I didn't find out about these until recently. There has been a little discussion about these, but not a whole heck of a lot and it was mostly years and years ago.

in any event, these were 3 specials that were sort of the precursor to UM, called "Missing...Have You Seen This Person?" and were focused solely on missing persons. These were also produced by Cosgrove/Meurer.

They were hosted by Meredith Baxter, whom you may know as Elyse Keaton on Family Ties, one of the most popular shows of the 80's. These specials aired in the mid 80's (I believe '85 and '86) and were at the height of Family Ties' popularity. Meredith has also been a regular on such shows as Family, and The Faculty, and is also well known as a t.v. movie actress. She hosted the specials with her then-husband David.

One of the cases was that of Laura Bradbury, whom was at a camping site with her family. She went into the restrooms with her brother, but she never came out. She was found dead sometime later. Ricky Schroeder was her cousin and appeared on the program. One of my regular trading partners also used to live down the street from her.

I also managed to find a few other cases I think were profiled. I provided links to their Charley Project cases. Unfortunately, these people are still missing to this day.

Cherrie Ann Mahan
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mahan_cherrie.html

Some additional information I was able to find out about Cherrie Ann Mahan: There were reportedly a half dozen or so sightings of her in the immediate area after she disappeared, including one from one of her relatives who didn't know she was missing at the time.

Kim Sue Leggett
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/l/leggett_kim.html

also, an 84 year old woman who disappeared on her way to the supermarket in New York. And a mentally retartded youth who disappeared from 2 friends in the same area. Unfortunately, I don't have any additional information.

If anyone has any additional information about this series, I would love to hear it. I did find out that a good number of the missing people profiled were found not long after, and it may have been for that reason that they got the ball rolling on UM. Something interesting to consider.

I also understand President Reagan appeared on one of the programs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2403232/

The IMDB has it listed as a single one-hour TV special aired April 29, 1985.

thank you, i had seen the imdb page a few days ago. I'm pretty sure there were 3 specials. Imdb does have a tendency to be off on episode counts some times.

Rick Schroeder's cousin was Laura Bradbury. Laura Burbank was killed by David Harry Fisher in 1970.

We had a semi-thread about this several years back...

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=89136&page=2

I would love to see these specials! I have a feeling they're going to be very hard to find. I did find a few more names listed they profiled via some Ebay auctions of press photos of David and Meredith for the show. One is a picture of them holding a photo of missing child Equilla Hodrick. Another shows a picture of them posing with Debbie and Cathy Caruson and their mother Janet Hicks. Apparently Janet Hicks was searching for her daughters and they were reunited right after the broadcast.

Also found these:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19850429&id=v4ZiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mHcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1201,4577805

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-04-29/features/8501260256_1_laura-bradbury-missing-sets

http://articles.latimes.com/1986-04-22/entertainment/ca-1684_1_baby-sitter

wasn't Cherrie on a milk carton once like Etan Patz was? I know I have seen/heard her case before.

wow, great find CD, thanks!

Interestingly, the first special aired on the same night NBC re-ran "Adam", the story of John and Reve Walsh and their son, who was tragically murdered in 1981.

It's amazing the impression this program made on so many of us, as it's been discussed here a few times. I was pretty small when it aired, but I distinctly remembered Meredith Baxter because I adored her as the mom on Family Ties. It may have contributed to my interest in shows like UM.

in with my mail yesterday was a advertisement that featured a "Have you seen me?" missing notice for Cherrie Ann Mahan. I was definitiely surprised -- glad to see some exposure after all these years.

Man I would love to see these surface somewhere although the off chance that somebody recorded them would have to be pretty slim. Then again, I'm still in awe after all these years that someone had the foresight to preserve the early UM specials although in those cases they had several opportunities to record them as all the specials were rebroadcast.

One question I had was how much this show resembled what we would come to know as UM and in reading one of the articles it does seem like it was the prototype for UM with the hallmark reenactments already in place. One article mentions during the course of one special they profiled nine cases which would be extraordinarily high for UM. So I'm guessing that these specials if they ever surface may actually resembled the Farina episodes of UM with more of a fast pace to them when compared to the classic UM we're all familiar with.

It does bring up an interesting question though. Given that UM quickly followed on the heels of these specials, produced by the same creative team and aired on the same network was Meredith Baxter ever even considered as a potential host for UM before they decided to tap veteran actors well versed in crime stopper television shows?

I guessing given that Meredith Baxter was under contract to "Family Ties" at the time, a sitcom that was apparently very stingy about letting it's cast work on outside projects (Michael J. Fox apparently had to quite literally burn the midnight oil in order to shoot "Back To The Future") Baxter probably would've been a no go. However around the same time both Josh Taylor ("Valerie", "Days Of Our Lives") and Deidre Hall ("Days Of Our Lives", "Our House") were pulling double duty working on DOOL as well as their respective nighttime sitcoms. So it wasn't as if it would've been without precedent for an actor to pull double duty.

^Perhaps some of the cases were quicky "special alert" type cases that ran a few minutes, mixed in with longer segments.

Meredith Baxter had been around the block for a while. Plus, this was the first time anything of this nature had been done before, so I don't know how they could find anyone with experience in it.

Deidre Hall was doing Our House in the fall of 86, an hour-long family drama. I recorded the full run of that a few years ago when it was airing on Inspiration, and was pleasantly surprised that they aired the episodes mostly unedited. The episodes were clocking in around 46:30, other networks probably would have hacked it to 40 minutes.

I also have the full run of The Hogan Family and its various aliases. Josh Taylor was an interesting case. He was essentially a non-entity on that show during the Valerie years as she pretty much wanted the show to be about her. (I'm not trying to knock her, especially with her life-threatening condition). He was a pilot, so he was away much of the time. Then when Valerie either quit or was fired (stories vary depending upon who you believe), Sandy Duncan came in and Josh Taylor become more of a figure on the show.

I had just recently learned that they had spent an entire month filming Back to the Future with Eric Stolz as Marty McFly before dropping him for Michael J. Fox. That fact may be well known though.

i remember watching one of the specials when they first i remember one of the stories being about a little girl who went missing after she saw an ice cream truck wwent to get some ice cream and never came back

Man I would love to see these surface somewhere although the off chance that somebody recorded them would have to be pretty slim. Then again, I'm still in awe after all these years that someone had the foresight to preserve the early UM specials although in those cases they had several opportunities to record them as all the specials were rebroadcast.

Every time I see this subject pop up I get excited b/c I think maybe someone has found them. I went looking around the forbidden site and IMDB and didn't come up with any leads.

There was also a crime call-in special hosted by Patrick Duffy (IIRC) that Dave Reichert discussed in his book about the Green River Killer. I never saw it, but I wonder if anyone has video of that special as well.

