PCSO Process In Investigating Missing Person Cases

The case of Joshua Bohannon identified last week led many to ask how does the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office tackle a missing person’s case?

Sheriff Eddie Farris said his office has a protocol that kicks in when someone is reported missing.

“There’s a lot of things that we put in place in the computer system, so if that individual shows up or is found in any form or fashion in the country, we’ll be notified,” Farris said. “We’re looking at all kind of financial records and running down any leads.”

Farris said the office constantly reviews findings even when it may seem searching and leads have stopped. Farris said investigators hold regular meetings to explore new angles and make sure all possibilities were considered.

“When we get to what we think is caught up, then we are going back and relooking at every single lead and everything we have done up to this point,” Farris said. “Making sure we asked the right questions or talked to the right person or is there some other direction we need to take it.”

Farris said deputies also try to keep families involved in the investigation as much as possible. Farris said his office tries to balance what information to share while also showing compassion to loved ones.

“We try to keep the loved ones as part of the investigation as much as possible while at the same time preserving what information needs to be preserved,” Farris said. “A missing person you are always thinking the worst. Anything can happen down the line. It could be a missing person, it could be medical problems, it could be foul play, so all those are things we are striving to protect just in case we have a day in court.”

Depending on the case, Farris said hundreds of man hours can be poured into an investigation.