The Missouri Department of Public Safety announced today that all persons who had previously been reported as unaccounted-for have either been located or confirmed deceased and their next-of-kin notified. Governor Jay Nixon complimented the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troopers who took on the task of locating each of those victims.
“In the wake of this devastating tornado, Missouri State Highway Patrol Troopers have demonstrated outstanding professionalism and dedication in carrying out the vital mission of locating every individual who was unaccounted for after the storm,” Gov. Nixon said. “Our Troopers worked 24/7 to locate these individuals and to bring relief to the families of the living, and closure to the families of those who died. This was a critical mission that our Missouri State Highway Patrol performed exceptionally well.”
On Thursday, May 26, Gov. Nixon also directed the Missouri State Highway Patrol to augment the process of identifying the remains of those who died as a result of the tornado, and to expedite the process of notifying those individuals’ next of kin.
As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, a total of 268 missing-persons reports have been filed since the tornado; that total includes three additional reports that have been filed since yesterday afternoon’s media briefing. Over the past week, State Troopers and other partners have worked 24 hours a day to account for each of those individuals.
Today, Gov. Nixon, the Department of Public Safety and the Highway Patrol reported that of the 268 individuals on the unaccounted-for persons list:
· 144 previously unaccounted-for individuals are reported located;
· 124 previously unaccounted-for individuals have been confirmed deceased, and their next of kin have been notified
That brings the number of unaccounted-for individuals to zero. Persons categorized as “reported located” are individuals who the Missouri State Highway Patrol has received credible information indicating that they are alive.
As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, 134 individuals have been confirmed deceased as a result of the tornado. This total of 134 includes the following:
· 124 individuals included on the unaccounted-for list who have been confirmed deceased and whose next of kin have been notified by the Missouri State Highway Patrol;
· 7 individuals who have been confirmed deceased but were never transported to the temporary morgue because they were transported to funeral homes immediately after the tornado; and
· 3 individuals who have died in a hospital since the storm
The coroner has authorized the release of all deceased persons to their families so that they may be laid to rest. As of 1 p.m., 119 persons had been released from the morgue, and additional persons are expected to be released later today. The names of the individuals who have been confirmed deceased and whose next of kin have been notified as of 1 p.m. today (Wednesday, June 1) are:
Jose O. Alvarez, 59, Joplin
Maria L. Alvarez-Torres, 43, Joplin
Barbara A. Anderson, 76, Joplin
Sarah L. Anderson, 47, Joplin
William A. Anderson, 53, Joplin
Cyrus “Edward” Ash, Jr., 87, Joplin
Grace Aquino, 46, of Joplin
Robert W. Baker, 54, Joplin
Bruce M. Baillie, 56, Joplin
Robert E. Bateson, 45, Joplin
Dorothy T. Bell, 88, Joplin
Regina M. Bloxham, 55, Joplin
Barbara Boyd, 86, Joplin
Lathe E. Bradfield, 84, Joplin
Ramona M. Bridgeford, 77, Seneca
Leo E. Brown, 86, Joplin
