Purpose:
The annual road tour was created to generate new interest in cold cases of missing people across our nation. The national road tour, called “On the Road to Remember,” is an awareness campaign that focuses on missing persons, unsolved homicide and the unidentified cases that have gone cold or have not received appropriate media coverage on the local level – much less the national level. The tour, which travels through many states annually, provides that needed attention.
The inspiration came in 2004 from the case of North Carolina college student Leah Roberts, who had gone on a cross-country trip of self-exploration. Her wrecked and abandoned vehicle was found, but Leah is still missing. Leah’s case went cold and interest faded until CUE volunteers set out on a 14-day trip to retrace her route and inform the media of all those who were missing in the path of the tour. In the years to follow, it only seemed right to keep hope alive after families across the country voiced the need for more help and supported the tour idea.
Objective:
In all cases of missing people, it is vital to inform the public of the missing person’s circumstances quickly and to disseminate that information to the media and the public. In most cases where details are released immediately to the public through an organized campaign, the public brings forth information that aids in the investigation and or the location of the victim. The media plays a significant role in getting the word out on the behalf of the missing person and should be recognized as a vital resource to any investigation. It is the belief of the CUE Center for Missing Persons that all investigations, the public, volunteers and the media should work in collaboration on cases involving missing children and adults; until this happens, there will continue to be cases of the missing labeled “cold” or “inactive.”