With smartphones, social media, and surveillance cameras nearly everywhere, it may seem surprising that people can still vanish without a trace. Yet in Louisiana, there are roughly five hundred active missing persons cases and veteran private investigator Ed Prevost says the reality behind those numbers is more layered than many assume.
Prevost says technology helps but it doesn’t automatically solve every case, and not every missing person is trying to be found.
“A number of people who are listed as missing have actually chosen to leave their lives behind,” Prevost said. “They’ve made a personal decision to start over somewhere else, and legally they have the right to do that.”
He says when investigators do locate someone who does not want their whereabouts disclosed, the law is clear.
“If we find them and they tell us they don’t want anyone to know where they are, we have to honor that,” Prevost explained.
Prevost says a significant portion of cases also involve runaways and individuals struggling with mental health issues, which can complicate efforts to confirm identity and reconnect them with loved ones.
“When mental health is involved, communication can be difficult,” he said. “Even if someone is located, getting accurate information and stabilizing the situation enough to reunite them with family can take time.”
In other cases, the outcome is far more tragic than mysterious. Prevost points to recent incidents where people disappeared following accidents that were not immediately discovered.
“We’ve seen cases where someone had a single-car crash and the vehicle ended up submerged in water,” he said. “Those situations can delay discovery and create a missing persons case before the truth is known.”
No matter the circumstances, Prevost stresses that timing is critical when someone goes missing and families should not hesitate to contact authorities.
“Call law enforcement at the first real concern about someone’s whereabouts,” Prevost urged. “Every minute matters. Evidence disappears, surveillance footage gets erased, memories fade, and witnesses move on.”
He says while modern tools have improved investigations, the most important factors remain urgency, accurate reporting, and public awareness because every case begins with someone noticing that a person didn’t make it home.