New scrutiny for cases involving missing Native American people
SEATTLE -- Several cases involving missing Native Americans from Washington state are drawing new scrutiny from investigators who say the unsolved disappearances of men, women and teenagers date back to the 1970s.
“Everything from human trafficking to being lured," said Patti Gosch, spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol. "It could be a person that doesn’t want to be found.”
Officials said a state database currently shows more than 100 indigenous people -- almost evenly split between men and women -- have not been found after they went missing. Investigators admit that the actual number of missing people could be even higher since the group generally does not get the same attention as white people who have been reported missing.
“Historically it was never investigated,” Gosch said, adding that cases involving missing person s from the group tend to be overlooked for all kinds of reasons, including poor record-keeping, under reporting of cases and distrust of law enforcement. “Sometimes the family members would report their missing as white because they thought they would get them found faster than if they were reported as native."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-scrutiny-for-cases-involving-missing-native-american-people/ar-AAPoKs9
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