WASHINGTON — A rash of women whose lives were lost after they were abducted is prompting Virginia to improve the way it searches for a missing person.
The high-profile missing persons cases such as Alexis Murphy, Morgan Harrington and more recently Hannah Graham, are the reasons behind improving the search process. The goal is to save lives.
Virginia State Senator, Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover County) says the goal is to have a faster and better response when a person is first reported missing, especially since the first 24-48 hours are the most critical.
Senator McDougle is introducing a bill during the Virginia General Assembly’s new session that revamps how the state conducts a search.
He says, “We will be proposing to have a statewide (missing person) coordinator with the Department of Emergency Management.”
McDougle also says the bill would create a checklist for law enforcement all across the state. The changes, which have been folded into McDougle’s bill, are the result of a study conducted by the state’s crime commission.
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