Missing and Murdered Persons (Missouri Highway Patrol)

Dear Rachael Rosselet:
Our office received your open records request pursuant to Missouri's Sunshine Law, Chapter 610, RSMo. Your request has been assigned number P031478-031622. The Patrol is committed to adhering to the Sunshine Law and to ensuring that the public obtains access to open records that are not otherwise closed by law. The Sunshine Law requires each public agency to adhere to certain standards. This letter is designed to ensure that you understand our process for fulfilling your records request. Three Business Day Notice Requirement:
The requested records are not immediately available for dissemination or inspection. The Patrol is required to notify you that additional research time will be required to fulfill the request. This correspondence satisfies the Sunshine Law's notice requirement within the required three business day period. Section 610.023.3, RSMo.
Additional Research Time is Required:
The Patrol receives thousands of open records requests each month. Our Patrol Records Division personnel are dedicated to meeting the intent of Missouri's Sunshine Law and strive to respond to each request in a timely manner. The Patrol operates in all 114 Missouri counties and the independent city of St. Louis. Accordingly, many records maintained by the agency are not centrally located within, or immediately accessible to, the Patrol's Custodian of Records in Jefferson City. Our staff must research your request and ensure that we have captured all responsive records  ̶  regardless of their location within the agency. The research process is time-consuming, but we will make every effort to expedite your request. Estimated Time for Completion:
The majority of our requests are fulfilled within thirty business days. Some requests require additional research time due to their scope or complexity. Our team will conduct an initial review of your request. If we estimate that the request will be fulfilled within thirty business days, we will not send an updated time estimate. However, if we estimate that the request will take longer than thirty business days, we will provide an updated time estimate that provides a detailed justification for the additional research time. Billing:
As it relates to billing, Missouri law allows the Patrol to charge fees for copies and research time. Specifically, "[r]esearch time required for fulfilling records requests may be charged at the actual cost of research time." Section 610.026, RSMo. The Missouri Supreme Court recently determined that "staff time is the time required to provide access to public records maintained on computer facilities, recording tapes or disks, videotapes or films, pictures, maps, slides, graphics, illustrations or similar audio or visual items". Gross v. Parson, 624 S.W.3d 877, 884-89 (Mo. 2021) (internal quotations omitted).
The Patrol will never bill you for redaction time or any research time conducted by our legal staff. You will only be charged for copies and staff research time as permitted by Missouri law. Please let us know if you have questions related to the billing estimate.
Our team will forward a bill estimate to your attention once we have calculated the permissible costs and fees. The Patrol will not provide the responsive records until receipt of payment. Section 610.026.2, RSMo.
We appreciate your patience as we review, research, and fulfill your open records request. You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you will receive an email when your request has been completed. If you wish to withdraw or clarify your request, or if you have questions, please call our office at (573) 526-6146, or (573) 526-6167.

Sincerely,
Gerard G. Callahan
Custodian of Records

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of March 16, 2022, Reference # P031478-031622
Dear Rachael Rosselet,

The Missouri State Highway Patrol received a public records request from you on March 16, 2022. You requested: “To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the The Missouri Sunshine Law, I hereby request the following records:

Basic information on all open cases of missing and murdered persons (including juveniles) within the state; this basic information can include but is not limited to: person name, age, DOB, incident date, case closure date, county/jurisdiction in which person was reported missing.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as we believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage. All of the information will also be shown on uncovered.com/cases

I expect the request to be filled in an accessible format, including for screen readers, which provide text-to-speech for persons unable to read print. Files that are not accessible to screen readers include, for example, .pdf image files as well as physical documents.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Rachael Rosselet

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Please clarify the following information: By "open cases" do you mean cases that are open because they have not been solved, or cases that are open for release because they have gone through court?  Also, please provide a date range for the records you are requesting.  Thank you.

If you would like for the Missouri State Highway Patrol to proceed with your Sunshine Law request, please provide clarifications within thirty (30) days from 04/29/2022. Otherwise, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will consider your request withdrawn.
You may provide a response to the Missouri State Highway Patrol by replying to this electronic mail.
Upon receipt of your clarification, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will further respond to your Sunshine Law Act request as required by law, including providing you with an estimate of costs associated with producing the requested records.
If you have any questions, please contact my office at 573-526-6146 or reply to this email. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,
GERARD G. CALLAHAN, Lieutenant
Custodian of Records

Dear Rachael Rosselet,

In regards to the Public Records Request received on 3/16/2022 requesting records, the records have been in " status for 30 days. The Missouri State Highway Patrol considers this request closed. If you would still like the records, please submit another Public Records Request. Thank you for using the MO State Highway Patrol Public Records Center. Requested Clarification"
Request Details:

Reference # P031478-031622

Description of Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the The Missouri Sunshine Law, I hereby request the following records:

Basic information on all open cases of missing and murdered persons (including juveniles) within the state; this basic information can include but is not limited to: person name, age, DOB, incident date, case closure date, county/jurisdiction in which person was reported missing.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as we believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage. All of the information will also be shown on uncovered.com/cases

I expect the request to be filled in an accessible format, including for screen readers, which provide text-to-speech for persons unable to read print. Files that are not accessible to screen readers include, for example, .pdf image files as well as physical documents.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Rachael Rosselet

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/