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Missing Niki Diane Britten 
Niki, approximately 1969; Age at the time of disappearance: -progression to Age at the time of disappearance: 65 (approximately 2018) Date reported missing : 07/16/1969 Missing location (approx) : Albany, Oregon Missing classification : Endangered Runaway Gender : Female Ethnicity : White DOB : 07/23/1953 (68) Age at the time of disappearance: 15 years old Height / Weight : 5'4, 145 pounds Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Niki's ears are pierced. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Niki ran away from her home in Albany, Oregon on July 16, 1969. She was living with her grandparents at the time of her disappearance. They legally adopted her after her parents divorced; this was supposedly to ensure that Niki's father, who was allegedly abusive, wouldn't get custody of her. Her mother, Nancy Mahaffey, remarried and moved to Pennsylvania, leaving Niki behind in Oregon; Niki began running away after that. For a time in 1966 and 1967, she stayed at Hillcrest, a juvenile correction facility. Niki called family friends in September 1969, trying to get in touch with her grandparents. She said she was in New York, had a job and was all right. This was the last time her family heard from her. Her grandparents kept the same phone number for the rest of their lives and never changed the locks at their Albany home, in case she should come home or try to contact them. Years later, Mahaffey found a letter, supposedly from Niki, at Niki's grandparents' house. The letter said Niki was living with "some people in a big old house" and that she "might come home someday but right now I have to do what’s right for me." Mahaffey doesn't think Niki actually wrote the letter, however; she thinks Niki's grandmother may have written it, to make herself feel better about Niki's disappearance. Niki's grandparents and her father are all deceased, but her mother is still alive and hopes to locate her daughter. Her mother has remarried and changed her name multiple times since 1969; Mahaffey is her current family name, but she also went by the names Weakland and McFarlane. Niki's Social Security number hasn't been used since her disappearance. Her case remains unsolved. Other information and links : ncy Albany Police Department 541-917-7680 September 2021 updates and sources The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 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. The Albany Democrat-Herald Whereabouts Still Unknown October 12, 2004. March 7, 2019; picture added, Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : updated. |