouri license #SF5-E7Y, for 2011.

All's well that ends well

I found these two messages from KCPD in my email this morning. The first ...

This evening at 7p.m., 78-year-old Helen McGlothen walked away from the Plaza Manor care facility located at 4330 Washington Street, and police are asking for the public's help with attempting to locate her. She is described as a light-skinned black female with grey-braided hair wearing a green and white blouse. She suffers from Alzheimer's and is not familiar with the neighborhood. Police and family members are in the area searching for her. If she is located please call the Central Patrol Division Station at 816.234.5510 or the TIPS Hotline.

Then, a little while later ...

At approximately 1 a.m., Helen was found hiding in another patient's room. Thank you for your assistance.

MISSING: Lawrence Schnackenberg Jr.

Lenexa police are trying to find Lawrence E. Schnackenberg Jr., a 58-year-old man who was last seen about noon Thursday. His car was found abandoned in a city park. If you've seen him, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (474-8477) or the Lenexa police at 913-477-7301.

New developments in Kyron Horman case

We've written a little about the disappearance of Kyron Horman, a 7-year-old whose disappearance has made big news in Oregon. The boy was last seen inside his elementary school on June 4, and despite a major search and investigation, there's been no sign of him since. His father has just filed for divorce from Kyron's stepmom, who was one of the last people to see the boy. Keep in mind, the stepmom is NOT a suspect at this point, and hasn't even been listed as a person of interest. The Oregonian has more here.

FILE -- In a June 11, 2010 file photo Terri Horman and Kaine Horman, the father of missing 7-year-old Kyron Horman, stand together at a press conference at Brooks Hill Historical church in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens/file)

Former priest's body found in lake

Police are trying to find Bruce Rahtjen, a former Episcopal priest from Kansas City who disappeared while fishing near Topeka. Rahtjen is 77 years old and had fished in that area for several years. He was reported missing Sunday, and the search continued through Monday. Joel Walsh has more about his disappearance here.

UPDATE: Rahtjen's body was found this morning in the water. Police are investigating the cause of death, but don't believe foul play was involved.

Where are Nina's parents?

UPDATE NO. 2: Police now say they do plan to cite the girl's family, which has a history with child services.

UPDATE FROM KCPD: The child’s parents have been located at a residence in the 6400 block of East 12^th Street. Her father states she must have gone outside to play while he was sleeping. He contacted police when he searched and couldn’t find her. No charges will be filed at this time.

Just released by Kansas City police: 

Today at approximately 8:30am, a toddler girl was dropped off at the KCPD service station, 1245 Prospect Avenue, by a citizen who found her walking alone near Independence Avenue and Wilson. Police are in the area but have not located the child’s home/parents. She is believed to be approximately 2 1/2yrs old and says her name is Nina. She was found wearing purple pants with no shirt or shoes. She appears to be in good condition but was transported to a local hospital for a check-up. Her photo is attached.

Anyone with information in regard to the child’s identity is urged to call the East Patrol Division at 816.234.5530 or the TIPS Hotline at 816.474.8477.   

| Sara Shepherd

MISSING: Luke Stevens

From Joe Lambe: Luke Stevens left his home in Tonganoxie on May 26, and for some reason drove his father’s pickup truck instead of his own car. The truck was found parked at a boat ramp at Longview Lake on June 2, and now police on both sides of the state line are looking for the missing 23-year-old man.

His mother, Joyce Stevens of Kansas City, said the last known contact with her son was an e-mail he sent the day he disappeared. It was to a girlfriend he had broken up with a week before.

Still no sign of missing Oregon boy

Oregon police are now treating the disappearance of Kyron Horman, a missing 7-year-old, as a criminal case, though the Multnomah County sheriff stopped short of calling it a kidnapping. The boy was last seen June 4 at his elementary school, after his stepmother and he had stopped to look at his science-fair project on red-eyed tree frogs. Searchers have been canvassing a two-mile radius around the school, which is surrounded by woods.

