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Missing Persons Cases: The People and Patterns

Sophia Moreno, the longest missing person in the Brazos Valley, hasn't been seen since May 11, 1979.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Amber Alert Network of the Brazos Valley has helped recover hundreds of children since their inception in 2001.

Prior to then, there were already five long-term missing persons cases in the Brazos Valley. Sophia Moreno is the longest missing person from the area, having gone missing on May 11, 1979. 

To date, there haven't been any answers on her whereabouts. 

At the time of her disappearance, Moreno was 16 years old. This means, if Moreno is alive, she would be 50 years old. 

The Amber Alert Network of the Brazos Valley has five other missing persons cases displayed on their site that are considered long-term as well. 

Chuck Fleeger, the Executive Director of the Amber Alert Network of the Brazos Valley, previously worked at the College Station Police Department prior to working solely on finding those lost.

“I think we’re doing a better job and a more consistent job on shining a light on an issue that has always been there," said Fleeger.

Fleeger claimed the numbers were the same for missing people between 2021 and 2022, but the number of missing children was lower.

Looking into the months children have gone missing since 2020, KAGS found that there were certain months where there showed to be a high number of cases. In 2021, March and December each saw more than five missing people. In 2022, May, June, September, and November saw more than five missing persons cases.

In March, most students have Spring Break during the school year. May and June are usually the final months of the year as summer begins. September, many students are given a three-day weekend for Labor Day, and November is the time when schools let out for Thanksgiving Break.

When asked if there was a correlation of children going missing in months of student holidays, Fleeger said it's not certain, but it could be a possibility.

“It could feed into it. Again, those are times when families gather together, and so if they’re not able to gather together there is more of that awareness," said Fleeger.

Fleeger said he and his organization will continue to search for those who go missing, especially the six who have been gone for decades.

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