Which Missing People Are More Important? (2004)
Sept. 15, 2004 -- -- Based on national headlines, Lori Hacking was a much more important person than Tamika Huston.
Lori Hacking's name should sound familiar. When the 27-year-old Salt Lake City woman was reported missing July 19, the case generated headlines both in Utah and around the country. The national media followed the exhaustive search for the missing woman, who was said to be five weeks pregnant, the increased scrutiny on her husband, and finally, his arrest on a murder charge. Police believe Mark Hacking shot his wife after she discovered he had lied about his plans to go to medical school, but her body has not been found.
However, if you've never heard of Tamika Huston, don't feel embarrassed.
If you're not a resident of South Carolina — specifically, Spartanburg — you have most likely never heard of Huston. Only the local media and Black Entertainment Television Nightly News have covered her case.
Huston, 24, disappeared more than a month before police believe Lori Hacking was reported missing. Huston was last seen June 2 at a friend's house, and relatives believe she disappeared between that time and June 14, when an aunt in Florida reported her missing.
Investigators say they have few meaningful clues in Huston's case. Relatives — led by Huston's aunt Rebkah Howard, a public relations executive — have been trying to bring national attention to their search. Though America's Most Wanted has made plans to cover the case on an upcoming episode, the family's efforts have been mostly unsuccessful.
For the family, it's been especially frustrating to see Huston's case largely ignored while the Hacking case and the disappearance of Brigham Young University student Brooke Wilberger grabbed headlines.
"I'm very well aware of how the media operates and how to get their attention. I'm very keen on the fact that the media can't cover every story that comes down the pike," said Howard. "Unfortunately, there are thousands of missing persons throughout the country.
"If every case was covered as widely as Lori Hacking or Brooke Wilberger, quite frankly, I don't think there'd be room for anything else on our news broadcast or newspaper," Howard said.
"Unfortunately, what I find disturbing is that I think there's a trend," she said. "I don't think there's a fair representation of the missing person cases that are out there. I think the media hone in on specific cases and generally stay with a certain profile."
According to the FBI, thousand of adults and children are reported missing every day in the United States. But only a select few generate the attention from television networks. Because news organizations cannot devote resources to all missing person cases they learn about, most families have to do without the extra help media attention might provide.
Howard was able to bring her niece's story to BET Nightly News, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and America's Most Wanted. But even her resources and professional skills have not been enough to bring national exposure the search for Huston.
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