FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — Illinois and Missouri law enforcement officials will be hosting the area’s first Missing Persons Day on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, Illinois, and at the Jennings State Office Building in Jennings, Missouri.

Both events will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. The purpose of the event is to provide a location for families to report a missing loved one or to update an existing missing person case by sharing additional case information with police investigators.

Family members are encouraged to bring any available photos and/or identification cards of the missing person; X-rays, dental records, medical records, other identifying documents, and copies of police reports related to the disappearance.

Family members will be given the opportunity to provide a DNA sample for comparison to unidentified human remains cases nationwide. The sample will be collected by rubbing the inside of the cheeks with cotton swabs.

Information obtained about missing persons and DNA information provided by family members will be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).  NamUs is a national centralized repository and resource center for missing persons and unidentified decedent records.

There are no residency restrictions for attending either of the events.

For more information please check out the Greater St. Louis Area Missing Persons Event Facebook page at STLMissingPersonsDay.