INDIANAPOLIS — Missing persons cases are tough on family, friends, and their community. When those cases hit the desk of detectives, they know it’s going to be a tricky case to solve.
Every case is unique and requires a unique approach, says Commander Matthew Thomas with Indianapolis Metro Police.
On Tuesday night, IMPD were on the southwest side of Indianapolis, searching for Kyle Moorman and his three children, who’d been missing since last week. They were found dead at a nearby lake. The Marion County Coroner’s Office confirmed their identities Wednesday.
IMPD held a media briefing on missing persons cases Wednesday. Prior to Wednesday’s media briefing, IMPD stated it would not accept questions about the Moorman family.
As for missing persons investigations, Commander Thomas says the most valuable information that you can give detectives is accurate information. That’s locations, descriptions, motivations – anything that can be proven and help lead investigators down the right path.
Commander Thomas says one obstacle detectives face is the time frame of a person’s disappearance and the actual missing persons report. If someone is driving a car, they could be out of the state or halfway across the country, says Thomas. Another tricky case is when someone has went missing on purpose.
“There are some circumstances where someone goes missing and doesn’t want to be found,” says Thomas, “and in those case, that person has a right to privacy. We have to respect that. So we may not be able to provide as much information about a location once that person is found.”
You can hear the full interview with Commander Thomas below:
