RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Gov. Roy Cooper designated September 8 as North Carolina Missing Persons Awareness Day.

In commemoration, the RTI International research institute and North Carolina law enforcement agencies hosted an event aimed at providing free resources for families who are missing a loved one.

Tracie Barbee, along with her daughter and sister, represented one of the many families who registered for the event. Two years ago, Barbee’s youngest daughter, Jordan Smith, left her friend’s house and hasn’t been seen since.

“The worst of it and what what hurts me or anyone going through this is the not knowing,” Barbee said. “Which is why we’re here today. Because this family needs to know. I need to bring her home. I just need to bring her home, whatever that means.”

Barbee has gotten a detective, community groups, law enforcement and media outlets to help look for her daughter. Although she has a lot of support, she says it’s easy to feel forgotten as time passes. An event like this helps her and others feel heard.

“This is a day that we’re showing that they are not forgotten,” RTI senior director Donia Slack said. “We are still working these cases. They are important. Whether they have been missing for one day or for 10 years, it doesn’t matter.”

Slack says there are more than 570 missing persons from North Carolina registered in the National Missing and Unidentified Person system. 

Hundreds of families are looking for missing loved ones in North Carolina. (Spectrum News 1/Jenna Rae Gaertner)

“It really is about a resolution and to me, a successful missing persons day,” Slack said. “If we can even help one family, I believe that that is the measure of success.”

Families like Barbee’s are thankful for the help and will do whatever it takes to push forward.

“I keep talking. I keep showing up. I keep doing whatever I think is going to help me get to where we can just bring her home,” Barbee said.

RTI staff say this event is a great way to let families know about free resources they may not know about. Resources to help find missing persons include biometric data, DNA collection, fingerprints, tattoo identification and dental records among other things. Staff at RTI say they hope to have more events like this in the future.