The opening session for the 2025 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium will welcome all participants. Opening remarks will be provided by Eileen Garry from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) Administrator Janell Rasmussen. You will also hear from Sayeh Rivazfar, who will offer an important family perspective on why we are all here this week.

Shortly after falling asleep one night, Sayeh's life took a sudden and terrifying turn, catapulting her into a journey of profound fear and hardship. What happened that night would leave an indelible mark on her and her younger sister, Sara. Yet, Sayeh’s story is not defined by what was taken from her but by the strength she discovered within herself. We are privileged to have Sayeh share her story and how she found resilience in the aftermath of unimaginable challenges and transformed her pain into a mission to protect others. Now a retired New York State Trooper and a passionate advocate, Sayeh’s story is one of perseverance, courage, and the power of hope to overcome even the darkest moments.

Explore the role of the U.S. Marshals Service's Missing Child Unit in supporting investigations involving missing children. Identify and analyze the federal resources and strategies used in fugitive apprehensions and learn how to apply them to cases of abducted, lost, missing, and at-risk endangered children. Examine how these resources adapt to different scenarios and types of missing children's cases. Engage with real-world case studies to evaluate and synthesize best practices, enhancing your ability to support investigations and contribute to reducing the number of missing children effectively.

This presentation delves into the current state of child protection as it relates to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, offering an overview of progress made within key programs aimed at finding missing children. It highlights recent updates in initiatives, technological advancements, and data that enhance the search for missing children across the United States.

Explore the organization and impact of Pasco County's renowned Missing and Abducted Child Team (MACT) and its pivotal role in locating missing children. Investigate the steps involved in their initial patrol response and evaluate the activation and deployment process of their team. Examine the duties of each team member, how the command post is established, and the supervisory roles that direct search and investigative activities. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the specialized training MACT members receive, recognize the essential documents used in their operations, and evaluate how their effective policy was developed and implemented.

Follow along with the commander of a Child Abduction Response Team (CART) as they navigate the unorthodox use of the team to respond to an endangered missing child ultimately found in the hands of a child trafficker. Learn about the risk factors that necessitated the CART's continued efforts, even as the case began to grow cold. Examine the strategies employed during the investigation and uncover how the child was successfully recovered. Analyze the outcomes of the investigation and gain valuable insights into effective responses to complex cases involving child trafficking.

Explore the inspiring journey of Dr. Noelle Hunter, a survivor of international parental child abduction (IPCA), and her advocacy with the iStand Parent Network. Learn about her experience navigating cultural challenges and International law to bring her daughter, Muna, home from Mali, West Africa. Examine the role of law enforcement in IPCA cases, focusing on legal distinctions and the need for immediate action by the entire system. Analyze key legislative advancements, such as the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (ICAPRA), and their impact on child abduction prevention. Gain insights into Dr. Hunter’s work at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where she leads the International Child Abduction Prevention and Research Office (ICAPRO) to develop updated literature and data-driven policy recommendations. Engage with the resource, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide, co-authored by Dr. Hunter, and empower yourself with es

Topics to be discussed are reinvestment with specific focus on Tribal, Territorial and rural areas. Overview of the 2024 Emergency Management Resouce Guide with solicitation for tribal participation.

Explore the history and development of the New Jersey Child Abduction Response Team (CART) model, mandated by law and recognized as a highly effective response and recovery tool for missing and abducted children. Examine the inception of the NJ CART model, and analyze the methods used to identify and engage stakeholders while overcoming challenges. Understand the composition of the team, including its directives, manuals, criteria, and command structure. Investigate the CART’s first activation and evaluate several subsequent successful child recovery cases, gaining insight into this proven approach to missing children investigations.

Examine the harrowing abduction of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena, who vanished from a popular upstate New York campground. Analyze the rapid activation of the AMBER Alert and follow the critical timeline faced by investigators. Understand the investigative strategies employed and evaluate how these efforts led to Charlotte's successful recovery. Gain insight into the outcome of the investigation, identifying key takeaways that contributed to solving this high-profile case.

Engage in an interactive class that presents participants with various scenarios regarding reports of missing children and requests for AMBER Alerts from law enforcement. Analyze each scenario collaboratively as the class discusses whether the presented facts warrant activation or fall short. Benefit from the dynamic nature of this popular annual course, which updates scenarios each year to reflect current activations, cases, and trends. Participate in critical discussions tha enhance understanding of the decision-making process behind AMBER Alert activations and improve response strategies in real-world situations.

The IPAWS program has had a longstanding relationship supporting the AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country programs. IPAWS values every life of those impacted by these terrible events and strives to lead efforts to leverage technology in engaging with the public through emergency communication. IPAWS will discuss important features, updates, and the vision to continue to lead in this effort. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of what tools are available to them, effective ways to use them, and future efforts being developed.

