Have you ever, or would you ever, conduct your own investigation into one of the Missing Persons/Probable Murder cases featured on UM? I mean an actual investigation--going to the area of the crime and trying to uncover any leads you could?

Also, totally off topic, but I was reading the 3 Springfield women thread and I have to wonder: Why was Missouri (and the Midwest in general) such a hotbed of murders and suspicious disappearances in the late 80s-early 90s?

Have you ever, or would you ever, conduct your own investigation into one of the Missing Persons/Probable Murder cases featured on UM? I mean an actual investigation--going to the area of the crime and trying to uncover any leads you could?

Also, totally off topic, but I was reading the 3 Springfield women thread and I have to wonder: Why was Missouri (and the Midwest in general) such a hotbed of murders and suspicious disappearances in the late 80s-early 90s?

There was one particular case that was featured on both UM and Forensic Files in which a private civilian did his own little investigation to help police and he ended up finding some evidence that had it not been found, the case might have turned cold.

October 1989. Dan Short was a bank president located in Noel, Missouri and was kidnapped, forced to go into his bank to steal money for the kidnappers, then he was duct-taped to a chair with a chain weight attached to it, then thrown over a bridge and into a river where he drowned. A civilian decided to search the side of the river for any clues, and found a small piece of duct tape which he sent to the police, and when it was analyzed, the killers' fingerprints were found on it.

Joe Agofsky and his brother Shannon (yeah, apparently it is also a guy's name lol) were both sentenced to life in prison. Shannon was sentenced to death a few years ago after killing a fellow inmate.

With a case like this, I certainly would conduct an investigation of my own if I could. Considering how busy police are nowadays, they don't have enough time to handle all their cold cases. Plus, civilians think from a different perspective, which is actually very helpful in solving crimes.

I'm sure some would if not for the danger that would be involved. And if we actually had some damn time on our hands.