# Samantha Burns Body Investigation



## Megan Bays (Oct 10, 2008)

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/40532337.html

There was a girl that disappeared and is presumed dead in my area in 2002.

There is now a North Carolina based group of missing person searchers who are now looking for the body w/ their cadaver dogs. They are called the Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons. 

I was just wondering if any of you all know of this group, or have heard of this investigation before.

I remember when this first happened that the state police and US Coast Guard searched the rivers. I do not know if there were any water recovery dogs involved, or if any dogs were involved with the initial search to begin with. I've not been able to find any info about this and it really sparked my curiosity.

_If_ there weren't any cadaver dogs used in the beginning, or water recovery dogs, I think this would be a need for my area. There have been several incidences were people have drowned and searchers have not found the bodies in the water.


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## Alyssa Myracle (Aug 4, 2008)

Well, if there isn't a group, one could be started.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

May want to check with this group - I really don't know anyone in WV.
Will see if anyone from there comes to our seminar the end of the month; it will be pretty well attended.

Guess a link would help
http://www.wvk9sar.org/index.html


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## Megan Bays (Oct 10, 2008)

Nancy thank you so much for this link!


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## Barrie Kirkland (Nov 6, 2007)

I'm curious re legal status. In the uk missing person enquiries are in the domain of the police only & body recovery is co ordinated via police

Is the us different ?


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## Alyssa Myracle (Aug 4, 2008)

Civilian entities often assist in missing persons cases when the area to be searched is beyond the capability of Law Enforcement (often times very large uninhabited wooded or swamp areas).

Typically, the local authorities direct the searchers by assigning specific areas they would like the searchers to focus on. Additionally, there are specific instructions regarding how to report a find. 
Searchers are tyically certified through a parent organization, and if I'm not mistaken, have received training in crime scene preservation.

Additionally, in cases where Law Enforcement has exhausted all reasonable efforts to search for a missing person, civilian organizations may continue to search. Technically, you cannot prevent them from doing so, provided they have legal access to the lands they are searching.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Most reputable search teams *ONLY *respond to calls from LE or Emergency Management. There are some that go off and do their own thing.

It is kind of interesting to note that the do your own things team often get a lot of press, while the others just do their job and let the LE do all the talking, particularly in the area of human remains where a crime or family pain is often involved. 

Very few agencies in our area have cadaver dogs so we do it as a community service because of the requests from the police.


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## Barrie Kirkland (Nov 6, 2007)

thanks for the info, i appreciate the US geographically is massive so can understand the assistence part

In comparison the UK is much smaller and less emphasis is placed on the use of dogs.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I think you also have more restrictions on how cadaver dogs are trained - ie they cannot use any human remains. I am always hearing about people over there traning on pigs, but we have to use pig as a distractor because there are still a lot of wild pigs in many woods.


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## Barrie Kirkland (Nov 6, 2007)

Yeah we train on pigs,


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Well intended but poorly trained "teams" commonly show up at search sites to volunteer. If the LE agency in that particular area isn't up to date on SAR work with dogs it creats a disaster when legit teams are called. 
Then there are the teams that work with a medium. ](*,) ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)


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## Barrie Kirkland (Nov 6, 2007)

I see deAd people haha . Praise be I live on. A small island.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

I see them in my nightmares. Cannot imagine volenteering to add to what I already have.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I think people really need to search their souls before they get involved in this. I thought I was not impacted much by our last search but it was a child. I did not see the body, nor was I on scene when the parents were told. [but I was on another search].

Even so, I had a hard time sleeping for a week afterwards and we did have a CISD for our team.

I don't think they do much for military folks do they? MY SIL found a body during a training excercise and I don't think they did a THING for him.


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## Patrick Cheatham (Apr 10, 2006)

Qoute: There is now a North Carolina based group of missing person searchers who are now looking for the body w/ their cadaver dogs. They are called the Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons. 

I was just wondering if any of you all know of this group, or have heard of this investigation before.

They are based out of Willimington NC. I know they were used in an old kidnapping and murder case on the coast here in South Carolina. 
The guy was on death row, he assisted them with maps of where he dumped the body. From what I found out they have been some what successful in helping with old cases. And use non-dog handlers as well as dogs to look for missing persons. Here is a link http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/aboutcue.htm


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> I think people really need to search their souls before they get involved in this. I thought I was not impacted much by our last search but it was a child. I did not see the body, nor was I on scene when the parents were told. [but I was on another search].
> 
> Even so, I had a hard time sleeping for a week afterwards and we did have a CISD for our team.
> 
> I don't think they do much for military folks do they? MY SIL found a body during a training excercise and I don't think they did a THING for him.


 
It doesn't go away!
I will add that a parent comming up and thanking you goes right through you. 
I had the good fortune to train at the Body Farm in Tenn. As real as it gets but still doesn't prepair you for a child.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Barrie Kirkland said:


> I see deAd people haha . Praise be I live on. A small island.


A sick, inside joke (needed to stay sane sometimes) was talk about a K9 HRD bumper sticker that read:
"I smell dead people". 
Not very pc but definately a stress reliever.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I never get that [having the bumperstickers - same thing with the support search and rescue get lost one]. 

I get the humor and I have a plastic femur pen and a little skull that lights up that can hang from my rear view mirror but none of that stuff is "out" during a search and we hae had calls where even the magnet signs with team name don't go up.

I do remember a search where I was franticly pulling halloween decals (yes it was really halloween) off of my SUV before departing and kind of "hid" it when I parked because one would not come off. You never know who will be there and what negative memory having insenstive crap on your vehicle can generate.


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## Barrie Kirkland (Nov 6, 2007)

I'm a sick git Bob 

I could imagine it must be a bit harder for civvies who undertake this work. Being. A cop for many years including years as a detective in child protection prior to being a k9 cop

You get very use to death & suffering . I smell dead people .... Classic


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

There is even an "I smell dead people" t-shirt
Has a stinkin floppy eared dog on it hmmmmph

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/item/i-smell-dead-people/19532326


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## Barrie Kirkland (Nov 6, 2007)

Haha I want one.... It's not even a spaniel


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