COOK COUNTY, IL – To prioritize long unsolved cases of missing people, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office has launched the Missing Persons Project, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced at a press conference today.
The new project will provide resources dedicated to the search of people who have been missing for three or more years, with an initial focus on missing women. These resources include investigators who are assigned to help with unsolved cases and work closely with local law enforcement agencies.
“These are incredibly challenging cases to solve and behind each of them are family and friends just left devastated and worrying with no answers,” Sheriff Dart said. “The families of these missing women deserve the public’s attention and help in trying to find answers.”
The project will highlight cases that have often lacked widespread media attention. The cases will also be featured on the Office’s new Missing Persons website and on the Office’s social media channels in an effort to generate tips.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), 170 people from Cook County have been missing for three years or longer, including 77 women and 93 men.
As part of the project, Sheriff’s Office investigators have been working on the case of Viola Martin, who was last seen in Glenwood and whose car was found in Dixmoor in December of 2009. She was 56 years old.
Martin’s three daughters, Annette Martin-Gilmore, Angela Martin-Fields, and Latrina Martin, have been working closely with investigators and attended the press conference today in the hopes of generating tips.
“We urge anyone with information to please come forward,” said Latrina Martin. “Our mom is loved and missed by all of us.”
For more information on the Missing Persons Project, or to provide tips and information about these cases you can visit our website at https://www.cookcountysheriffil.gov/person/ contact us by phone (773) 674-9490 or email CCSO.MissingPersons@CCSheriff.org.