EVERETT — Mary Miller is brought to tears when she talks about changing how police investigate missing-person cases.
Miller, 71, knows the frustration of trying to convince officers that a loved one is missing. She understands feeling helpless and the anguish of waiting.
Her 15-year-old daughter Kathy went missing in 1973. A month later, the teen’s body was found on the Tulalip Reservation, a victim of a serial killer.
"The missing part is the hardest part to deal with," Miller said.
For nearly three decades, Miller has worked with the Everett-based advocacy group Friends and Families of Missing Persons and Violent Crime Victims to help change how police handle missing-person cases.
Last year, the group was asked to join a task force assembled by state Attorney General Christine Gregoire after inconsistencies were uncovered in how police departments investigate and report missing people and unidentified remains.
That gave everyone involved an opportunity to do a better job, said Scott Blonien, senior assistant attorney general.
The task force, made up of federal agents, law enforcement officials and coroners, is charged with finding "best practice" methods to respond to missing-person reports and educate police departments about state laws regarding such cases.
As part of the work, the Everett group is developing resources for family and friends left behind. The organization is the only advocacy group included in the task force. It is only one of two in the nation that offer support for families and friends of missing adults, executive director Jenny Wieland said.
"People just can’t sit around, and you can’t turn to the Yellow Pages for help," she said.
The group is working on a booklet to be distributed to families, including tips on tracing someone through bank, insurance or medical records; what information police should include in reports; and even how families can collect DNA evidence by bagging up the person’s eyeglasses or hairbrush.
"It’s so important that a report is taken seriously. It’s important you feel that every possible thing has been done," Wieland said.
The organization also is working to start a support group for families and friends of missing persons.
"If you can’t convince (police), you’ll be able to go somewhere," Miller said.
The group has fought on behalf of families whose loved ones are missing since it began in 1975. The 25 families who gathered then all expressed frustration at not being able to convince police that a crime had occurred.
Over the years, more has been done to bring attention to missing children, Miller said. However, there are still no consistent requirements for missing adults.
"We have seen problems existing for 30 years. We’re very excited they’re being addressed in a proactive way," Wieland said.
Reporter Diana Hefley:
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