I also have the full run of The Hogan Family and its various aliases. Josh Taylor was an interesting case. He was essentially a non-entity on that show during the Valerie years as she pretty much wanted the show to be about her. (I'm not trying to knock her, especially with her life-threatening condition). He was a pilot, so he was away much of the time. Then when Valerie either quit or was fired (stories vary depending upon who you believe), Sandy Duncan came in and Josh Taylor become more of a figure on the show.


I've heard a few variations of this over the years. The first being it was a joint decision between Harper and Miller-Boyett to feature Harper exclusively in the series (thus the show being of an eponymous nature). The reason being is the show was supposed to showcase the dynamic of a mother raising three sons virtually on her own which I think was somewhat of a novelty at the time. So instead of making Harper a single mother, they had her husband cast as a pilot which would explain his long sojourns from home.

Second explanation is that DOOL would only allow Josh Taylor to shoot so many episodes of "Valerie" due to his contract with them. Coincidentally around the time that Harper was let go form the series, Taylor's commitments to DOOL ended and he was allowed to fully engage the series at that point.

Every time I see this subject pop up I get excited b/c I think maybe someone has found them. I went looking around the forbidden site and IMDB and didn't come up with any leads.

There was also a crime call-in special hosted by Patrick Duffy (IIRC) that Dave Reichert discussed in his book about the Green River Killer. I never saw it, but I wonder if anyone has video of that special as well.

If you really research into the topic, you'll find there have been a handful of interesting crime stopper shows that have aired over the years. I believe several years ago someone on the forums found evidence of a crime stopper show that was broadcast in the fifties which profiled criminals at large although no word if this show in any way resembled UM as I recall.

If you really research into the topic, you'll find there have been a handful of interesting crime stopper shows that have aired over the years. I believe several years ago someone on the forums found evidence of a crime stopper show that was broadcast in the fifties which profiled criminals at large although no word if this show in any way resembled UM as I recall.

There was a short-lived '50s crime stoppers show called Wanted - and I actually mentioned it elsewhere on this forum. CBS aired Wanted on Thursday nights from October 1955 to January 1956. The narrator was Walter McGraw, who died in 1979.

There was a short-lived '50s crime stoppers show called Wanted - and I actually mentioned it elsewhere on this forum. CBS aired Wanted on Thursday nights from October 1955 to January 1956. The narrator was Walter McGraw, who died in 1979.

Thanks Kane. I would've given credit if I could've actually located the thread where the show was referenced. I doubt any of these shows were preserved but dang would they be interesting to see now. I wonder if the show resulted in the capture of any fugitives? It's really the grandfather of "Unsolved Mysteries", "America's Most Wanted" and any other shows in the genre.

Thanks Kane. I would've given credit if I could've actually located the thread where the show was referenced. I doubt any of these shows were preserved but dang would they be interesting to see now. I wonder if the show resulted in the capture of any fugitives? It's really the grandfather of "Unsolved Mysteries", "America's Most Wanted" and any other shows in the genre.

You're welcome. I initiated a thread about Wanted in the "True Crime Shows" forum a few years ago.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=258737

The series probably led to some captures, but it will take some digging to know for sure. In any case, I think it's fair to say that, despite its short run, Wanted is truly the grandfather of UM and AMW, as well as other shows of their ilk. Since Wanted aired during the early years of television, it seemed that the format was ahead of its time, and I suspect that was why the series didn't last long.

I hadn't heard of the Patrick Duffy special before. I did some research and it aired on 12/7/88 as a 2 hour special. It was estimated more than 100,000 people tried to call in, but only about 10,000 or so got through. The Attorney General of the U.S. at the time appeared during the intro. Patrick Duffy's parents had been killed a couple years previous when they were gunned down by 2 teenagers at the bar they owned in Boulder, MT. While the special was solely focused on the Green River Killer, many people called in with tips regarding many other crimes across the U.S. Curiously, I couldn't find an entry for it on Imdb.

I remember the Meridith Baxter special, and believe it or not, had it on tape. That VHS gave up the ghost a long time ago, unfortunately. :( Somewhere, I also have Americas Search for Missing Children (hosted by Shirley Jones) on tape. It briefly mentioned Michael Henley, among many others. I've moved so many times, I fear it may be lost forever.

I remember the Meridith Baxter special, and believe it or not, had it on tape. That VHS gave up the ghost a long time ago, unfortunately. :( Somewhere, I also have Americas Search for Missing Children (hosted by Shirley Jones) on tape. It briefly mentioned Michael Henley, among many others. I've moved so many times, I fear it may be lost forever.

Oh man, if you could ever find that, I'm sure we could do a trade that I will make well worth your while.

I transferred a good portion of my tapes over to dvd's several years ago, and I know many other people have. Some of those tapes just don't hold up well for very long. It's reassuring to know I have dvd copies that are a little more permanent.

I find all of the news of all these specials from the late 80's fascinating. I can't find hardly anything online about the Shirley Jones special, not even and imdb entry. I did hear a mention about how they wanted it to be a weekly series, but sadly, it didn't come into fruition. I did find a blurb about a show called "National Lost and Found", but not much else. I wonder if there were any other specials like this. Does anybody know of any others?

After a little digging, I can only place 3 people featured on any of the 3 specials...Laura Bradbury (already said, Special 1), Benjamin Studer (found the night it aired when he himself was watching!, Special II), and Equlla Hodrick (still missing, Special II). The other one brought up here I couldn't place which special it was on from newspaper articles. The newspaper descriptions for Special III don't mention any of the cases it would feature, but mention it would have reunions (another classic UM touch).

I've been adding the show to the Wikia since they are basically proto-UM, being Cosgrove.. Going by the newspapers, the 3 specials aired - Apr 29, 1985, Jan 22 1986, and Apr 23, 1986. One of the articles even mentions it features the nearly the same 'disclaimer' as the early UM specials did.

Hopefully one day these will be found. But I've been adding what I can prove since there is nearly no information on them.

EDIT: Found a link to NBC archives that is an interview with Meredith Baxter, in the description, they give the last names of some (all?) of the people featured in Special III:

http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112626137_s43.do

" ROLL CALL FROM MISSING III FEATURES STILLS & SUPERED NAMES OF MISSING PERSONS BURKHAINMER; BYRD; CURTIS; FADEYI; GRICE; GROVES; GUERINO; HARRIS; HUGER; MAIN; MARTINEZ; MCDOUGLE; MORIN; PALANCIA; PROCTOR; SHEEHAN; SLOAN; SPARPANA; WEST; & WESTBERRY."

