Missing Person Photos
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2 to 5 percent of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
Resources for Missing Persons
According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day.
Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends.
Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.
Missing Person Photos
Theola Polk
Polk, date, approximate 2019; Maurice Washington
Date Missing 07/06/2019
Missing From
Oakland, California
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
Black
Date of Birth 07/30/1947 (75)
Age 71 years old
Height and Weight 5'3, 146 pounds
Medical Conditions Polk suffers from high blood pressure and other medical conditions.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes. Polk's ears are pierced.
Details of Disappearance Polk was last seen at her residence in the 1100 block of 64th Avenue in Oakland, California on July 6, 2019. She has never been heard from again. Her loved ones reported her missing on July 11 because they weren't able to reach her by phone for several days, which was unusual, and when they went to her residence no one seemed to be home. She lived alone. After her disappearance, several items in her apartment were discovered to be bloodstained, and bedding and pillows were missing. Her purse and keys were on the bed; she never left the house without them.
Later that month, Polk's 33-year-old grandson, Maurice C. Washington Jr., was charged with her murder. The charge carries the special-circumstance allegation that it was committed for financial gain; authorities believe Washington stole his grandmother's credit cards and tried to use them after her disappearance. After he was arrested on an unrelated misdemeanor methamphetamine charge on July 14, he made multiple statements to police indicating Polk was deceased and that he was involved in her death, but has not cooperated with the efforts to find her body.
One relative stated she'd seen Washington on July 9 and he appeared to be drunk and had scratches on his face and blood on his hands, neck and all over his clothes. Other relatives told police that Polk and other members of the family were afraid of Washington, and he had a record for a prior assault on another relative. He also has a felony grand theft conviction from 2008.
In October 2019, Washington was found mentally incompetent to stand trial for the murder. This means he will placed in a secure psychiatric hospital and treated in the hopes that his competency can be restored. A photo of him is posted with this summary.
Polk was born in Arkansas, participated in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and moved to California to escape racial segregation and violence. Prior to her disappearance, she had been a longtime advocate for affordable housing. She had been active with the East Bay Housing Organization and had appeared at numerous functions to talk about the housing problem in the area.
Her body has not been located, but foul play is suspected in her due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
Oakland Police Department
510-238-3641
Other
California Attorney General's Office
Oakland Police Department
The East Bay Times
The Mercury News
CBS San Francisco
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy
Oakland Voices
The East Bay Express
Missing Person Photos
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2 to 5 percent of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
Resources for Missing Persons
According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day.
Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends.
Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.
Missing Person Photos