Hugh O. Buttram, 85, Joplin
Tami L. Campbell, 28, Joplin
Arriyinnah S. Carmona, 8, Joplin
Moises Carmona-Navarro, 42, Joplin
Shante M. Caton, 10, Joplin
Trenton Caton, 6, Pierce City
Raymond Chew, 66, Joplin
Carolane J. Collins, 62 Eagle Rock
Clyde Coleman, 72, Galena, Kansas
Lois A. Comfort, 66, Webb City
Keenan K. Conger, 49, Joplin
Vicki L. Cooper, 59, Joplin
Teddy R. Copher, 71, Joplin
Malisa A. Crossley, 36, Joplin
Adam Darnaby, 27, Joplin
Patricia E. Dawson, 74, Joplin
Nancy E. Douthitt, 94, Joplin
Ellen Doyle, 75, Joplin
Faith Dunn, 71, Joplin
Amonda S. Eastwood, 49, Joplin
Richard A. Elmore, 70, Joplin
Randy E. England, 34, Neosho
Mark L. Farmer, 56, Joplin
Ida M. Finley, 88, Joplin
Betty Fisher, 86, Joplin
Robert S. Fitzgerald, 61, Joplin
Rick E. Fox, 56, Joplin
Marsha A. Frost, 32, Joplin
Sebastian C. Frost, 10, Joplin
Charles K. Gaudsmith, 21, Carthage
Billie J. Gideon, 77, Joplin
Paul E. Haddock, 63, Joplin
Johnna Hale, 49, Joplin
Caley Lantz Hare, 16, Joplin
Dorothy V. Hartman, 91, Joplin
Dee A. Hayward, 47, Galena, Kansas
Glenn W. Holland, 59, Joplin
Lorie M. Holland, 48, Joplin
Charlotte Hopwood, 84, Joplin
Hayze Howard, 1, Webb City
Harli Howard, 5, Webb City
Thomas Russell Howard, 29, Webb City
Iona Hull, 70, Carthage
Wendy A. Istas, 58, Joplin
Jane E. Jaynes, 86, Joplin
Melisa R. Johnson, 50, Carthage
Cheryl L. Jones, 39, Altamont, Kansas
Kathy S. Keling, 53, Joplin
James D. Kendrick, 63, Joplin
Stanley D. Kirk, 62, Joplin
Geneva Koler, 84, Joplin
Tedra J. Kuhn, 69, Joplin
Donald W. Lansaw, Jr., 31, Joplin
Bruce A. Lievens, 48, Joplin
Billie S. Little, 65, Joplin
Skyuler I. Logsdon, 1, Joplin
Christopher D. Lucas, 28, Vinita, Oklahoma
Rachel K. Markham, 31, Joplin
Patricia Mann, 64, Joplin
Nancy Martin, 52, Neosho
Jesse L. McKee, 44, Neosho
James E. McKeel, 69, Joplin
Mary L. McKeel, 64, Joplin
Randall E. Mell, 49, Joplin
Angelina A. Menapace, 52, Joplin
Ronald D. Meyer, 64, Joplin
Lorna K. Miller, 72, Joplin
Ray Donald Miller III, 49, Joplin
Suzanne M. Mock, 39, Forsyth
Esterlita Moore, 64, Joplin
Doris Montgomery, 83, Joplin
Sally Moulton, 57, Joplin
Edmond V. Mullaney, 82, Joplin
Sharyl Nelsen, 34, Joplin
William R. Norton, 18, Joplin
Dennis M. Osborn, 34, Seneca
Charles E. Oster, 77, Joplin
Shirley Ann Parker, 68, Joplin
Mary J. Perry, 76, Joplin
James B. Peterson, 27, Joplin
Anna Pettek, 91, Joplin
John H. Petty, 37, Neosho
Hallie M. Piquard, 78, Joplin
Natalia M. Puebla, 17, Neosho
Shelly Marie Ramsey, 42, Neosho
Loretta Randell, 54, Joplin
Troy Raney, 39, Joplin
Virgil T. Reid, 77, Joplin
Johnny Richey, 52, Joplin
Vicki Robertson, 66, Joplin
Keith D. Robinson, 48, Joplin
Virginia Mae Salmon, 80, Joplin
Thomas Sarino 75, Joplin
Tonya L. Sawyer, 41, Fort Scott, Kansas
Frances A. Scates, 70, Joplin
Gladys J. Seay, 83, Welch, Oklahoma
Daniel W. Shirley, 48, Joplin
Judy Smith, 71, Joplin
Luther Smith, 71, Joplin
Nicholaus A. Smith, 23, Joplin
Shyrell L. Smith, 68, Pittsburg, Kansas
Lois L. Sparks, 92, Joplin
Steven J. Stephens, 28, Joplin
Gregan D. Sweet, 59, Joplin
Kayleigh Teal, 16, Pittsburg, Kansas
Heather L. Terry, 36, Joplin
John Thomas, Jr., 40, Joplin
Sandra K. Thomas, 55, Carthage
Zachary D. Treadwell, 9, Joplin
Margaret Tuit, 92, Joplin
Michael E. Tyndall, 33, Joplin
Darian D. Vanderhoofven, 45, Joplin
Joshua D. Vanderhoofven, 1, Joplin
Miguel Vazquez-Castillo, 28, Joplin
Miles Wells, 49, Webb City
Tiera Whitley, 20, Fulton, Kansas
Zach Williams, 12, Joplin
Charles W. Writer, 74, Joplin