Missing Since: Jul 3, 2018
Missing From: Philadelphia, PA
DOB: Feb 12, 2005
Age: Now 13
Sex: Male
Race: Black
Hair Color: Brown (May have some blonde/bleaching)
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 130 lbs
As I have been researching cases for upcoming shows, I was struck by the photograph of Byron Carter. I felt there was some kind of sadness in his face that made me want to learn more about him, and his whereabouts. There was a note that he may still be in the local area. Sadly, as is common with a lot of missing people of colour, there is next to no media coverage or information about him online. There are no news stories, no interviews with his family, no explanation of the circumstances of his disappearance. All that exists is what I have provided here, from the documentation on missingkids.org. I find that so troubling. Every single missing child needs our full attention, and there should be updates on him. There’s no way to even find out who his family is, to ask them if they are getting any action from local police. This got me to thinking about how a lot of teenagers have been treated as runaways or even throw-aways. This may often be driven by the idea that their behavior has not been perfect – maybe they have been involved in illegal activity, have an addition or some other circumstance. However that doesn’t make them less of a child – or alleviate any pain that their family may be feeling. We make too many assumptions in this world, and history has already shown us how wrong we are to do so.
I found the organization ‘Not a Runaway’ who share my feelings on this topic. To learn more, visit http://www.notarunaway.org/
- ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT 911 or 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) and
- Philadelphia Police Department (Pennsylvania) 1-215-686-3250
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