Also found some NBC publicity photos on ebay that give another set of names for Special #1 - missing daughters Debbie Caruso and her sister Cathy; another article mentions 'Wheaton' sisters that were found thanks to Special #1.

Because of the obscure nature of these specials, I have seriously wondered if any of them were repeated on UM and none of us realized it.

EDIT: Found a link to NBC archives that is an interview with Meredith Baxter, in the description, they give the last names of some (all?) of the people featured in Special III:

http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112626137_s43.do

" ROLL CALL FROM MISSING III FEATURES STILLS & SUPERED NAMES OF MISSING PERSONS BURKHAINMER; BYRD; CURTIS; FADEYI; GRICE; GROVES; GUERINO; HARRIS; HUGER; MAIN; MARTINEZ; MCDOUGLE; MORIN; PALANCIA; PROCTOR; SHEEHAN; SLOAN; SPARPANA; WEST; & WESTBERRY."

Also found some NBC publicity photos on ebay that give another set of names for Special #1 - missing daughters Debbie Caruso and her sister Cathy; another article mentions 'Wheaton' sisters that were found thanks to Special #1.

Because of the obscure nature of these specials, I have seriously wondered if any of them were repeated on UM and none of us realized it.

Those surnames may refer to the following missing persons cases. I wasn't able to find some of them, but the ones I found were:

Byrd = Tracy Ann Byrd, missing since March 7, 1983 from Bensalem, PA http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/byrd_tracy.html

Curtis = Susan Curtis, missing since June 27, 1975 from Provo, UT http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/curtis_susan.html

Grice = Jeremy James Grice, missing since November 21, 1985 from North Augusta, SC http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/grice_jeremy.html

Harris may refer to Diana Lynn Harris, missing since June 7, 1981 from Big Pine Key, FL http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/harris_diana.html or Kelly Jean Harris, missing since August 10, 1984 from Jackson, MI http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/harris_kelly.html (Given the show's apparent focus on missing children, Kelly seems a safer bet than Diana.)

Huger = Jeremiah George Huger, missing since June 25, 1985 from the Bronx, NY http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/huger_jeremiah.html

Martinez = Vicki Martinez, missing since October 14, 1979 from San Antonio, TX http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/martinez_vicki.html

Morin = Nicole Louise Morin, missing since July 30, 1985 from Ontario, Canada http://doenetwork.org/cases/41dfon.html

Sparpana = Danyel Lou Sparpana, missing since November 2, 1985 from West Sacramento, CA http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/sparpana_danyel.html

West, given the time frame and her young age when she vanished, may well be Micki Jo West.

Westberry = Angela Loraine Westberry, missing since December 1, 1984 from Jacksonville, FL http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/westberry_angela.html

I was unable to find anything for the names Burkhainmer, Fadeyi, Groves, Guerino, Main, McDougle, Palancia, Proctor, Sheehan, or Sloan.

Thanks, though before I add any I want to confirm them. Don't want people thinking there were segments on there that weren't. Some could be long solved cases that have no internet presence. Might be more snippets in magazines or newspapers I haven't found. Some of them were needle in a haystack finds.

One of the specials (the first one) also seems to have had a Public Service Announcement from Ronald Reagan. After the president spoke, it showed a roll call (names + pictures) of a bunch of missing people. I am unsure it this was repeated for the later specials, or if the Presidential roll call was considered part of the episode.

i remember watching one of the specials when they first i remember one of the stories being about a little girl who went missing after she saw an ice cream truck wwent to get some ice cream and never came back

That was Equilla Hodrick. I added a page for her awhile back on the Wikia:

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Equilla_Hodrick

Found a press photo for sale showing co-hosts Meredith Baxter and David Birney holding a photo of her, and the ice cream truck is part of Equilla's story.

Sadly, she's never been found.

Also featured (and solved) were the case of missing sisters Deborah and Kathleen Curuso:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-05-02/news/8501260982_1_deborah-caruso-two-little-girls-debbie-caruso

..who were happily found. As was a girl Melisa Klien.

a newspaper article that gives another child carried on Special II: Sarah Pryor:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19860115&id=MhwhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=02IEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1755,6312339

...sadly, she was later found murdered in 1995:

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/article/20110706/News/307069924

The newspaper article also mentioned a Frazier woman is searching for her parents (doesn't give names), and a several other cases but doesn't mention names.

Also found a paper that mentions a segment from Special III (first I have found) - Cherrie Mahan (confirming wiseguy's memory).

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19860314&id=YXIcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0WIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6916,8263318

More information:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19860318&id=-oJIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q24DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6220,4524088

She has never been found

FURTHER EDIT: Confirmed another of wiseguy's memories - this article about special 1 mentions 2 more - Bobby Smith (found just before it aired) and Kim Leggett:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19850419&id=9PQrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AW0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2263,6373294

This article from Deseret News mentions another happy ending from special II, Christopher Fulmer:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19860126&id=Tp8oAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D4QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5590,4078587

and Teresa McDonald was found as result of Special 1:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1345&dat=19850501&id=D1oaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XScEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5349,210116

I added a few pages to this section of the UM Wikia. There are now pages for Laura Bradbury, the Caruso sisters, Melissa Klein, and Kim Leggett. However, I mistakenly added the wrong Teresa McDonald (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mcdonald_teresa.html) to Special #1.

Interestingly, the Teresa McDonald from the Charley Project would still have been an appropriate case for this series.

Thank you very much unsolved1981 and unsolved88 for your tremendous research on this!

I added a few pages to this section of the UM Wikia. There are now pages for Laura Bradbury, the Caruso sisters, Melissa Klein, and Kim Leggett. However, I mistakenly added the wrong Teresa McDonald (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mcdonald_teresa.html) to Special #1.

Interestingly, the Teresa McDonald from the Charley Project would still have been an appropriate case for this series.

Yeah, I just sent you a PM on your Wikia page about that (I am the one who wrote the original Missing article on the site). Happily Teresa McDonald was reunited with her family as a result of the Missing broadcast.

Here's one for you 88 - try and find info on Special #3. All I could find was 3 articles on Cherrie Mahan being featured on it (and one paper showing pictures of the filming). It also described the segment (part of it featured her class singing a song about Cherrie) I could find nothing else on the rest of the special.

Also note that I think some of the cases I found where just part of a rollcall, and did not get fully featured segments. That is the impression I get from some of the articles.

Originally my interest in these specials as proto-UM episodes was because I was hoping there might have been some cases that were reaired on UM, but it doesn't seem like that was the case. Cherrie Mahan's case, with the creepy van following her bus, would have been a good fit for the later series.