Kaine Horman, the father of missing 7-year-old Kyron Horman, makes a statement to reporters at Brooks Hill Historical church across from Skyline Elementary School in Portland, Ore., Friday June 11, 2010. Behind him at left are Kyron's stepfather Tony Young, his mother Desiree Young, and stepmother Terri Horman. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

Missing OP teen, stepdad located

In San Diego, police have found a missing Overland Park teenager and her stepfather, Patrick Porter, at SeaWorld's Dolphin Encounter attraction. Porter, meanwhile, is facing a federal criminal charge back in Kansas.

UPDATED: The wife of an Overland Park man arrested in California on Wednesday has been charged with obstructing justice and other counts related to his case.

Barbara Porter, 44, was also charged Wednesday with harboring a fugitive and aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activities.

Oregon boy apparently disappears from school

In Oregon, one of the big cases right now is the disappearance of 7-year-old Kyron Horman. His stepmother says she last saw him walking down the hall to his classroom on Friday morning, but he never got there. (He wasn't reported missing until afternoon, after he didn't come home.) Police are trying to figure out how the boy was able to apparently disappear from inside his own school. Investigators are interviewing other children, as well as their parents. The Oregonian has more about the case here.

Police seek missing OP girl

Overland Park police are trying to find 16-year-old Jordan McKenzie Stuart, who is believed to be with her stepfather, Patrick Neal Porter, age 39. The girl is 5 feet 5, 120 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair. She might be wearing a sweatshirt, shorts and flip-flops. She was last Thursday at 10:30 p.m. Porter, meanwhile is 5 feet 8 and 210 pounds.

They are driving a white 2003 Ford Expedition with Kansas University Specialty License Plate 19450. The license plate has a KU Jayhawk on the left side. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the Overland Park Police Department at 913-895-6300.

MISSING: Genaro I. Garcia-Uranga

KCPD is trying to find Genaro I. Garcia-Uranga, whose family hasn't seen him in weeks. He's a Hispanic man, 26 years old. He is 5 feet 7 and about 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen about 11 a.m. on May 13, in the 6200 block of East 16th Street. His car was found was found June 1 in the 100 block of North White. If you've seen him, please call the police department's Missing Persons unit at 816-234-5136.

Facebook helps find missing kids

A woman from southern California used Facebook to find her son and daughter, who were abducted 15 years ago by their father, police told the AP. The children, now teenagers, are in state custody in Florida. Their father is facing criminal charges.

MISSING: Jerry Cooper Jr.

Kansas City police are looking for Jerry R. Cooper Jr., a 24-year-old man who was last seen Tuesday in the 2300 block of East 63rd Street. Police say Cooper is bipolar and might be suicidal. He was wearing an orange-red shirt, a red Yankees baseball cap and jean shorts. If you've seen him, please call the department's missing-person desk at 816-234-5136.

MISSING: Billy Ray Knight

From Meredith Rodriguez: Bill Ray Knight has not been seen since May 22. He left behind his cell phone, dog and dentures. Police today asked for the public’s help in finding the 57-year-old Belton man and his white Buick Park Avenue. It was a 1992 model with a bent antenna, his family said in a Facebook page called “Find Bill Knight.”

MISSING: Roberta 'Susan' Knipp

Riverside police are trying to find Roberta "Susan" Knipp, a Riverside woman reported missing about 8 this morning from the 2700 block of Northwest Vivion Road. She might have gotten lost because of symptoms related to Alzheimer's disease.

She's about 5 foot 2 and 140 pounds with blue eyes. Knipp might be driving a 1997 red Chrysler Town & Country minivan with Missouri plates reading YD7X0V. She was last spotted headed east on Vivion. If you see her, please call Riverside police at 816-741-1191.

UPDATED: She's been found!

Missing girl found 2 years later in Mich.

In Michigan, police have located a missing 7-year-old girl, Mystic Salazar, who was allegedly abducted by her biological dad two years ago. The girl is originally from Colorado.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, onetime!

