Ohio’s newly formed missing persons working group looks to improve the way kids are protected and families are handled
Data uncovered by 3News Investigates shows that children in Northeast Ohio tend to go missing at a higher rate when compared to adult victims. The prevalence of online access and increased predatory behavior on the internet has led to heightened risks for the younger generations of today, according to experts.
The newly established missing persons unit in Ohio is making progress in formulating recommendations to enhance the existing system. These recommendations aim to improve the support and assistance provided to victims and their families for more effective care.
Searching for Keshaun Williams
Alona Miles and Mary Williams, grandmothers of Keshaun, take immense pride in mentioning his name, emphasizing his affectionate and lively nature that he has always displayed.
“He’s very compassionate,” Miles says proudly. “Always hugging us, kissing us. He’s very compassionate.”
He was just 15 years young the last time his family saw him more than 20 months ago.
“I miss that face. It’s like, ‘Wow, he was just such a loving kid,'” Mary Williams says, with both love and frustration.
Keshaun Williams was last seen on June 17, 2023, after attending a house party on Gertrude Avenue in Cleveland. An Amber Alert remains active, and the last official update from law enforcement came in October 2024.
“We have reason to believe he was last seen walking away from the party and entering a dark-colored SUV with a group of juvenile males,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Vince Piccoli said at the time.
It provided little relief to the family.
“It’s very emotional. Like, it’s sucking the life out of us,” Miles tearfully confessed. “It’s the not knowing, and it’s the why.”
At the time this report was published, the city website listed more than 130 people currently missing in Cleveland alone, and a deeper dive into the numbers paints an even more disturbing story.
3News Investigates combed through data to discover that more than 40 of the missing persons are 16 years old or younger. Around half of the victims are 21 or younger.
The numbers reflect the challenges law enforcement can face in tracking and communicating with a minor, but also the risks teens and developing adults can face.
‘There are bad people in the world’
Sylvia Colon helped to found Cleveland Missing in 2019, and was selected to join Ohio’s newly formed missing persons working group. She acknowledges between social pressures and exposure to dangerous situations — both in real life and online — today’s youth face real risks.
“Kids are just exposed to some really crazy things that I couldn’t imagine even 10 years ago,” Colon admitted.
Gov. Mike DeWine’s task force is looking to improve the process of tracking down missing kids. Quicker response times and a more coordinated effort between departments could lead to tangible progress.
But Colon also hopes law enforcement can enhance the way victims’ loved ones are treated.
“I want to make sure that families are being tended to as well. Families are the other victim,” she pointed out. “We tend to push families off to the side and say, ‘Oh, they’re being difficult. They’re crazy.'”
“They should have a special unit just for that situation, missing kids,” Miles added, venting frustrations about her family’s experience. “Because that is an extreme situation that needs more attention too.”
Staying strong
Keshaun Williams is in his family’s heart every day, but next to happy memories, emotion burns there too.
“People know what happened to him,” Miles insisted. “It pains me that … nobody want(s) to say nothing.”
Their pain is joined by defiance in the face of long odds, and resistance against the idea that any family should have to face this type of pain.
“It’s like this is the new norm,” Williams says as she shakes her head. “No, this is not the new norm! This is what we’re allowing to take place. We should be in an outrage about this.”
Even with each passing day, Keshaun’s grandmothers still hold hope, including hope that families in the future won’t have to endure an experience like theirs.
For more resources about missing children and keeping families safe, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is one of the largest nonprofit missing persons organizations in the country. For more information about keeping your child safe online, or to report concerning behavior, families can visit the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program.
