Since 2018, Harnett County resident Cynthia Hair has been looking for her 42-year-old son, Raleigh resident Dean Hair.
On Friday, Cynthia Hair, along with others looking for their missing loved ones, attended the first-ever North Carolina Missing Persons Day at Research Triangle Park. Nonprofit research institute RTI International teamed up with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and other agencies to organize the event. According to RTI International,
more than 1,800 people have been reported missing in the state.
The event has encouraged her to keep looking for her son, Hair said.
“I do feel helpless, but I don't feel hopeless,” she said. “And that's what this means to me today. I couldn't wait to get here.”
According to police reports, there was no foul play found in Dean Hair's disappearance.
Two public name search databases, theNational Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) also provided services at the event.
“Input case information, update any missing person case information that they have, have their DNA collected for the databases to help make associations with any unidentified human remains that have been found across the country,” said Donia Slack, a senior director and strategic account executive at RTI International.
The demographics of missing people in the state is 60% males and 40% females, Slack said.
Gov. Roy Cooper also declared today that Sept. 8 will be designated North Carolina Missing Persons Awareness Day.