how to find a missing person

At Search Investigations, led by missing‑persons private investigator Steve Fischer (SF Investigates), we exclusively handle missing persons cases. Since we started taking an official count in 2023, we’ve successfully located 27 missing individuals nationwide, making us the industry leader in this field.

Understanding Missing Person Cases vs. Locate Cases

It's vital to distinguish between:

• Missing Person Cases: Instances where someone has unexpectedly disappeared in ways inconsistent with their usual behavior. Common scenarios include:

• Teen or adult runaways

• Mental health or addiction-related disappearances

• Domestic violence or foul play

• Kidnapping or custodial interference

• Lost or overdue hikers, backpackers, hunters

• Victims of violent crime
  

• People-Locate Cases: Situations involving individuals who have intentionally lost contact with others for extended periods, often sought for legal reasons like estate settlements, wills, or reconnecting with family. These are fundamentally different from truly missing-person cases, though Search Investigations handles both.
  

For this post, we focus on those who have gone missing unexpectedly, and how to find them.

Filing a Missing Persons Report

• File with the right jurisdiction
  You must report the disappearance to law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the person was last known to be seen.

• No required waiting period
  You can file a report immediately—there's no legal waiting time. Any person who genuinely believes someone is missing can submit the report—it does not have to be a family member.

• NCIC & MUPS entry
  Officers will enter the person into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the Missing and Unidentified Person Section (MUPS). Minors are also entered into the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) database.

Engage a Specialized Missing Persons Investigator

Why Choose a Specialist Like Steve Fischer?

Simply hiring any private investigator isn’t enough, specialized expertise matters. Steve Fischer holds numerous credentials and certifications in missing persons investigations, and also functions as a certified search-and-rescue specialist with FAA drone and pilot licenses, EMT licensing, NASAR SARTECH ground certification, Peace Officer Standards and Training certification, Autistic lost person behavior certification, Alzheimer lost person behavior certification,  and more. He focuses solely on missing persons, unlike generalist private investigators who also investigate fraud, cheating spouses, and other unrelated specialties.

We are the firm with the highest success rate in the industry, as evidenced by our national media coverage, Steve has led high-profile cases such as Kiely Rodni, Riley Strain, Alisa Petrov, and Sebastian Rogers, appearing on TV, Law & Crime, Nancy Grace, Court TV, NY Times, Fox News, ABC, CBS News, and many others. You can view current cases being handled by Steve Fischer and Search Investigations here and see recent press coverage with Steve Fischer here

Benefits of Our Method

• Collaborative & Complementary
  We work alongside law enforcement, sharing leads and intelligence. Our team provides full-time focus, enabling faster mobilization and investigation. Law enforcement agencies may have dozens of open cases and limited resources available to find your missing loved one.
  

• Highly effective methods
  We aren’t limited by standard police SOPs. Our approach includes:

• Surveillance video sweeps: canvassing all cameras, private and public, to reconstruct movements.

• Digital forensics: analyzing mobile devices, computers, GPS data, and social media footprints.

• Field canvassing & witness interviews: including interrogations when suspects are involved.

• Search theory & rescue operations: designing search plans with K9 units, ground teams, thermal drones, underwater ROVs, and more.

• Social media and connection mapping: analysts track relationships and digital interactions via mind maps.
  

• Witness Cooperation
  Witnesses and associates are often more willing to speak to a private investigator, they may fear arrest or have outstanding warrants when dealing with law enforcement. That trust generates leads law enforcement may never access.
  

Leverage Media and Advocacy Channels

• Social media outreach
  Partnering with nonprofits and advocacy groups on platforms like Facebook and X (Twitter) can dramatically increase visibility of your case, driving attention and information from the public.
  

• Press engagement
  Coverage on mainstream media keeps your case in the public eye and can generate pressure for action. Steve’s cases have benefited from major news coverage and ongoing media momentum
  

Use Surveillance and Forensics to Drive the Search

Investigations rely on:

• Surveillance footage collection: identifying cameras, retrieving video immediately.

• Digital footprints: tracking electronic communications and activity logs.

• Fieldwork: interviews, canvassing, and evidence gathering.

• Search coordination: deploying search-and-rescue assets and ground search theory when appropriate.
  

Remaining Relentless

Missing persons cases are difficult. Often it feels like they are going cold or hitting a dead end, but we power through and find answers. The fact is, in every case, somebody knows something and it’s a matter of getting that person to talk.

In Conclusion

Missing persons investigations are complex, time-critical, and emotionally charged. At Search Investigations, we bring exclusive focus, advanced tools, decades of experience, and a search-and-rescue mindset to every case.

With 27 recoveries in the last two years alone, we lead the industry in missing-person investigations..

If you suspect someone is missing, act now. File the report, then call Search Investigations at 877‑619‑9890. We will mobilize immediately and work relentlessly to bring your loved one home.

Learn more about Steve Fischer here.