If a child is missing and possibly kidnapped, but no interstate transportation is known, will the FBI begin an investigation? Yes. The FBI will initiate a kidnapping investigation involving a missing child “of tender years,” even though there is no known interstate aspect.

Does the FBI investigate missing adults?

Most often, the FBI's participation in a missing person case is based on a request for assistance from state, local, tribal, and campus law enforcement partners. Requests for FBI assistance are often made in multi-jurisdictional investigations.

How does the FBI find a missing person?

The Missing and Unidentified Persons Section in the California Department of Justice assists law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in locating missing persons and identifying unknown live and deceased persons through the comparison of physical characteristics, fingerprints and dental/body X-rays.