Although African Americans make up just 13 percent of the U.S. population, we account for 33 percent of the missing in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s database. Cases involving African Americans also tend to receive less media coverage than missing Whites, with missing men of color getting even less attention.
NewsOne has partnered with the Black and Missing Foundation and TV One to focus on the crisis of missing African Americans.
To be a part of the solution, NewsOne will profile a missing person weekly and provide tips about how to keep your loved ones safe and what to do if someone goes missing, while TV One‘s newest show, “Find Our Missing,” hosted by award-winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson, tells these stories in visual form.
—————————————
Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin
Case Type: Endangered
DOB: Jan 15, 1996
Missing Date: September 9, 2012
Age Now: 16
Missing City: Goldsboro
Missing State: North Carolina
Case Number: NCMC1202481
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Complexion: Dark
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 135
Hair Color: Black
Hair Length: Short
Eye Color: Brown
Wear Glasses or Contacts: No
Location Last Seen: Police believe McLaurin may have been abducted. According to authorities, McLaurin was forced in to a late-model 1990s bluish/gray 4-door Oldsmobile by three or four unknown men at the 700 block of Bain Street in the Woodcrest Housing Community.
An Amber Alert was issued in the case, after McLaurin’s mother, Kimberly Best, said he failed to return home Sunday night. The teen was last seen at 1 p.m. Sunday.
“Whoever took my son, bring him back home, release him, or give a tip where he’s at,” McLaurin’s father, Ken McLaurin Sr., told WRAL.com
McLaurin is a high school junior who loved boxing and had begun to think about applying to college, said McLaurin Sr.
The family believes someone knows what happened in the case.
“His family is going through a lot, and it’s hurting. It hurts really bad,” said McLaurin Sr.
Circumstances of Disappearance: McLaurin was last seen traveling in a blue older model Buick or Lincoln sedan. Police are looking for a 1990s bluish-gray, four-door Oldsmobile that has faded paint.
Last Seen Wearing: Unknown.
Identifying Marks or Characteristics: Both of Kennedy’s ears are pierced and he has a tattoo of the initial “K” on his left hand.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Kennedy Fitzgerald McLaurin can call a tip line at (919) 580-4243, the Goldsboro Police Department at (919) 705-6572 or Crime Stoppers at (919) 735-2255. You may also contact the Black and Missing Foundation’s confidential Tip Line.
