Missing Chester Ralph Wetmore Chester, approximately 1986; James Barnes Date reported missing : 05/26/1986 Missing location (approx) : Bradenton, Florida Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Male Ethnicity : White DOB : 08/21/1971 (49) Age at the time of disappearance: 14 years old Height / Weight : 6'0, 145 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : Jeans, a blue checkered shirt and boots. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian male. Blond hair, brown eyes. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Chester was last seen leaving his family's residence in Bradenton, Florida during the evening hours of May 26, 1986. He has never been heard from again. James P. Barnes, a death row inmate in Florida, confessed to Chester's murder in the first episode of Werner Herzog's documentary miniseries, On Death Row, in 2012. A photo of Barnes is posted with this case summary. He was sentenced to death for the murder of Patricia Miller; he was already serving a life sentence for the murder of his estranged wife when he confessed to Miller's murder. Six weeks after his first interview with Herzog, Barnes wrote Herzog a letter confessing to killing and burying Chester. He also confessed to the unsolved 1990 murder of Brenda Joyce Fletcher, correctly identifying the place where her body had been found. He has never been charged in either case, however, and is still awaiting execution. Some Age at the time of disappearance: ncies may list September 17, 1989 or May 27, 1986 as the date of Chester's disappearance. Some may classify his case as that of an endangered runaway. Other information and links : ncy Manatee County Sheriff's Department 941-741-3248 941-747-3011 September 2021 updates and sources Child Protection Education of America Florida Department of Law Enforcement The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Florida Department of Corrections On Death Row Brevard County Sheriff's Office A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. October 12, 2004. April 18, 2018; middle name added. |