Joslin Smith: Seasoned Private Investigator Says First 48 Hours Crucial in Finding Missing Child

• Seven-year-old Joslin Smith disappeared from her Saldanha Bay, Western Cape home in February 2024
• Her mother, Kelly, her boyfriend, Jacquin Appollis, and two others have been arrested for her disappearance
• Briefly News spoke to seasoned private investigator Brad Nathanson, who shared insights into the dynamics behind missing children’s cases

With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

JOHANNESBURG — The disappearance of seven-year-old Joslin Smith from her home in Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape cast a light on the plight of missing children and the difficulties in dealing with such cases. Briefly News spoke to veteran private investigator Brad Nathanson about the dynamics of handling a missing child.

Read also

"She knew all this before she married him": SA reacts to seeing bad boy vibes in Siya Kolisi's book

The power of social media in missing cases

Nathanson, who has been a private investigator for 44 years with his company, Brad Nathanson Investigations, highlighted the pros and cons of social media in finding a missing person.

"People go missing for so many reasons, and since the 'pinging of cellphones' platform was removed after this software was deemed instrumental in the murder of Colonel Charl Kinnear, we have nowhere to begin a search. We, therefore, have to rely on the eyes and ears of citizens through social media.

"I have a FB following of almost 90,000 people so my page has been of tremendous value in tracing those missing, but without social media, we would be lost. The flip side of posting missing persons on social media is having to deal with the trolls who will tell the family of the missing person that they either have that person in their custody or they know where your loved one is, and this is always about money in exchange for information, which is mostly nonsense."

Read also

“This exchange is so precious": Helper gives toddler pap eating tutorial, SA in stitches

What to do when someone is missing

Nathanson told Briefly News there are steps a loved one can follow when someone is missing.

"One should start by going to social media, but appoint someone like me (a private investigator) to deal with the calls so that you as a family member or friend do not have to deal with the trolls who can be cruel and quite convincing," he said.

He noted the importance of the first two days after a child goes missing.

"The first 48 hours are the golden hours and most crucial to finding a missing person. It is therefore important in this time that you reach as many people as you can, but consider not to cry wolf because this may negatively impact the perception and willingness of your eyes and ears through social media to assist in the future," he added.

Missing child found

Read also

"Made peace with it": South African woman downgrades lifestyle and returns BMW

In a related article, Briefly News reported that a 12-year-old girl who went missing in Limpopo was found in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The pre-teen was allegedly last seen with a Pakistani national when she left her home in Lekhureng in Ga-Matlala. She called her mother two days later and said she was in America. However, she was found in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Source: Briefly News