A MEMORIAL

An event to honor those who have been lost to violent crime.  The evening includes guest speakers and a candlelight vigil.  Please join us as we remember and cherish the memory of our loved ones.  For further information, please contact Andy Kahan at (713) 308-9063.  Parking is available in back of the City Hall Annex.

For a downloadable flyer, click here.

We have many very important topics to discuss that affect our organization’s continued success, such as hands-on training for horses, foot searchers, ATVs, recon, sonar, watercraft and other search-related resources. In addition, policies for searches, recent search updates and upcoming fundraisers will be discussed. We will be giving away door prizes.

You are urged to attend, if possible. Please email your RSVP to Sherry at sherry.mckinney@texasequusearch.org, so we can get an idea of how many people will be attending. Thank you so much.

Click here for a map to the Bass Pro Shop

Standards for Horses:

(Safety and Control are always our primary concern at all times.)

1. Any horse that kicks, bites, rears, or bucks is not allowed to help in search and rescue work.
2. Horse should be able to pass the physical criteria as deemed appropriate by the Training Instructor and TES Officers.
3. Must have an up to date negative coggins at all times.

Regulations for Mounted Search and Rescue Information

1. The horse must be able to walk, trot, canter (lope) and stop and stand under control from either direction in the arena
2. The horse should stand quietly while tied or being held, mounted or dismounted from either side.
3. The horse should be able to pony another horse and be ponied as well.
4. The horse should allow the rider to hold at least two other horses while mounted and stand calmly.
5. The horse should allow the rider to put on a slicker in calm or windy weather and open a map while mounted.
6. The horse should be able to negotiate obstacles in an arena that demonstrated the riders control, such as: drag an object using a rope, back readily into an “L”, side pass, walk over a large plastic tarp, open a gate from horseback.
7. The horse should accept motorcycles, bicycles, backpackers, baby strollers, tents, gunfire, helicopters, chain saws and sirens while in control.
8. The horse should be able to be loaded into both step-up and ramp trailers.
9. On the trail, the horse should be under the rider’s control while riding at a variety of gaits. The horse should also: be able to leave a group of horses at a specified gait and return under control, be able to be controlled while the other horses move away, allow other horses to move ahead at a more rapid rate of speed and remain in control of rider. The horses should be able to negotiate a bridge and water alone or with other horses present.
10. The horses should be able to climb and descend a steep grade at a walk.
11. The rider should be able to lead the horse by hand over rough terrain easily without the horse pulling back, pulling ahead or bumping into the rider.
12. The horse should be able to negotiate thick brush calmly.
13. The horse should be able to carry 20-30 pound saddle packs of SAR equipment.
14. The horse should be able to pack a 200 pound person.

Standards for the Rider

1. Must be eighteen (18) years of age.
2. Must exhibit a positive attitude at all times.
3. Must demonstrate proficient horsemanship and trail etiquette.
4. Must take classes in, and show completion of Search and Rescue techniques, map reading skills, etc., as specified by the Training Instructor and the TES Officers.

The Attorney General of Washington published a case management on May 13, 1997 for Missing Children and Homicide Investigations with these findings:

The study examined more than 600 child abduction-murder cases from 44 states.

Summary of Findings:

In 53 % of the cases the victim and abductor were strangers. This relationship, where the murderer is a stranger to the victim, “defines” this particular type of murder. The data also suggest there may be a grater predisposition to serial offending among child abduction killers.

The typical victims were white females, about 11 years old, often described as “normal kids” from middle class neighborhoods with stable family relationships.

9% of the victims were 5 years of age or younger.

In 58% of the cases, the initial contact site between victim and abductor was within a quarter mile of the victim’s home. In 33% of the cases, first contact was less than 200 feet from the victim’s home.

The typical abductors were white males, about 27 years old, unmarried, with prior arrests for violence in 60% of the cases, and, in 53% of the cases, with prior crimes against children.

Contrary to popular belief, child abduction killers are not truly “loners.” Only 17% lived alone, while 83% lived with someone else and 34% lived with parents.

The primary motivation for these murders was sexual assault. 60% of the killers had prior arrests for violent crimes. The majority, 53%, had committed prior crimes against children, the most common being sexual assault.

57% were simply “victims of opportunity.” The most common basic elements in these crimes are: a motivated offender, the opportunity to commit the crime, and ineffective guardians.

In almost 2/3 of the cases the abductions were “snatch and grab” confrontations where the predators saw an available victim then quickly assaulted and subdued them.

Timing in reporting missing children is critical. It should be done immediately. In 60% of the cases there were delays of over 2 hours between the time the victim was known to be missing and a report was made to law enforcement authorities. In 74% of the cases the victims were dead within 3 hours after abduction.

Police response upon receiving such a report should also be immediate. Police need to concentrate as many investigative resources as quickly as possible on these cases. This may enhance the odds that a child is recovered alive and will certainly improve the probability that the predator is caught.

Since the victims’ last known locations were usually very close to the site of initial contact with their abductors, the need for a neighborhood canvass may be among the biggest issues uncovered in this research. When police did not know the initial contact site, the solvability rate dropped 40% below average. When the initial contact site was known, the solvability rate increased by 13% above average.

The neighborhood canvass should not only ask the question, “What did you see that was unusual?”, but should also ask, “What did you see that was usual?” In the cases examined by this study, the killer was in the area on initial contact two-thirds of the time because he belonged there. He lived in the area 29% of the time; 19% were there for some normal social activity, and 18% either worked in the area or were there on other business.

After the crime, key behaviors by the killer are most common and most telling. 21% left town, 18% confided in someone about their involvement, and 10% actually interjected themselves into the murder investigation in some way.