Difficulty of Current Law on Missing Persons

La Mont Dottin disappeared from St. Albans, New York, October 16, 1995. His body was found floating in the East Harlem River six days later and buried in pauper’s grave in potter’s field. As a result of existing law, a variety of unfortunate and tragic circumstance, this was not known to his family and it was not until four years later and years of searching that they were was able to exhume his body and give him a proper burial.

Categories Suffering from Immediate Investigation

If a person does not fit into one of these enumerated categories, an immediate investigation is not required:

• under 16 years of age;
• 65 years of age or older;
• mentally or physically impaired to the extent hospitalization is required;
• senile, retarded or disable and not capable of self-care or clear communication;
• possible victim of drowning;
• absent in a “unique/unusual” case; or
• absent under circumstances indicating unaccountable or involuntary disappearance.