DenverSkr

Robert Ehlert, 'Bob', is missing. Last seen on 6/21 leaving Shelter Bay Marina in Panama City, Panama. He left a note in his apartment in Panama saying he was looking at property in Bocas del Toro with Diana. No one knows who Diana is.

Bob is 71 (he looks younger and sometimes gives a younger age). 5'9'', 180 lbs. Blue-green eyes, grey/light brown hair.

Vehicle is a tan Lexus with Minnesota plates: NKL 527

He has not been seen or heard from since despite MANY attempts to contact him. Searches are ongoing by his Panamanian friends and the ExPat. community.

Any information about sightings or suggestions for the search would be appreciated!

emd3

God bless you, his other friends, and his family as they look for him in a foreign country.

emd3

I see your post on Lonely Planet's Thorntree, but I do not see any press coverage. Has the family contacted the press here in the U.S. and in Panama? He disappeared a month ago, and it is important to get the press involved ASAP and get the word out and keep his missing status in the press. It is important for getting leads and putting some pressure on foreign govt. and dignitaries and politicians to help with this.

DenverSkr

@emd3, good point about the press - I will ask his daughter if she has contacted any media and do it myself if she hasn't had the chance.

emd3

You all should also be in contact with the U.S. Ambassador to Panama, the senator in the U.S. state where his family resides, the US State Dept., etc....

emd3

Here is the story on him from the Missing Americans website. it includes a link to his picture.

http://missingamericans.ning.com/pro...ince-6-21-2013

Mel5628

Hi, I am a friend of Bob's from the states and I just recently found out him being missing. I am trying to gather support, ramp up media coverage, etc.. Both of you (emd3 and DenverSkr) sound very helpful. Would either of you be able to contact me outside of this post (perhaps phone or email)? Any advice would be so appreciated.

emd3

Hi Mel. I have no professional or personal experience with having a loved one go missing in another country. I have however had experience with someone going missing in the U.S. I will post some more ideas here in lieu of emailing with you-who knows, maybe someone else has gone through this and the topping of this thread will get more ideas and help from other forum members.

A couple of thoughts: try contacting TV shows like the one Natalie holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, does on cable TV on Lifetime, about missing people in both the U.S, and abroad, called "Vanished." On her show's website, they have a page where you can submit a missing persons case to be profiled on the show.
See here:
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/vani...are-your-story

Ditto for the show, "Missing"
http://www.usamissing.com/This-Week-TV.shtml

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/...cies_3881.html

From a family who has been going thru a search in Costa Rica for their son for 4 years, and they are open to being contacted, see the email address at end of this article:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...sing-americans

very good resource:
http://missingamericans.ning.com/

Other suggestions, particularly about hiring internationally licensed private investigators:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5826182_miss...ationally.html

Has anyone started a website specifically for your friend? Here is an example. And family members of other missing persons in foreign countries like this family may be willing to discuss their experiences with you.
http://amybradley.net/

At this point your friend has been missing for two months. You need some very big publicity and as much of it as you can get. I know from the missing person search I participated in in the U.S. that a detailed timeline of the person's last 24 hrs before they went missing is very important to have. Hopefully that has been assembled.

Good luck to you. I sincerely hope you have a good outcome in finding him or at least finding out what happened to him. Not knowing is the worst.

emd3

I see that many more comments and more info has been added to his page on the Missing Americans website:

http://browse.feedreader.com/c/Lates...ject/545804689

emd3

And here too:

http://browse.feedreader.com/c/Lates...ject/545804689

emd3

Here is info surrounding his disappearance.

http://ecmpostreview.com/2013/08/15/...disappearance/

Mel5628

Wow, you are truly a blessing!

I started a Facebook group called Find Bob Ehlert but I had not thought of a web page. That makes so much sense. All of your suggestions are exceptional and it does not fall on deaf ears. I will use every resource you provided.

You are so right about talking through the post. Where would we all be if we talked offline? Thank you for the nice reminder.

Do you have any suggestions on what these media sources look for when deciding whether or not to pick up a story?

God Bless!

Mel5628

P.S. I'm very sorry that you experienced someone in your life go missing. I'm praying for you tonight.

emd3

It was the 18 yr old son of a very good friend who went missing. He was found months after his dis appearance, but he was deceased. It was an awful time while he was missing. An organization called the Guardian Angels got involved and found what was left of his body. They work on missing persons cases, but I think only in the USA. You can contact them though, maybe they have some info that can help with the search for Bob. I don't know if the have a Minnesota group. Here is info on the Baltimore group, with contact info, they might be able to give you some helpful info.

http://www.guardianangels.org/pdf/99528.pdf


Also here is another resource, another missing persons website, Families for the Missing

http://familysforthemissing.com/

I am also praying for you and Bob's daughter and other family members. I so hope that you find out what happened to him. The whole thing with that forged note about where he was going is just so strange.

I don't think there is anything worse than the black hole of not knowing where a missing loved one is and what happened to them. Keep the faith, someone out there in Panama knows what happened to him.

emd3

One more thing. You can contact the fodors editors and ask them to email DenverSKR and ask if he wants to be put in touch with you. If he or she does, the fodors editors can give that person your email. I have done this before.

emd3

[email protected]. Is the email to use to contact the editors

Mel5628

Thank you, Emd3!