Department of Public Safety News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 01, 2011
Missouri State Highway Patrol accounts for all unaccounted-for individuals following Joplin tornado
Unaccounted-for individuals count down to 0; next-of-kin of 134 deceased individuals have been notified
Unaccounted-for individuals count down to 0; next-of-kin of 134 deceased individuals have been notified
The Missouri Department of Public Safety announced today that all persons who had previously been reported as unaccounted-for have either been located or confirmed deceased and their next-of-kin notified. "In the wake of this devastating tornado, Missouri State Highway Patrol Troopers have demonstrated outstanding professionalism and dedication in carrying out the vital mission of locating every individual who was unaccounted for after the storm," Gov. Nixon said. "Our Troopers worked 24/7 to locate these individuals and to bring relief to the families of the living, and closure to the families of those who died. This was a critical mission that our Missouri State Highway Patrol performed exceptionally well.” Last Wednesday, May 25, Gov. Jay Nixon ordered the department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol to assume responsibility for locating individuals who were unaccounted-for after the devastating Joplin tornado. After initial reports that the number of unaccounted-for individuals could be more than 1,300, the Patrol focused the search on individuals for whom an official missing-persons report had been filed. On Thursday, May 26, Gov. Nixon also directed the Missouri State Highway Patrol to augment the process of identifying the remains of those who died as a result of the tornado, and to expedite the process of notifying those individuals' next of kin. As of 1 p.m. today, a total of 268 missing-persons reports have been filed since the tornado; that total includes three additional reports that have been filed since yesterday afternoon's media briefing. Over the past week, State Troopers and other partners have worked 24 hours a day to account for each of those individuals.
Today, Gov. Nixon, the Department of Public Safety and the Highway Patrol reported that of the 268 individuals on the unaccounted-for persons list:
144 previously unaccounted-for individuals are reported located;
124 previously unaccounted-for individuals have been confirmed deceased, and their next of kin have been notified That brings the number of unaccounted-for individuals to zero. Persons categorized as "reported located" are individuals who the Missouri State Highway Patrol has received credible information indicating that they are alive. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, 134 individuals have been confirmed deceased as a result of the tornado. This total of 134 includes the following:
124 individuals included on the unaccounted-for list who have been confirmed deceased and whose next of kin have been notified by the Missouri State Highway Patrol;
7 individuals who have been confirmed deceased but were never transported to the temporary morgue because they were transported to funeral homes immediately after the tornado; and
3 individuals who have died in a hospital since the storm
The names of the individuals who have been confirmed deceased and whose next of kin have been notified as of 1 p.m. today (Wednesday, June 1) are:
| Jose O. Alvarez, 59, Joplin | Tedra J. Kuhn, 69, Joplin |
| Maria L. Alvarez-Torres, 43, Joplin | Donald W. Lansaw, Jr., 31, Joplin |
| Barbara A. Anderson, 76, Joplin | Bruce A. Lievens, 48, Joplin |
| Sarah L. Anderson, 47, Joplin | Billie S. Little, 65, Joplin |
| William A. Anderson, 53, Joplin | Skyuler I. Logsdon, 1, Joplin |
| Cyrus "Edward" Ash, Jr., 87, Joplin | Christopher D. Lucas, 28, Vinita, Oklahoma |
| Grace Aquino, 46, of Joplin | Rachel K. Markham, 31, Joplin |
| Robert W. Baker, 54, Joplin | Patricia Mann, 64, Joplin |
| Bruce M. Baillie, 56, Joplin | Nancy Martin, 52, Neosho |
| Robert E. Bateson, 45, Joplin | Jesse L. McKee, 44, Neosho |
