Cleveland Police Missing Persons Unit: Overwhelmed but determined

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - They chase leads, field calls from the public and psychics, and work tirelessly to reunite families.

Six detectives make up Cleveland’s missing persons team.

With a staggering number of new cases each day, these detectives are stretched thin.

“It could be anywhere between five and some days it could be much more than that,” said Detective Kevin Callahan, the Missing Persons Liaison for Cleveland Police.

Despite the challenges, they investigate every tip, even the seemingly unbelievable ones.

“We get calls from psychics,” Detective Callahan admitted. “It’s a lead.”

Detective Ryan Corrigan, newer to the unit, finds the work both rewarding and daunting.

“It can be hard sometimes,” he said. “Whatever my caseload is, I’m doing everything I can to bring them home.”

The detectives receive support from patrol officers, state, and federal agencies. But even with this help, the weight of each unsolved case is heavy.

“We document every single thing that we do,” Callahan emphasized, highlighting their commitment to finding closure, even decades later.

He recalled a case where he located a family’s deceased brother, missing since 1970, through DNA at the coroner’s office.

Detective Corrigan is currently working on the Keshaun Williams case, a 15-year-old who vanished without a trace.

TIMELINE: Search for missing teen Keshaun Williams

Despite the lack of a breakthrough, he remains resolute. “We keep working every angle on it!” Detective Callahan added.

These detectives need your help.

If you have any information about a missing person, say something.

You can even remain anonymous.

And remember, you don’t have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing.