Missing Person Records

Scope

This guide applies to records filed with a legal authority reporting that an individual cannot be found. These records are typically created by law enforcement or judicial authorities and document the circumstances of the disappearance.

What Are Missing Person Records and How Do You Recognize Them?

Missing person records often include official reports, notices, or forms submitted to legal authorities. Indicators include references to disappearance, last known location, identifying details, and official stamps or signatures from law enforcement or judicial offices.

Elements Sometimes Found in Missing Person Records

• Name(s) of the missing person
• Date and place last seen
• Physical description
• Identifying marks or features
• Contact information for reporting
• Circumstances of disappearance
• Names of relatives or associates
• Official stamps or signatures
  

Natural Group

Each natural group (file, folder, or bound volume) should be captured as a separate digital item. If multiple related individual documents exist (e.g., updates or follow-up reports), group them together in one folder.

Descriptive Metadata

• Date: Enter the date the report was filed.
• Locality: Enter the jurisdiction or location where the report was filed.
• Creator: Enter the name of the authority or office that created the record.
• Volume: Enter the volume or file designation used by the archive or custodian.
• Title: In the language of the records, enter the title designated by the archive. Otherwise, enter the title as it appears on the cover, spine, or title page of the natural group.
• Custodian Reference ID: If the archive has applied a reference ID to each volume, enter the ID in the format relevant to the archive. Enter a single hyphen (-) to indicate if no such ID exists.

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