A couple of the cases I found that were covered I can find almost no info on, and I assume that they were solved or are incredible obscure. (PM me for names)

I think Special #1 may have been aired twice, at least one of these articles implied it, but I don't know the dates. Other than that they probably haven't been seen since the nights they originally aired.

One of my regular trading partners from yesteryear was kind enough to send me...an episode of Donohue from 1985 on missing children that featured the Janet Hicks and her daughters crystaldawn mentioned on page one of this thread (sorry for the tease, I really do wish the specials would turn up).

Janet had stated that her daughters were found as a direct result of the Missing...Have You Seen This Person broadcast, and that they had gotten many calls from all sorts of people who had known her daughters (principals, postmen, etc). They were abducted by their father. Definitely a poignant moment was when they showed (and I believe this was a clip from one of the missing specials) Janet an artists rendering of how her youngest daughter would look at that time (they had been missing for 8 years) and she cried at the drawing, saying "she's beautiful."

The episode also had quick scans of many missing children, and I'll have to do some research on those. There wasn't anybody that immediately looked familiar, and I'm sort of surprised Etan Patz wasn't on there since he went from missing from New York, where the Donohue show was based, and his case wasn't all that old by that point.

Parts of the show were really off-putting though. You had several idiots in the audience who were more concerned about getting their face on camera than about the missing children. And Donohue kept interrupting Janet Hicks, who was getting visibly annoyed and rightfully so. One time Donohue interrupted her to field a call from some nutty woman who had the nerve and stupidity to ask "don't these women push their husbands to abduct their children?" Thankfully, Janet was there to put her in her place and retorted with "Does somebody push you to steal a car?". Unfortunately, the sound went out about half-way in the show and never came back.

The focus of the show was parental abductions, which constitute the majority of child abductions.

One of my regular trading partners from yesteryear was kind enough to send me...an episode of Donohue from 1985 on missing children that featured the Janet Hicks and her daughters crystaldawn mentioned on page one of this thread (sorry for the tease, I really do wish the specials would turn up).

Janet had stated that her daughters were found as a direct result of the Missing...Have You Seen This Person broadcast, and that they had gotten many calls from all sorts of people who had known her daughters (principals, postmen, etc). They were abducted by their father. Definitely a poignant moment was when they showed (and I believe this was a clip from one of the missing specials) Janet an artists rendering of how her youngest daughter would look at that time (they had been missing for 8 years) and she cried at the drawing, saying "she's beautiful."

The episode also had quick scans of many missing children, and I'll have to do some research on those. There wasn't anybody that immediately looked familiar, and I'm sort of surprised Etan Patz wasn't on there since he went from missing from New York, where the Donohue show was based, and his case wasn't all that old by that point.

Parts of the show were really off-putting though. You had several idiots in the audience who were more concerned about getting their face on camera than about the missing children. And Donohue kept interrupting Janet Hicks, who was getting visibly annoyed and rightfully so. One time Donohue interrupted her to field a call from some nutty woman who had the nerve and stupidity to ask "don't these women push their husbands to abduct their children?" Thankfully, Janet was there to put her in her place and retorted with "Does somebody push you to steal a car?". Unfortunately, the sound went out about half-way in the show and never came back.

The focus of the show was parental abductions, which constitute the majority of child abductions.

That's very interesting. That's back when talk show actually discussed serious issues.

Yes, the Donahue show definitely had its share of audience members and callers who would ask dumb or irrelevant questions just to get noticed.

One of my regular trading partners from yesteryear was kind enough to send me...an episode of Donohue from 1985 on missing children that featured the Janet Hicks and her daughters crystaldawn mentioned on page one of this thread (sorry for the tease, I really do wish the specials would turn up).

Janet had stated that her daughters were found as a direct result of the Missing...Have You Seen This Person broadcast, and that they had gotten many calls from all sorts of people who had known her daughters (principals, postmen, etc). They were abducted by their father. Definitely a poignant moment was when they showed (and I believe this was a clip from one of the missing specials) Janet an artists rendering of how her youngest daughter would look at that time (they had been missing for 8 years) and she cried at the drawing, saying "she's beautiful."

The episode also had quick scans of many missing children, and I'll have to do some research on those. There wasn't anybody that immediately looked familiar, and I'm sort of surprised Etan Patz wasn't on there since he went from missing from New York, where the Donohue show was based, and his case wasn't all that old by that point.

Parts of the show were really off-putting though. You had several idiots in the audience who were more concerned about getting their face on camera than about the missing children. And Donohue kept interrupting Janet Hicks, who was getting visibly annoyed and rightfully so. One time Donohue interrupted her to field a call from some nutty woman who had the nerve and stupidity to ask "don't these women push their husbands to abduct their children?" Thankfully, Janet was there to put her in her place and retorted with "Does somebody push you to steal a car?". Unfortunately, the sound went out about half-way in the show and never came back.

The focus of the show was parental abductions, which constitute the majority of child abductions.

Any idea when in 1985?

EDIT: Naming the mother confused me. Her daughters are the Caruso Sisters, which I added to the wiki as a stub.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19850501&id=rT9TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AYUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5197,20506

Still hoping someone can track down more info on Special 3. I actually considered contacting my local NBC affiliate to see if its possible to get copies of the master.

I also found another new segment from Special 1: Pablo Torres:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19850429&id=czsgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HGIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3923,9169444

He was actually found before Special 1 aired, so they edited it to show the reunion with his father. I've added a stub to the wikia.

One other thing I want to note is that some of these articles confuse the Missing special with a missing children rollcall that aired right after the airing of 'Adam' before Special 1. Apparently, this roll call is not part of the Missing special but is a one shot in between them. One newspaper article says that Cherrie Mahan was featured in that rollcall, though she would not get her own segment in Missing until special 3.

Another tidbit of interesting information is that one of the articles refers to Special 1 featuring 9 segments. So far I've only found 7 of these.

Found some info on the cases from special #2.

Vanessa Ruff, whose full name is Audrey Vanessa Ruff. I couldn't locate any articles about whether or not she was found.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19851218&id=miQjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LM8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5188,7578391

Here's an old web post from a woman named Jeannie Frazier searching for her parents. This has to be the Jeannie Frazier from special #2.

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/FRAZIER/1999-08/0935691162

Christopher Fulmer. The article also mentions Benjamin Studer who appeared on the same episode.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19860126&id=Tp8oAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D4QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5590,4078587

I couldn't find anything about Dennis Granger.

Found some info on the cases from special #2.

Vanessa Ruff, whose full name is Audrey Vanessa Ruff. I couldn't locate any articles about whether or not she was found.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19851218&id=miQjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LM8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5188,7578391

Here's an old web post from a woman named Jeannie Frazier searching for her parents. This has to be the Jeannie Frazier from special #2.

