Laura Recovery Center
Encyclopedia
The Laura Recovery Center exists to prevent abductions and runaways and to recover missing children by fostering a Triangle of Trust among law enforcement, communities
and a missing child's families
. The center is headquartered in Friendswood, Texas
, United States
. The center was founded by Bob and Gay Smither in response to the murder of their daughter Laura Kate Smither (April 23, 1984 - April 3, 1997).
Laura Smither was abducted near her Friendswood, Texas
, home on April 3, 1997 while she was jogging. A volunteer ground search, which consisted of more than 6,000 volunteers and covered over 800 square miles (2,000 km²), was organized by her community. The search for Laura Smither quickly spread across the nation. Her murdered body was discovered April 20 in a regional water retention pond 10 miles from her home.
The person who abducted and murdered Laura has not been charged.
The Center focuses on Education, Search, and Prevention related to child abduction and child safety.
Resources for families with missing children are offered on the center's website, including a free on-line Flyer Creation page, a free on-line Child ID kit, and on-line access to the LRC Search Manual.
When the center accepts a case one of the first actions taken is to post a flyer with information about the missing child. The flyers are posted to the Center's missing child page. Once on-line, the missing child flyer can be e-mailed and faxed by any visitor to the site to help distribute information about the missing child. The Laura Recovery Center began adding Quick Response Codes
to its flyers in October 2010. The QR Code will direct users of smart phones to a page where they can help distribute the missing child's flyer.
The Center has organized numerous community led searches for abducted children, including those for Danielle Van Dam, Elizabeth Smart
, and Morgan Harrington
.
A map showing the locations of Laura Recovery Center open cases, organized searches and other Center information is available on-line.
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
and a missing child's families
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
. The center is headquartered in Friendswood, Texas
Friendswood, Texas
Friendswood is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city lies in Galveston and Harris counties. As of the 2000 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The center was founded by Bob and Gay Smither in response to the murder of their daughter Laura Kate Smither (April 23, 1984 - April 3, 1997).
Laura Smither was abducted near her Friendswood, Texas
Friendswood, Texas
Friendswood is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city lies in Galveston and Harris counties. As of the 2000 U.S...
, home on April 3, 1997 while she was jogging. A volunteer ground search, which consisted of more than 6,000 volunteers and covered over 800 square miles (2,000 km²), was organized by her community. The search for Laura Smither quickly spread across the nation. Her murdered body was discovered April 20 in a regional water retention pond 10 miles from her home.
The person who abducted and murdered Laura has not been charged.
The Center focuses on Education, Search, and Prevention related to child abduction and child safety.
Resources for families with missing children are offered on the center's website, including a free on-line Flyer Creation page, a free on-line Child ID kit, and on-line access to the LRC Search Manual.
When the center accepts a case one of the first actions taken is to post a flyer with information about the missing child. The flyers are posted to the Center's missing child page. Once on-line, the missing child flyer can be e-mailed and faxed by any visitor to the site to help distribute information about the missing child. The Laura Recovery Center began adding Quick Response Codes
QR Code
A QR code is a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white...
to its flyers in October 2010. The QR Code will direct users of smart phones to a page where they can help distribute the missing child's flyer.
The Center has organized numerous community led searches for abducted children, including those for Danielle Van Dam, Elizabeth Smart
Elizabeth Smart kidnapping
The kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart occurred on June 5, 2002, when 14-year-old American girl Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her Salt Lake City, Utah, bedroom...
, and Morgan Harrington
Morgan Harrington
Morgan Dana Harrington was abducted from a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, Virginia in October 2009.20-year-old Harrington was abducted after leaving the John Paul Jones Arena, where she had gone with friends to see the band Metallica play on 17th October 2009...
.
A map showing the locations of Laura Recovery Center open cases, organized searches and other Center information is available on-line.