BEHIND THE SCENES
THE WHY
The Missing Found platform and podcast was started because Writer and Host, Jadyn Harlow, was tired of cases growing cold without answers, and the discontentment of asking other podcasters to cover cases without ever seeing them covered or acknowledged. Harlow recounts a commentator telling her to make her own podcast since her case requests weren't getting covered - so she did. With nearly a decade in the making, and getting the ideology to create a platform to share the stories of our missing and not sure how to present it, Harlow then finally considered the idea of a podcast in November 2022.
A note from Host, Jadyn Harlow: "I remember when I was a child and would see photos of JonBenet Ramsey in the grocery store on the covers of tabloids. JonBenet was a 6 year old little girl who was a child beauty pageant queen from Boulder, CO. She was initially reported missing after attending a Christmas party with her family, then sadly later found murdered in the basement of her home of her wealthy parents, John and Patsy Ramsey. JonBenet's case is notorious and is still a mystery today, nearly 30 years later. That was the first case that caught my attention when it came to true crime. JonBenet's case illustrated how true crime is often looked at as entertainment and glamourized, without focusing solely on the victim and the case itself.
In later years as I became more acclimated within the sector, I've realized that there is a huge lack of coverage when it comes to missing Black people. Media covers cases that are considered "newsworthy"; a fancy term in media relations when it comes to choosing which stories to cover and what they deem "interesting" enough to share with their national and local audience. Any missing person is newsworthy, no matter their race. I know media and law enforcement can't cover all cases and neither can I, but I'm making the effort for my community and their loved ones where I'm discussing cases that are of the Black and missing to bring awareness, tell their story in a structured way, and dissect the facts on a more profound level.
I live and breathe this. My goal is to tell the story - no matter what it looks like. I break down each case to help position your mind on each element and examine it by questioning every detail, identify our key players, deconstructing the facts, the last moments on record, and the possibilities thereafter. Through my skill in creative writing, storytelling, investigative research and visualization, I'm able to communicate a cold case that have received coverage or has little to no coverage and turn it into a full case analysis to help find our missing victim.
My heart is in this, but solid enough to go deeper than what most are willing to. Some see true crime as entertainment for their viewing pleasure, but it's real life. I can't ever be entertained by someone else's pain for my pleasure. I spend a lot of my days scouring cases for hours upon hours, obtaining the facts; conducting thorough research, pulling files, creating a timeline to deliver a case through written and interactive storytelling to offer insight and keep our victims name in media rotation so they won't be forgotten. At the end, we just want answers and the case solved."
the numbers
According to the Black and Missing Foundation, African Americans account for 40% of missing person cases, while we only make up only 13% of the population in the United States, in 2021.
With a high interest in true crime and the need to find answers, specifically the missing persons sector, we take pride in sharing the story of our missing, humanizing them, and to become an asset to the families and our readers.
the METHODOLOGY
Harlow’s approach has always been focused on research, understanding the life of our missing person, where they came from, their family dynamic, their inner circle, their personality, and their movements thereafter. Harlow prides herself on delivering full case analyses to fully understand the case from a unique angle than just them being missing. People want to know the details, even the smallest details and scenarios that are often missed or just aren’t considered. Harlow is willing to take it there. She is willing to go beyond the surface and thoroughly profile the case starting from the top and analyze the intricate details in between.
Harlow's methodology has always been to start with sharing a brief of the missing, relate their story back to life to connect our audience to our victim to communicate that their story can happen to any of us, develop comprehensive long-form details on the case, analyze every public fact that we have, possible theories, final thoughts, and information on how to find our missing person. We always close with a scripture to offer hope, faith, and direction for missing individuals and their families. Only God, Himself, can bring forth the answers we need.
The Missing Found has worked with families to help find their loved ones. Now, we are in the process of reaching a broader audience through delivering full cases analyses through podcasting and print through journalism to help spread awareness to find our missing.
We thank you for your viewership and look forward to sharing these cases with hopes and prayers the families will receive answers, bring their loved one home, and find closure.
Remember, this could happen to any of us. I'm only doing what I would want done for me. I'm not taking the place of law enforcement, but I am taking the initiative to analyze unsolved and cold cases through the art of storytelling, to hopefully bring answers for our missing.