Mississippi State professor creates database for missing persons

A Mississippi State professor has created the state’s first public database for missing persons.

In some states, it is required by law that law enforcement input information into a database and when Dr. Jesse Goliath noticed Mississippi didn’t have one, he created the Mississippi Repository for missing and unidentified persons.

Dr. Goliath works in the department of anthropology and is a part of the Mississippi Crime and Justice Research Unit.

He has had a hand in solving cases like Felicia Cox’s case in Pontotoc and identifying missing service members.

He has seen first hand how databases like these create a way for departments to work together to find connections or patterns in cold cases, ultimately solving them. Dr. Goliath said, “We’re actually going to see once we have enough data, where are the potential patterns. Where are people going missing? How long are they going missing for. We’re trying to look at patterns. They’re called ‘hotspots’. So, these hotspot analysis or cluster analysis give law enforcement agents other pieces of evidence that potentially could provide circumstantial context to the person.”

Anyone can add to the repository so if you have a loved one who is missing visit missinginms.msstate.edu.