| Dorothy T. Bell, 88, Joplin | James E. McKeel, 69, Joplin |
| Regina M. Bloxham, 55, Joplin | Mary L. McKeel, 64, Joplin |
| Barbara Boyd, 86, Joplin | Randall E. Mell, 49, Joplin |
| Lathe E. Bradfield, 84, Joplin | Angelina A. Menapace, 52, Joplin |
| Ramona M. Bridgeford, 77, Seneca | Ronald D. Meyer, 64, Joplin |
| Leo E. Brown, 86, Joplin | Lorna K. Miller, 72, Joplin |
| Hugh O. Buttram, 85, Joplin | Ray Donald Miller III, 49, Joplin |
| Tami L. Campbell, 28, Joplin | Suzanne M. Mock, 39, Forsyth |
| Arriyinnah S. Carmona, 8, Joplin | Esterlita Moore, 64, Joplin |
| Moises Carmona-Navarro, 42, Joplin | Doris Montgomery, 83, Joplin |
| Shante M. Caton, 10, Joplin | Sally Moulton, 57, Joplin |
| Trenton Caton, 6, Pierce City | Edmond V. Mullaney, 82, Joplin |
| Raymond Chew, 66, Joplin | Sharyl Nelsen, 34, Joplin |
| Carolane J. Collins, 62 Eagle Rock | William R. Norton, 18, Joplin |
| Clyde Coleman, 72, Galena, Kansas | Dennis M. Osborn, 34, Seneca |
| Lois A. Comfort, 66, Webb City | Charles E. Oster, 77, Joplin |
| Keenan K. Conger, 49, Joplin | Shirley Ann Parker, 68, Joplin |
| Vicki L. Cooper, 59, Joplin | Mary J. Perry, 76, Joplin |
| Teddy R. Copher, 71, Joplin | James B. Peterson, 27, Joplin |
| Malisa A. Crossley, 36, Joplin | Anna Pettek, 91, Joplin |
| Adam Darnaby, 27, Joplin | John H. Petty, 37, Neosho |
| Patricia E. Dawson, 74, Joplin | Hallie M. Piquard, 78, Joplin |
| Nancy E. Douthitt, 94, Joplin | Natalia M. Puebla, 17, Neosho |
| Ellen Doyle, 75, Joplin | Shelly Marie Ramsey, 42, Neosho |
| Faith Dunn, 71, Joplin | Loretta Randell, 54, Joplin |
| Amonda S. Eastwood, 49, Joplin | Troy Raney, 39, Joplin |
| Richard A. Elmore, 70, Joplin | Virgil T. Reid, 77, Joplin |
| Randy E. England, 34, Neosho | Johnny Richey, 52, Joplin |
| Mark L. Farmer, 56, Joplin | Vicki Robertson, 66, Joplin |
| Ida M. Finley, 88, Joplin | Keith D. Robinson, 48, Joplin |
| Betty Fisher, 86, Joplin | Virginia Mae Salmon, 80, Joplin |
| Robert S. Fitzgerald, 61, Joplin | Thomas Sarino 75, Joplin |
| Rick E. Fox, 56, Joplin | Tonya L. Sawyer, 41, Fort Scott, Kansas |
| Marsha A. Frost, 32, Joplin | Frances A. Scates, 70, Joplin |
| Sebastian C. Frost, 10, Joplin | Gladys J. Seay, 83, Welch, Oklahoma |
| Charles K. Gaudsmith, 21, Carthage | Daniel W. Shirley, 48, Joplin |
| Billie J. Gideon, 77, Joplin | Judy Smith, 71, Joplin |
| Paul E. Haddock, 63, Joplin | Luther Smith, 71, Joplin |
| Johnna Hale, 49, Joplin | Nicholaus A. Smith, 23, Joplin |
| Caley Lantz Hare, 16, Joplin | Shyrell L. Smith, 68, Pittsburg, Kansas |
| Dorothy V. Hartman, 91, Joplin | Lois L. Sparks, 92, Joplin |
| Dee A. Hayward, 47, Galena, Kansas | Steven J. Stephens, 28, Joplin |
| Glenn W. Holland, 59, Joplin | Gregan D. Sweet, 59, Joplin |
| Lorie M. Holland, 48, Joplin | Kayleigh Teal, 16, Pittsburg, Kansas |
| Charlotte Hopwood, 84, Joplin | Heather L. Terry, 36, Joplin |
| Hayze Howard, 1, Webb City | John Thomas, Jr., 40, Joplin |
| Harli Howard, 5, Webb City | Sandra K. Thomas, 55, Carthage |
| Thomas Russell Howard, 29, Webb City | Zachary D. Treadwell, 9, Joplin |
| Iona Hull, 70, Carthage | Margaret Tuit, 92, Joplin |
| Wendy A. Istas, 58, Joplin | Michael E. Tyndall, 33, Joplin |
| Jane E. Jaynes, 86, Joplin | Darian D. Vanderhoofven, 45, Joplin |
| Melisa R. Johnson, 50, Carthage | Joshua D. Vanderhoofven, 1, Joplin |
| Cheryl L. Jones, 39, Altamont, Kansas | Miguel Vazquez-Castillo, 28, Joplin |
| Kathy S. Keling, 53, Joplin | Miles Wells, 49, Webb City |
| James D. Kendrick, 63, Joplin | Tiera Whitley, 20, Fulton, Kansas |
| Stanley D. Kirk, 62, Joplin | Zach Williams, 12, Joplin |
| Geneva Koler, 84, Joplin | Charles W. Writer, 74, Joplin |
The coroner has authorized the release of all deceased persons to their families so that they may be laid to rest. As of 1 p.m., 119 persons had been released from the morgue, and additional persons are expected to be released later today.
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For more information, call 573-751-5432 or e-mail mike.oconnell@dps.mo.gov