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/FRAZIER/1999-08/0935691162

Christopher Fulmer. The article also mentions Benjamin Studer who appeared on the same episode.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19860126&id=Tp8oAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D4QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5590,4078587

I couldn't find anything about Dennis Granger.

I have a copy of a press photo for Special 2, though I am not sure if it has pics of all of the missing people. Dennis Granger was an adult, the caption says he is (was) 35. Maybe that will help narrow it down.

A quick look and I could find no info. It doesn't say the circumstances either.

EDIT: I just realized I made a huge mistake. The name is DAVID Granger, not Dennis. I will correct this on the Wikia.

EDIT: found an article that gives a complete rundown of Special #2. Details we didnt have:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=799&dat=19860121&id=VMIdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IVgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4039,1833371

~ Pascale Newbegin. She was found before it aired and they show the reunion. She was a runaway.

~ David Granger was from Holden Mass, missing on 17 Sep 1984. He was a Vietnam Vet who may have had PTSD.

~Another one is about 'a Florida Man and his Mexican wife'; the man took his daughter from the wife. This sounds like Audrey Vanessa Ruff.

This obituary of a Richard Granger of Holden, Mass mentions a son David 'predeceased' him; makes me wonder if this is the David of the special's father:

http://www.milesfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=455785

Found this in the Social Security Death Index:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JTGS-32D

Given Name: David
Middle Name: P
Surname: Granger
Birth Date: 22 August 1949
Social Security Number: 017-40-1105
State: Massachusetts
Event Date: 17 September 1984
Age: 35

Same missing date, correct age and state. I couldnt find anything on the details but he must have been found dead later.

Another found new case from Special #1: Paul Cosner:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1345&dat=19850606&id=xrESAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rPkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7033,1058542

Paul Cosner is now known to have been a victim of serial killers Charles Ng and Leonard Lake. Jury in Ng's case did not convict Ng on Cosner's murder though.

Other than 3-4 articles I found on Cherrie Mahan's segment on Missing III, I could find nothing on the 3rd special. Today I found this in the Chicago Tribune:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-04-23/features/8601290576_1_missing-iii-sequel-parental-abduction

It actually does not mention the Cherrie Mahan segment. Instead it mentions these:

~ "a 84-year-old Bronx woman who disappeared during a trip to the supermarket"

~ "a missing 4- year-old boy, the victim of parental abduction" (could be a ton of cases)

~ "updates cases aired on previous specials, including the investigation of a 4-year-old girl kidnaped on a camping trip." (the case they are talking about is Laura Bradbury, from Special #1)

88 I hope you can help me found some more reviews for Special #3...I think I have tried about every combination in the Google Newspaper search.

Here is a preview of Special #3 from the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/23/arts/missing-iii-those-who-disappear.html

Frustratingly, it doesn't mention the names. I can tell from details that the 'girl in the desert' and the murder of the people looking for her is again Laura Bradbury, and "the case of the woman in her 80's who walked to a supermarket in the Bronx and was never seen again".

And another preview in the LA Times:

http://articles.latimes.com/1986-04-22/entertainment/ca-1684_1_baby-sitter

Mentions 5 reunions, but no further details beyond the Laura Bradbury update.

Other than 3-4 articles I found on Cherrie Mahan's segment on Missing III, I could find nothing on the 3rd special. Today I found this in the Chicago Tribune:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-04-23/features/8601290576_1_missing-iii-sequel-parental-abduction

It actually does not mention the Cherrie Mahan segment. Instead it mentions these:

~ "a 84-year-old Bronx woman who disappeared during a trip to the supermarket"

~ "a missing 4- year-old boy, the victim of parental abduction" (could be a ton of cases)

~ "updates cases aired on previous specials, including the investigation of a 4-year-old girl kidnaped on a camping trip." (the case they are talking about is Laura Bradbury, from Special #1)

88 I hope you can help me found some more reviews for Special #3...I think I have tried about every combination in the Google Newspaper search.

Here is a preview of Special #3 from the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/23/arts/missing-iii-those-who-disappear.html

Frustratingly, it doesn't mention the names. I can tell from details that the 'girl in the desert' and the murder of the people looking for her is again Laura Bradbury, and "the case of the woman in her 80's who walked to a supermarket in the Bronx and was never seen again".

And another preview in the LA Times:

http://articles.latimes.com/1986-04-22/entertainment/ca-1684_1_baby-sitter

Mentions 5 reunions, but no further details beyond the Laura Bradbury update.

Unfortunately, I can't find anything either. I'm trying to find out who the elderly woman from the Bronx was, but have had no luck. To make matters worse, the articles don't give a general time frame as to when she went missing (i.e., "last spring", "two years ago", etc.) to point us in the right direction.

As you said, the parental abduction case with the four-year-old boy could be almost anyone.

Unfortunately, I can't find anything either. I'm trying to find out who the elderly woman from the Bronx was, but have had no luck. To make matters worse, the articles don't give a general time frame as to when she went missing (i.e., "last spring", "two years ago", etc.) to point us in the right direction.

As you said, the parental abduction case with the four-year-old boy could be almost anyone.

Alright, thanks for looking. This google newspaper archive is strange. Search for one thing, and it may not come up, search for something else and you will find it in something unrelated.

I found the first post-airing mention of Missing III that I could find today; we are lucky because the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is in the newspaper archive, and that is where the best coverage of Cherrie Mahan's case was, since it is the closest major city.

This article mentions that more calls came in because of the Cherrie Mahan segment than any of the others; sadly, it doesnt't mention any of the others aside from this:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19860425&id=PYNIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RW4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7021,8456163

..and even more sad is that none of this changed the Cherrie Mahan case - in fact nothing has changed since day 1. One of the most frustrating missing person cases and probably the one that has affected me personally more than any other.

The roll call of 20 missing persons mention on the Wiki under special #2 have to be those 20 names in that NBC press photo. I found info on one of the names I couldn't trace earlier. Palacia refers to siblings Paula and Joseph Palacia of Yonkers, NY who were abducted by the mother. Not much more info than that, not even the mother's name.

http://articles.mcall.com/1985-12-15/news/2494217_1_children-s-rights-non-custodial-mother-pennsylvania

http://articles.mcall.com/1987-04-19/news/2580400_1_children-s-rights-parental-abduction-victims

They were found sometime between 1987 and 1992. Apparently, their pictures were among the many featured on milk cartons in the 1980s.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-105srpt34/html/CRPT-105srpt34.htm

I'm still trying to find more info on the other names.

More info on the roll call. These have to be the correct names because these are the only names that came up when I Googled missing children in that time frame.

