The USA's Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a missing person's alert and that's where the story starts to raise questions as to the value of information, even from official sources, found on the internet. It even draws attention to the risks of global acceptance of local assertions. 

First, the story as set out by the FBI is that Miss Blumhorst left work, drove home, opened the door of the garage, parked the car, closed the garage door and disappeared. She did not go into the house and no one saw her leave the garage. Her personal effect, including a handbag, watch and an unusual ring as well as more mundane items that she habitually carried disappeared, too.

Periodically, she is remembered by family and media. 

Why is this case interesting from an OSINT/KYC perspective? 

It's because there are things in the way it is publicised that leave gaping holes. 

My interest in this case study was piqued because I was searching for information relating to a Nigerian called Sapphire Egemasi who is widely reported in African media as having been arrested by the FBI in the USA. As always, I set off to go to the source rather than rely on second or third hand media reports.

I didn't even use google, etc. I went to the Department of Justice and to the FBI. The DoJ search returned a zero result. The FBI turned up a result that included the word "sapphire". Miss Blumhorst's missing ring contained a sapphire and that was what the search had found.

And here starts the rabbit hole.

The FBI's website has a section called "Most Wanted" and under that title is this page: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/missing-persons/veronica-jill-blumhors…

The FBI published a poster (here) . The web page containing the poster is dated 20th September 1990. Yes, that's right. She went missing sometime after 1 am on 21 September. 

That's not all the potentially confusing, even misleading, information: the FBI have listed her under the ViCAP scheme - it stands for Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. 

It does, subsequently, say "Attention: Missing Persons / Violent Crime / Cold Case / Crime Analysis Unit" The question to be asked is what weight that qualification, if it's included in what the machines scan at all, is given in computerised systems. The preponderance of information in the poster is all about ViCAP. 

Given this from the most authoritative source available, what would be the value of widening the search? 

In fact, there is a great deal of information in various places and they are interesting but not probative (unless one takes the view that a brain-damaged boyfriend who can't even remember if they spoke before she disappeared and who has been discounted as a suspect is a relevant factor. 

And one other thing - again, interesting but not probative: she and her boyfriend has been going out together for five months and he thought, but it was not confirmed, it seems, that she might have been pregnant. There is a report that might be interesting: she had been unwell and had swapped her day shift for a night-shift but she still wasn't well and left work early. That' with the evidence from the dogs, seems to suggest that feeling unwell was not the motive for leaving work early. 

There is in fact a lot, once the search is widened, to go on. But does it take us anywhere nearer to finding her after 35 years? 

No, it does not. 

Discounting information is just as important as finding it in the first place.