If you have a family member who has been missing for years, you've probably wondered many times if they're okay and what happened to them that they never got back in touch. If the missing person is a child, sibling, or parent, you may have a strong desire to locate them to get some closure on why they left. Hunting down a missing person can be difficult, especially if the person doesn't want to be found and has taken steps to stay hidden. You may need to hire a private investigator to help. Here are some things an investigator from a firm like Star Quality Private Investigations may do.

Search Social Media Sites

Provide the investigator with as much information about the person as you can, such as age, previous places of employment, old addresses, and old friends. If you have specific information, such as a Social Security number, that is even more helpful. This information can be used when searching online and in databases. One place to begin an online search is on social media by searching for the person's name and also by searching for old friends who might be friends with the person online.

Search Online Records

A private investigator has access to databases that law enforcement uses and that are not available to the general public. That's one reason a private investigator can be helpful. Plus, there are many public records available online and on the deep web that can be accessed for things like marriage records, places of employment, phone numbers, and court records. All these pieces of information provide leads that the investigator can follow to narrow down the search for your loved one.

Interview Known Associates

Your investigator may call people who used to know your loved one to get more leads or to find out if they have information. Interviews might be done by phone or in person when necessary. Depending on the age and circumstances, the investigator might question an old employer, high school associates, a high school reunion coordinator, ex-spouses, previous landlords, and anyone else who may have known your loved one and may have clues about where your loved one went or their state of mind when last seen.

The longer a person has been missing, the harder it may be to find them, but an investigator can follow many leads by looking at death records, newspaper archives, and police records to see if your loved one is deceased, was a victim of a crime, or is in prison. If someone is determined not to be found and living off the grid, it may not be possible to find them before you've exhausted your resources. However, if your loved one is living a normal life and unaware that you're searching for them, then finding your loved one could be easy with the help of a private investigator.