Episode Show Notes:

• How do you find a missing person, a potential witness, or a defendant who needs to be served but isn’t readily available?
• One common method is called skip tracing — locating someone who may be using an assumed name or trying to stay off the radar.
• Many people rely on Google or simple online searches as a first step, but that often just shifts the work to others and lacks depth.
• Even professionals use advanced databases like LexisNexis, TLO, or Clear, but these have limitations and may not have fully accurate or complete records.
• Real success comes from doing old-fashioned legwork and thorough research — you don’t need to physically visit locations, but you do need to dig deeper remotely.
• Start by sending a registered letter to the person’s last known address to confirm if they still live there or get forwarding info.
• Use city directories and telephone books to find updated phone numbers, addresses, or even email addresses.
• Always cross-reference any contact info you find by searching phone numbers and emails online to uncover connections like old ads, forum posts, or pictures.
• Visual clues from photos found in classified ads or forums can also help identify locations or people connected to the subject.
• Interview people connected to places where the person worked or lived — property managers, coworkers, former employers found on LinkedIn can provide useful leads.
• If the person is a veteran, veterans’ resources or local veteran organizations can sometimes help locate them, especially if they’re homeless or transient.
• Canvassing neighborhoods or locations where the person was last seen can be helpful, even if most people don’t know them — one tip can be a crucial breakthrough.
• Look into business connections, stores frequented, medical providers (doctors, dentists, emergency rooms), and organizations like schools or churches for contacts or forwarding info.
• Legal cases may allow you to subpoena medical records or Medicare/Medicaid info which can reveal current addresses.
• File a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the DMV using the DPPA form to find where a vehicle is registered, which can provide location leads.
• Check public records such as election records, welfare records, and police arrest records that may show last known addresses or associations.
• Vital records (marriage, birth, death) can confirm if the person is alive and provide useful official info.
• Courthouse records like judgments, liens, or lawsuits often contain addresses, attorneys’ info, and phone numbers not found online.
• For more affluent individuals, memberships in social or athletic clubs can reveal whereabouts through newsletters or event schedules.
• Credit reports (with proper legal authority) can show credit activity and addresses to narrow down searches.
• The key takeaway: Don’t just rely on simple online or database searches — combine multiple sources, cross-reference data, and put in the research effort for better results.
• Proper skip tracing takes time and a multi-dimensional approach, not just pushing a button on Google or paid databases.