The Dangerous Myth About Missing People in Montana

Last week, I shared a story with you about a missing elderly woman outside of Ulm. The story sparked interest throughout the area and thankfully, she was found safe and sound thanks to the hard work of first responders.

When I caught up with Sheriff Jesse Slaughter on 560 KMON to talk about the case, he made sure to "debunk" a popular myth people believe when someone goes missing.

"24-Hour Rule for a Missing Person"

While Sheriff Jesse Slaughter was discussing how multiple agencies tracked down the missing elderly woman he addressed, he talked about a common myth many of us have heard about at some point.

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"I remember when I was a young deputy and police officer early in my career," Sheriff Slaughter explained in an interview with 560 KMON., "There was this myth that people had to be missing for 24 hours before [they can be reported.]"

I told him I've heard that before and he had a simple response.

"That's not true."

Now, if the person you're worried about is at work in a rural area with no phone service, then they're probably busy at work, right? But Sheriff Slaughter says you should act quickly in any other unusual scenario.

"When we're talking about, particularly especially elderly people who suffer from any type of mental decline or any child, you call immediately," the sheriff said.

Finding a missing person is a race against time and by waiting 24 hours, you're leaving open the possibility of hazards, threats, health issues, or other potential life-threatening scenarios for the missing person.

Where Did the 24-Hour Myth for Missing People Come From?

There's a good chance most of us heard of this myth from a show or movie we saw at some point and kept it with us somewhere as "fact."

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The truth is many of us would act as soon as we realized one of our children or loved ones were missing.

Some might hesitate for a variety of reasons including not wanting to "burden" law enforcement, not being able to think straight, or trying to handle it themselves...

Don't.

Contact law enforcement when you need help; it's why they're there.