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A review by judythereader
The Skeleton Crew: How Amateur Sleuths are Solving America's Coldest Cases by Deborah Halber
4.0
The Federal Government estimates there are 40,000 people who are unaccounted for. Many of them are dead. The government officials who oversaw the long overdue establishment of a federal database to track the missing think it could be more than 70,000.
Before the disappearance of Adam Walsh, there was no centralized record of the missing. His parents helped spearhead the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, but that was, and still is, just for children. Also it is a private agency, unaffiliated with the government.
To fill in the gap, amateur sleuths started investigating. The exploded with the arrival of the internet. Very often, they are responsible for identifying unknown remains.
Deborah Halber dives into the world of these amateurs, tracing the rise of their involvement and looks at their success. She introduces us to some of the people and to some of the missing.
This is a very well-written exploration of a group of people who have their own sub-culture here in America. I had heard of some of the sites she discusses, but I did not know how active these people are and what sort of success they have had.
Halber is also not afraid to look at the dramas that can happen in a small community of people like this. This was an excellent and insightful read.
Before the disappearance of Adam Walsh, there was no centralized record of the missing. His parents helped spearhead the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, but that was, and still is, just for children. Also it is a private agency, unaffiliated with the government.
To fill in the gap, amateur sleuths started investigating. The exploded with the arrival of the internet. Very often, they are responsible for identifying unknown remains.
Deborah Halber dives into the world of these amateurs, tracing the rise of their involvement and looks at their success. She introduces us to some of the people and to some of the missing.
This is a very well-written exploration of a group of people who have their own sub-culture here in America. I had heard of some of the sites she discusses, but I did not know how active these people are and what sort of success they have had.
Halber is also not afraid to look at the dramas that can happen in a small community of people like this. This was an excellent and insightful read.