Missing and Endangered Juveniles in Indian Country - Coordinating Interstate Recovery Efforts: Case Studies with the Gila River Indian Community: The recovery of missing children often requires a collaborative approach among multiple agencies and jurisdictions. In the Summer/Fall of 2024, the Gila River Indian Community responded to two separate cases of runaway, juvenile females. This session will detail the investigative methods used to recover the juveniles - from the initial patrol response to their ultimate return home to the Community. We will discuss the difficulties faced in coordinating efforts with multiple agencies, dealing with the media, handling tips, and post recovery issues.

Information about the day’s sessions, and a brief recap and follow-up on day one will be provided.

Pamela Foster, mother of Ashlynne Mike, will share important perspectives around AMBER Alert and child protection efforts in Indian Country and for Missing Native American and Indigenous children across the nation.

Discover the transformative impact of genetic genealogy on solving criminal cases, especially those once considered unsolvable. Delve into the process of capturing and accessing family tree DNA and examine real-life cases where genetic genealogy played a pivotal role in finding resolution. Review statistics that demonstrate improved outcomes with this advanced forensic tool and evaluate how this cutting-edge technique is reshaping the landscape of criminal investigations.

Examine the harrowing abduction of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena, who vanished from a popular upstate New York campground. Analyze the rapid activation of the AMBER Alert and follow the critical timeline faced by investigators. Understand the investigative strategies employed and evaluate how these efforts led to Charlotte's successful recovery. Gain insight into the outcome of the investigation, identifying key takeaways that contributed to solving this high-profile case.

Examine the heartbreaking case of Kyron Horman, who vanished without a trace nearly 15 years ago at the age of 7. Hear from Desiree Young, Kyron’s mother, as she recounts the last time her son was seen and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. Follow the course of the investigation and assess the challenges faced by law enforcement. Witness the profound impact Kyron's disappearance has had on his family and explore the enduring efforts to keep his case alive.

Equip yourself with essential skills for conducting comprehensive investigations into missing children using open-source intelligence (OSINT) and law enforcement databases. Leverage publicly available data alongside secure investigative tools to enhance case outcomes. Track the investigation process from the initial assessment of a missing child case to coordinating a sustained response with investigative partners such as local law enforcement, federal agencies, and community members. Create an effective, dynamic strategy for the successful recovery of missing children.

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers: Resources for Missing Children, their Families and Justice System Members: Hear a Clearinghouse Manager from the California Department of Justice discuss the vital role clearinghouses play in recovering missing children and supporting their families. Identify the key resources that clearinghouses provide to aid law enforcement investigations and analyze how these resources contribute to successful child recovery efforts. Gain insight into the collaborative strategies and support systems available to enhance your response to missing children's cases.

This session is designed to provide participants with insight into an unresolved missing person case and the challenges in Indian Country to investigate these cases.

Hear from investigators of the Shannon Dedrick case, famously known as the "Baby in a Box". Follow the case in detail as investigators guide you through the initial report of the missing 7-month-old to her shocking recovery. Explore the tenacious investigation that led to a massive search effort and the crucial interviews that uncovered the truth. Analyze the strategies and investigative techniques that made this case a success, and gain insights into handling complex missing child investigations.

Follow along with the commander of a Child Abduction Response Team (CART) as they navigate the unorthodox use of the team to respond to an endangered missing child ultimately found in the hands of a child trafficker. Learn about the risk factors that necessitated the CART's continued efforts, even as the case began to grow cold. Examine the strategies employed during the investigation and uncover how the child was successfully recovered. Analyze the outcomes of the investigation and gain valuable insights into effective responses to complex cases involving child trafficking.

Engage in an interactive class that presents participants with various scenarios regarding reports of missing children and requests for AMBER Alerts from law enforcement. Analyze each scenario collaboratively as the class discusses whether the presented facts warrant activation or fall short. Benefit from the dynamic nature of this popular annual course, which updates scenarios each year to reflect current activations, cases, and trends. Participate in critical discussions that enhance understanding of the decision-making process behind AMBER Alert activations and improve response strategies in real-world situations.

Learn from the AMBER Alert Coordinator with the Washington State Police Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit about the state statutes that govern mandates for missing person investigations. Explore key mandates that, while specific to Washington, are best practices and often universal across the country. Examine the details related to entering missing persons cases into databases, including the entry of dental records. Identify the case assistance available and the partnerships that can be leveraged to enhance investigative efforts. Gain valuable insights into best practices for effectively managing missing persons cases and improving outcomes in your jurisdiction.

Participants will learn about the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act and current work with tribal stakeholders, including victim service providers, on the implementation of alerts to respond to missing and/or abducted children in Indian Country. Participants will gain knowledge of past child abduction and exploitation events which occurred on tribal lands and the challenges encountered to protect their children. Learn how a tribal community changed their protocol for missing persons and children from a tribal community, including the various requirements for requesting issuance of an AMBER Alert, the steps tribal communities would need to consider in order to request an AMBER Alert, and available resources through the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program.

Closing remarks on key takeaways and next steps as gleaned from the efforts, collaboration, and insights of the 2025 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium will be presented.