Missing Persons Day: Families still seeking loved ones who disappeared

DETROIT (FOX 2) - For the families of Michigan’s missing, giving up is never an option. On Thursday, some of them came together not just to grieve but to remind the world that their loved ones are still out there, and they’re still searching.

Every year, investigators across the state law enforcement will investigate 9,000 missing children. Thankfully, most will come home, but right now there are 3,500 missing people in the state.

People like Randall Childs, who has been missing since June 7, 2011.

The backstory:

"My light has dimmed a little," said Sharon Murray, Randall Childs’ brother. "I will never stop looking for my brother."

Loved ones say he had a disagreement with his girlfriend, walked out the door - then vanished into the night.

"He went to walk her down out of the apartment because it was late. That was the last time anyone has seen him," said Murray.

Incredibly, both of them - Randall and Karen Young, disappeared without a trace, and no goodbye.

"The family is kind of stumped now," Murray said. "Where is Randall? He would not have gone missing and not contacted his family."

His family says they have searched everywhere, like abandoned houses, shells of buildings, and the medical examiner's office.

They’ve covered streets with flyers, covered billboards with his face, and have left no stone unturned.

"Give us some kind of tip or anything. We're looking for my uncle," said Mario Mathis, Randall's nephew. "We can’t say somebody did something to him. We’re looking for my uncle."

Thursday, families who share this same unbearable pain stood shoulder to shoulder for Missing Persons Day.

They gathered not just in grief, but in hope. Hope that someone, anyone will come forward with even the smallest clue.

"A lot of these families are hurting," said Inspector Sarah Krebs, state police. "And we really need people to be on the lookout for their loved ones and bring us answers."

Across the country, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, at any given time, about 100,000 people or more are reported missing.