Family Hopes Playing Cards Will Help Find Branson
2/12/2009
SKIDMORE, MO – Branson Perry disappeared from outside his home in Skidmore April 11, 2001. He left his home on foot and indicated he was taking a pair of jumper cables to a shed that sat on a lot adjacent to the residence. It is unknown if he ever arrived.
More than seven years have passed with no productive clues to his disappearance, but those still searching for Branson hold hope the palm of their hands. It’s a simple deck of cards with Branson’s picture on the six of clubs. Five-thousand decks have been printed and are headed to jails and prisons for inmates to use.
Thirty law enforcement agencies throughout Missouri have submitted cold cases involving unsolved homicide, missing persons, unidentified persons and wanted fugitives.
The program began on February 1, 2009. “Families who suffer a long term missing person never reach a level of understanding or acceptance, in their loved ones unknown fate”, said Monica Caison, The CUE Center for Missing Persons founder. “The one thing commonly shared among families of the missing is they all believe that someone holds information in their case and they hold onto the hope that someone will step up and do the right thing”, she added.
The CUE Center for Missing Persons takes to the highways each year traveling thousands of miles promoting colds cases of the missing as a part a nation awareness campaign called “On the Road to Remember Tour”; the group endorsed, three years ago the card initiative through the program creation from the Center for HOPE located in Albany, New York.
In 2007 and 2008 CUE visited several towns across Missouri distributing sample cards to agencies, families of the missing and law officials that were in attendance at each pre planned rally stop; Branson Perry was a tour feature. “Many states are coming on board with this new effort and we hope in some small way our campaign has helped”, Mrs. Caison said; after the group distributed the cards throughout South Carolina in 2007, it was adopted in 2008 for state prison systems featuring the case of Eva DeBruhl, one of CUE’s cases and tour recipients.
If anyone knows the whereabouts of Branson Perry or may have information concerning this case, please contact: Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office (660) 582-7451 or the CUE Center for Missing Persons (910) 343-1132 or (910) 232-1687 24 hr.; calls can be confidential.