MISSING: Wilber A. Smith

From Meredith Rodriguez: A man who suffers from dementia went missing from his Overland Park home Tuesday morning. Wilber A. Smith, 71, was last seen at 9 a.m. He was last known to be driving a burgundy 2003 Chevrolet S-10 pickup with Kansas tags WMH 286. The pickup has a damaged driver’s side mirror.

Smith may have been wearing a T-shirt and either tan pants or blue jeans.Anyone with information on Smith’s whereabouts is asked to call the Overland Park Police Department at 913-895-6300.

Shon Pernice accused of wife's murder

Clay County has accused Shon Pernice of killing his wife, Renee, who went missing in early January 2009. At a press conference this afternoon, prosecutor Dan White said that Pernice was indicted after a three-month grand jury process. Bond was set at $1 million.

Renee's remains have not been found -- something that might complicate the prosecution, though there have been convictions despite the absence of a body. The prosecutor did not say what evidence was presented to help indict Shon Pernice.

The 35-year-old mother had worked as a nurse in the St. Luke's system and had just started teaching when she went missing. In February 2009, the county prosecutor had said that it was unlikely that Renee Pernice was still alive, though he declined to say what led him to that conclusion.

Renee Pernice had begun divorce proceedings shortly before she disappeared. At last report, a $25,000 reward was being offered in her case. At the press conference, her father says that reward is still available for anyone who helps leads them to her body.

Before today's announcement, Shon Pernice, who worked as a paramedic for Independence Fire, was already facing criminal charges unrelated to his wife. He was accused of stealing a neighbor's gun in late January 2009, and then was charged with witness tampering and child endangerment related to a July 4 incident. He pleaded not guilty. According to Case.Net, he's supposed to stand trial in those cases in July and October.

There's a MySpace page devoted to the case here.

MISSING: Doris Jane Reese

From Dawn Bormann: Lenexa police are asking for help locating an 86-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s who was last seen around midnight Sunday.

Doris Jane Reese left her home in Lenexa about midnight. She was driving to visit a relative at Shawnee Mission Medical Center but never arrived.

Reese is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, 140 pounds with gray hair and green eyes. She was driving a maroon or dark red 1996 Buick Park Avenue with Kansas license plate 177 ADZ. If you have seen her, immediately call local police or Lenexa police at 913-477-7301.

More missing persons are elderly

When police are called to search for someone, they're usually looking for a child or a teenager, but that's starting to change, the New York Times reports. Authorities are seeing more cases where elderly people, suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, have wandered off. As society as a whole ages, it's going to be a bigger problem.

It's one reason why so many states have adopted "silver alerts," a type of Amber Alert for missing adults. I've lost count of how many missing seniors have made the news here in Kansas City.

What's interesting is that different "rules" apply to people with dementia, and that's requiring new training for police. For one thing, these missing people tend to be paranoid about authority, so they'll actively hide, whereas a missing child or hiker will sing out if they hear someone calling their name.

Wanderers often follow fence or power lines, and tend to be drawn toward water, Virginia state rescue officials said, bound on a mission that only they — and sometimes perhaps not even they — can imagine. (A search trick: try to figure what door they exited from, then concentrate first in that direction. But don’t bother calling out the person’s name, which he or she has often forgotten.)

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

New $50K reward in Kopetsky case

It's been three years since Belton teen Kara Kopetsky disappeared, and the FBI and Belton police have announced a $50,000 reward for information in her case. (That's on top of the $30,000 reward already being offered.)

Today through Thursday, they're going to man a 24-hour command post to take tips from the public. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (474-8477), the Belton Police Department at (816) 331-3500 or the FBI at (816) 512-8200.

Here's a site dedicated to finding Kopetsky.

About a month ago, police searched a field near U.S. 71 and 155th Street in connection with Kara's case, but they reported no discoveries.

One of the best articles about Kopetsky's disappearance was written by Lisa Gutierrez, and it's available here as a Word document.

CNN had a recent report about the disappearance here.

Missing man found

Here's some good news: William Clark, an elderly man who went missing yesterday, has been located and reunited with his family, Blue Springs police report.