COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released the 2024 Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse Report today, Monday, May 19, 2025, coinciding with the approach of National Missing Children’s Day on May 25. The report highlights the state’s efforts to address missing persons cases, particularly those involving children, and aligns with recent awareness events.
“Every missing person is someone to somebody—a child, sibling, loved one, or friend,” Yost said. “I am proud of the dedication shown by Ohio law enforcement to keep Ohio’s children safe and commit that my office will continue to do everything in its power to support that mission.”
The 2024 report, compiled through collaboration between local law enforcement and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), operated by the U.S. Department of Justice, documented 21,342 missing persons in Ohio last year, a decrease of 1,032 from 2023. Of these, 16,404 were children, down by 1,001 from the previous year. Encouragingly, 96.5% of missing children—15,834 individuals—were safely recovered by year’s end, though three were found deceased.
The report detailed various case types, including 8,415 runaway incidents, 37 noncustodial parent abductions, and nine stranger abductions. Additionally, Ohio issued 13 AMBER Alerts for 15 children, with 14 recovered safely and one found deceased, alongside 17 Endangered Missing Child Alerts for 18 children, with 17 recovered safely and one deceased.
The NCIC database, updated by local agencies, tracks missing person reports and closes cases upon recovery, providing annual data to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) for the Clearinghouse Report. This report aims to raise awareness and support efforts to locate missing individuals.
On Saturday, May 17, BCI hosted Ohio’s Missing Persons Day at Wright State University, bringing together families of missing loved ones, law enforcement, advocates, and community members. The event, organized by BCI’s Missing Persons Unit within the Criminal Intelligence Unit, offered support and heightened awareness of missing person cases across the state. The unit also coordinates Endangered Missing Child and Adult Alerts, playing a critical role in assisting families and agencies.
A full copy of the 2024 Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse Report is available online.