Guerino = Joshua Guerino, 4, abducted by his non-custodial mother Audrey Nelson in July 1984. Joshua was found returned to his father in 1986.

http://articles.latimes.com/1986-05-01/local/me-2721_1_father-years-son

Sheehan = Neil Sheehan, 6, was abducted by his father John in 1983. He was found and reunited with his mother in October 1986.

http://newsok.com/missing-boy-reunited-with-mother/article/2162176

Proctor appears to be 9-year-old Christie Proctor from Dallas, Texas who was later found murdered. However, every source I've found indicates that she vanished in February 1986, the month after special #2 aired. Did special #3 do a roll call as well? If so, Christie would have to have been featured on that one. Perhaps the names listed were all actually from special #3.

http://www.examiner.com/article/remembering-christie-proctor

I've still not found anything on Burkhainmer, Groves, Fadeyi, Main, McDougle, or Sloan.

More info on the roll call. These have to be the correct names because these are the only names that came up when I Googled missing children in that time frame.

Guerino = Joshua Guerino, 4, abducted by his non-custodial mother Audrey Nelson in July 1984. Joshua was found returned to his father in 1986.

http://articles.latimes.com/1986-05-01/local/me-2721_1_father-years-son

Sheehan = Neil Sheehan, 6, was abducted by his father John in 1983. He was found and reunited with his mother in October 1986.

http://newsok.com/missing-boy-reunited-with-mother/article/2162176

Proctor appears to be 9-year-old Christie Proctor from Dallas, Texas who was later found murdered. However, every source I've found indicates that she vanished in February 1986, the month after special #2 aired. Did special #3 do a roll call as well? If so, Christie would have to have been featured on that one. Perhaps the names listed were all actually from special #3.

http://www.examiner.com/article/remembering-christie-proctor

I've still not found anything on Burkhainmer, Groves, Fadeyi, Main, McDougle, or Sloan.

I agree that it is *likely* that they are the one referred to in the promo, but I couldn't get confirmation beyond that suspicion, hence why I am holding off from adding them to the Wikia.

I didn't find those names on a press photo, but on a listing of names mentioned in an NBC interview with Meredith Baxter promoting the special. (on the NBC clip site if you want to see it). I thought perhaps they were missing children shown/mentioned in passing and not the ones on special.

Checking the clip site myself again, it is actually a promo for Special III, so it may be a rollcall for that special instead (though I can find no mention of one in the previews for it)

Exact wording seems to say it is a rollcall for Special 3:


ROLL CALL FROM MISSING III FEATURES STILLS & SUPERED NAMES OF MISSING PERSONS BURKHAINMER; BYRD; CURTIS; FADEYI; GRICE; GROVES; GUERINO; HARRIS; HUGER; MAIN; MARTINEZ; MCDOUGLE; MORIN; PALANCIA; PROCTOR; SHEEHAN; SLOAN; SPARPANA; WEST; & WESTBERRY.


...but we're guessing with the names.

The clip is from the Today show, so it is probably possible to get ahold of it.

You made a pretty good guess with one of them. This is the first article I've found about after Missing III that mentions any other case but Cherrie Mahan.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-05-01/news/8601310509_1_lombard-police-missing-iii-child-abduction-unit

Missing III helped get back Josh Guerino (he was almost certainly the '4 year old boy is the victim of parental kidnapping' snippet that I found earlier), so at least that one is confirmed. But the rest are still just guesses until we get more confirmation.

I also think the Neil Sheehan one is likely, note this from the article


The Garland County sheriff's department there had taken Neil into custody after a television viewer recognized the boy's picture during a program about missing children


...though the paper is dated October and special 3 aired in April. I don't think it was ever re-run, so it could be something else like a Child Find alert or something local. Leaving off for now. It also says this:


. Though Neil's picture had been shown on several national television shows, no previous lead had been strong enough to follow up on, she said.

So it could be anything.

Proctor appears to be 9-year-old Christie Proctor from Dallas, Texas who was later found murdered. However, every source I've found indicates that she vanished in February 1986, the month after special #2 aired. Did special #3 do a roll call as well? If so, Christie would have to have been featured on that one. Perhaps the names listed were all actually from special #3.


Like I said, that list of names actually comes from a promo for Special #3, which aired on April 23 1986, and not the Jan 1986 Special #2, so it could very well be Christi Proctor.

I agree that 'Grice' is almost certainly Jeremy Grice, who went missing in Nov 1985 in South Carolina:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1980&dat=19871125&id=LIVhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=66oFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1249,6890483&hl=en

It's uncommon enough of a name that there isn't much doubt. One thing I do note is that the rollcall on the Today episode that we're getting these names from doesn't mention Mahan, who I believe was the flagship segment, so their rollcall probably didn't have every one featured on the special in it.

I have a feeling several of the other names we can't find were more parental kidnapping cases (where harm rarely comes to the child) or runaways that were resolved quickly and thus there isn't much mention in newspapers, and therefore, not much internet presence. But they also did profile missing adults, even in the first special (ie Paul Cosner, a 40 year old man), but some of those names are so common.

I agree that it is *likely* that they are the one referred to in the promo, but I couldn't get confirmation beyond that suspicion, hence why I am holding off from adding them to the Wikia.

I didn't find those names on a press photo, but on a listing of names mentioned in an NBC interview with Meredith Baxter promoting the special. (on the NBC clip site if you want to see it). I thought perhaps they were missing children shown/mentioned in passing and not the ones on special.

Checking the clip site myself again, it is actually a promo for Special III, so it may be a rollcall for that special instead (though I can find no mention of one in the previews for it)

Exact wording seems to say it is a rollcall for Special 3:



...but we're guessing with the names.

The clip is from the Today show, so it is probably possible to get ahold of it.

Do you have a link to the NBC clip site?

Do you have a link to the NBC clip site?I'd also like to see this promo. If someone could send me the link that would be much appreciated.

Do you have a link to the NBC clip site?

It has some clips, but some are just listings. Basically they want you to buy these clips. The one we care about isn't for sale on the site.

http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112626137_s43.do

Sorry if you think I mislead you that you could watch the promo! If you could I would have listed all the names myself.

Here is a listing for an interview David Birney did about special II, also on the Today show, on 22 Jan 1986:

http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112623365_s31.do


ACTOR DIVID BIRNEY DISCUSSES MISSING II
ACTOR BIRNEY MAINTAINS TV PROGRAMS DEALING WITH MISSING CHILDREN CAN HELP ACHIEVE THEIR RECOVERY. HE EXPRESSES PRIDE THAT TV PROGRAM ADAM YIELDED SOME RECOVERIES OF MISSING CHILDREN. IN MISSING II CLIP MISSING CHILDS FATHER JOHN WALSH SAYS IF MISSING II HELPS TO FIND EVEN ONE MISSING CHILD THE PUBLICITY ABOUT THE SHOW IS WORTHWHILE. HE ADDS SUCH TV PROGRAMS EDUCATE PEOPLE. BIRNEY DISMISSES CONTENTIONS OF OVER-PUBLICITY OF MISSING CHILDREN PROGRAMS. HE MAINTAINS THERE ARE A LOT OF UNREPORTED INCIDENTS OF MISSING CHILDREN. HE STRESSES THAT TV CAN PLAY A VIABLE ROLE IN THE TASK OF FINDING MISSING CHILDREN.
TA; LIVE 2-WAY INTVU - EJ RUNS :42 - ADDITIONAL DATE & LOCATION UNESTABLISHED
Producers: NBC

The Donahue episode with Janet Hicks and her daughters is on YT. It is dated May 29, 1985.

Wiseguy, I'm in the process of looking up some of the missing children featured in the commercial bumpers. Do you want me to PM you with the info I find so I don't hijack this thread? Or should I post them here anyway? It's up to you.

When that caller asked why the mothers pushed these fathers to the point of kidnapping, Janet responded "Are you pushed to steal a car? (beat) Next call." :D GO JANET!

The Donahue episode with Janet Hicks and her daughters is on YT. It is dated May 29, 1985.

Wiseguy, I'm in the process of looking up some of the missing children featured in the commercial bumpers. Do you want me to PM you with the info I find so I don't hijack this thread? Or should I post them here anyway? It's up to you.

When that caller asked why the mothers pushed these fathers to the point of kidnapping, Janet responded "Are you pushed to steal a car? (beat) Next call." :D GO JANET!

right here in the thread is fine. thanks.

Years ago, I saw a segment about a young girl named Jonelle Matthews who disappeared just before Christmas 1984 from Greeley, Colorado. Her case was never profiled on UM and she is still missing. I can’t remember which show she was featured on and I’m wondering if it was on one of the Meredith Baxter specials. Does anyone else remember seeing it?

Years ago, I saw a segment about a young girl named Jonelle Matthews who disappeared just before Christmas 1984 from Greeley, Colorado. Her case was never profiled on UM and she is still missing. I can’t remember which show she was featured on and I’m wondering if it was on one of the Meredith Baxter specials. Does anyone else remember seeing it?

oh wow, that's interesting. I remember her case from Charley Project, and it's definitely an intriguing case. I think she suffered from some really bad luck as her family members were out doing various things and the perp picked the "right" moment. Do you happen to know about when you saw this case?

Years ago, I saw a segment about a young girl named Jonelle Matthews who disappeared just before Christmas 1984 from Greeley, Colorado. Her case was never profiled on UM and she is still missing. I can’t remember which show she was featured on and I’m wondering if it was on one of the Meredith Baxter specials. Does anyone else remember seeing it?
This is one of the most fascinating cases I've ever read about, but unfortunately I don't know of any shows that have profiled the case. I'd love to watch a documentary about it.

I wish it would get more attention. Someone has to know something.

right here in the thread is fine. thanks.

I wasn't able to find too many, but I came up with the following info. All the ages listed for the children under their photos are in parentheses. This was their current (i.e., in 1985 when the show aired) age, not necessarily their age when abducted.

* Galvin Sidden (14): Disappeared at age 11 in July 1982 with his then-16-year-old brother Garry Sidden, Jr. from Traphill, NC. Their bodies were discovered in nearby Winston-Salem in 1991. They were murdered after they'd witnessed the murder of their own father, Garry Sr., by a relative named Tony Sidden. Tony is on death row, sentenced in 1995. http://www.journalpatriot.com/opinion/sidden-s-sentence-is-still-unresolved/article_a2cef55e-b156-11e0-ae3f-0019bb30f31a.html

* Sabre Schiable (5): I could only find a snippet from a pay-to-view site of the Indiana Gazette (Indiana, PA) from May 25, 1985. It's just a Child Find ad. Sabre, born 6/12/79, went missing from Pompano Beach, FL on July 19, 1984. No idea whether or not she was found.

* Dawn (6) and Amy (5) Dopke: Abducted in Philadelphia by their non-custodial father Keith in August 1984. Found safe in May 1986. Keith entered a guilty plea in 1987. http://articles.philly.com/1987-02-03/news/26177136_1_abduction-baby-sitter-legal-custody

* Patience Curry (6): Abducted from her home in Akron, OH by her non-custodial mother Elizabeth on December 28, 1984. Located safe in July 1985 in Florida. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19850717&id=Wu40AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ow4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6942,1107135&hl=en

* Daniel Ariel Etlin (shown by Nikki Tholan at the closing of the show): Abducted by his non-custodial mother on August 28, 1982. He was apparently found and then his father absconded with him to make sure the mother couldn't kidnap him again! https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19870305&id=gE5TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AocDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5179,5105631&hl=en

I've been unable to find info on:

* Jason (4) and Shannon (3) Michael
* Monica Slawson (8)
* Gary Hall (13)
* Sherri Whitlow (10 months)
* Adam Newkirk (5)
* Jessica Barnes (4)
* Rachelle (8) and Anthony (7) James
* Mary Murphy (3)
* Jason Hammond (5)
* James (8) and Ricky (7) Andrus
* Jackie Ellis, Jr. (5)
* Gabriel Hartman (5)
* Raymond Kidwell (3)
* Sean (13) and Brandon (8) Drake
* Steven Lopez (2)
* Richard and Russell deCicco, abducted by their mother on Christmas Eve, 1984 (shown by Nikki Tholan)

I have a feeling that since the focus of the show was parental abductions, the majority of these children fell into that category.

I was about to add a page of the Wiki for Pascale Newbegin, but I realized that no one seems able to find a date for when she ran away. The news article states that:

The chapter ends with the tearful, huggy reunion of parents and child. Pascale does not return to live at home -- the time for that has passed -- but she does visit her parents now and parents and child appear to have established an enduring relationship.

I take it then that when she was found, she was at least 18 and therefore didn't have to return to her parents' home if she chose not to.

When that caller asked why the mothers pushed these fathers to the point of kidnapping, Janet responded "Are you pushed to steal a car? (beat) Next call." :D GO JANET!

I remember that. The victim blaming in this country is out of control. Reminds me of an episode of "That's Incredible!" I was watching the other day from my collection. This poor 16 year old boy was on top of a tall building in New York City and contemplating suicide. He had moved from Texas to Tennesee to New York and was taken out of his father's custody because his dad abused him. He was shuffled around various foster homes and finally found a nice one, but when the military dad was relocated, he couldn't go with him because he was a "ward of the state." He eventually ended up homeless on the streets of New York City with barely a penny to his name. As he was dangling from the building, the idiot Yanks were out there shouting at him to jump. What a-holes. This kid had seen nothing but hard times his entire life, and they're out there shouting at this underage kid to end his life. Thankfully, the episode ended on a positive note as he was rescued by a nice police officer who later adopted him.

Crystaldawn, did you see that one?

I remember that. The victim blaming in this country is out of control. Reminds me of an episode of "That's Incredible!" I was watching the other day from my collection. This poor 16 year old boy was on top of a tall building in New York City and contemplating suicide. He had moved from Texas to Tennesee to New York and was taken out of his father's custody because his dad abused him. He was shuffled around various foster homes and finally found a nice one, but when the military dad was relocated, he couldn't go with him because he was a "ward of the state." He eventually ended up homeless on the streets of New York City with barely a penny to his name. As he was dangling from the building, the idiot Yanks were out there shouting at him to jump. What a-holes. This kid had seen nothing but hard times his entire life, and they're out there shouting at this underage kid to end his life. Thankfully, the episode ended on a positive note as he was rescued by a nice police officer who later adopted him.

Crystaldawn, did you see that one?

Hmm...it doesn't sound familiar Wiseguy.

An interesting article about Bobby Smith who was found a few months before special #1 aired. Apparently, some people in the neighborhood felt that his parents should have supervised him better.

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20089841,00.html

I was about to add a page of the Wiki for Pascale Newbegin, but I realized that no one seems able to find a date for when she ran away. The news article states that:

The chapter ends with the tearful, huggy reunion of parents and child. Pascale does not return to live at home -- the time for that has passed -- but she does visit her parents now and parents and child appear to have established an enduring relationship.

I take it then that when she was found, she was at least 18 and therefore didn't have to return to her parents' home if she chose not to.

Yeah, that is all I could find for her. The 84 year old from the Bronx also intrigued me, but I could find absolutely nothing for that.

This is interesting! I was going through some old America's Most Wanted episodes I got in a trade from a kind soul, and there was a segment from 2000 I believe on New York City missing kids. The first one profiled was Equilla Hodrick, who was featured on the second "Missing...Have You Seen This Person" broadcast. They actually tracked down an old man who claims to have saw her running towards the Mister Softee ice cream truck that day. They also had several rare pictures of Equilla that I don't believe are on any of the missing persons websites
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hodrick_equilla.html

Christopher Dansby and Shane Walker were also profiled and they show the park where they disappeared from. I believe there was also an interview with one of the mothers.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/dansby_christopher.html

Also, Cesilia Pena was profiled and they had an interview with a relative.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/pena_cesilia.html

The segment states that NYC had just developed a cold case unit to re-investigate these missing child cases, but unfortunately they are all still missing to this day. Strangely, Etan Patz's picture was shown but wasn't profiled in the segment.

Found a really detailed newspaper article that had alot more detail about Missing III.

People featured that we didn't know about:

Tiffany Brumbeloe - (parental kidnapping) - she is easily findable on whitepages so she was found I guess
Mary Sasson - this is the 84 year old missing from the Bronx whose name I didnt know before - the social security death index lists her dying in 1990 - was she found or was this just a date she was declared legally dead? I cant find an update to her case.
Jim Nestor - man who went missing looking for Laura Bradbury - who was featured on the first 'Missing' special
Sherry Lynn Marler - in a sense, this CONFIRMS reports that she was featured on UM at some point - though on UM's prototype, Missing have you seen this person
Christopher Sloan

Before anyone gets their hopes up by seeing that this thread has been bumped (which I tend to do myself), no, the episodes have not been found. Sorry.

However, I added a thread about it on the Lost Media Wiki (LMW) forum. LMW is a site which chronicles and attempts to find TV broadcasts, movies, footage of historical events, etc. that have been banned, cancelled, allegedly destroyed, or just extremely rare for one reason or another. No one has responded yet, but I did only post it last night. I also posted about it on a subreddit for lost media about six months ago, but no one responded to that either.

Since these shows were specials, it seems likely that each of the three episodes aired once on their respective air dates and then never again. However, they aired at a time when home VCRs were becoming far more commonplace . So it’s possible that someone recorded them (perhaps even accidentally as they were taping something else and the tape kept running) and simply packed them away in the attic where they remain to this day, untouched and completely forgotten about.

It may be a good idea for those of us interested in finding this series to post about it on different lost media sites you may come across, specifically those geared more towards lost TV episodes. Even if no one really responds, at least this will let people in the lost media community know that this series is sought after if someone happens to stumble upon it.

This is not meant to add insult to injury but I know I had these episodes on tape once, because I remember I had a devil of a time fitting the title on ghe tiny label that came with VCR tapes (i have big handwriting). Those tapes are long gone, but let me conclude by saying I completely concur with the idea of posting info on lost media sites. U just never know.

Found some press release photos from Special #2.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/1986-Press-Photo-Hosts-of-Missing-II-Have-You-Seen-This-Person-NBC-TV/372607873112?hash=item56c128f058:g:jUkAAOSwmvpcR1QJ

http://https://www.ebay.ie/itm/1985-Missing-Have-You-Seen-This-Person-NBC-Program-Original-Press-Photo/401561463276?hash=item5d7eeda9ec:g:EvgAAOSw1rBbOYzM

I found a tiny promo for the show's first episode from the day it aired (April 29, 1985). It's sandwiched between a slew of other commercials and NBC promos.

https://youtu.be/-KsW1cOzZEU?t=434

Even in this small clip, the similarities between this and the UM are very much in evidence.

ETA: Found a tiny promo for special three:

https://youtu.be/wJRexLpVxzc?t=789

I've found some more info on the Christopher Sloan case, from the third Missing special.

He was a four year old who was abducted by his father in November, 1983.

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/492903754/

Still haven't been able to find more info yet, like where this happened or if he was ever found, but it's a place to start.

Also, David Granger was apparently found deceased in 1987.

https://www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/500624/David-Paul-Granger/

I've finally found information on Christopher Sloan, the last missing person from the third Baxter special!

Unfortunately, I don't have a Newspapers.com account. Someone who does, can you please read these articles and give us the relevant information? Then one of us can make an article on the Unsolved Wiki!

https://www.newspapers.com/image/821394616/?terms=%22christopher%20sloan%22%20&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/821309909/?terms=%22christopher%20sloan%22%20&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/821167612/?terms=%22christopher%20sloan%22%20&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/572627072/?terms=%22christopher%20sloan%22%20&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/821294157/?terms=%22christopher%20sloan%22%20&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/821292168/?terms=christopher%20sloan&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/821293667/?terms=christopher%20sloan&match=1

Thanks so much!