Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to PorchlightUSA. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
2005 Spellman, Robert Anthony 4/12/05; Sherman Oaks
Topic Started: Jul 24 2006, 07:11 PM (344 Views)
PorchlightUSA
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
http://www.amw.com/missing_persons/case.cfm?id=35346

Aspiring Actor Vanishes

Robert was last seen leaving his family's house on April 12, 2005.

Robert Anthony Spellman was an aspiring actor living in Los Angeles. While awaiting his big break he was working at a car sales and leasing company. He was last seen at approximately 8 p.m. on April 12th, 2005 at a family members residence in Sherman Oaks, California.

Robert's family was expecting him to visit again on the evening of April 13, 2005. When he didn't show up and didn't call, his family stopped by his house in Woodland Hills, California the next day. His things were found in a disarray which, they say, is very unusual for him.


Robert's sister, Tracy Spellman, says he has had no contact with anyone. "There's been no movement in his bank account," she said, adding that it was out of character for her brother to disappear.
Police Have No Solid Leads

Robert is an aspiring actor. Robert's sister, Tracy Spellman, says he has had no contact with anyone. "There's been no movement in his bank account," she said, adding that it was out of character for her brother to disappear.

He lived on Alhama Drive, but was evicted a few days after his disappearance, apparently because he was behind in his rent, she said. Spellman's family reported him missing to the Los Angeles Police Department and hired a private detective, but haven't come up with any solid leads, she said.


Robert's Family Very Concerned
Robert's friends and family describe him as a charismatic, fun-loving, family-orientated and handsome guy. He enjoys working out and the company of friends and family. Robert may be in a blue Lexus or green Porsche. He may also be in the area of Las Vegas, NV.

Robert's family is very concerned for his well being. Spellman is white, about 5 feet 8 inches and 175 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes and was last seen in workout clothes, his sister said. He may be driving a blue 1998 Lexus GS400, with a spoiler on the rear, she said.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
oldies4mari2004
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
http://z10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/in...opic=1253&st=0&
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
PorchlightUSA
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
Robert Spellman 27, Sherman Oaks, CA 04/12/05

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Robert Anthony Spellman

Photo

Classification: Endangered Missing Adult
Alias / Nickname: Robert Green or Silver
Date of Birth: 1977-10-02
Date Missing: 2005-04-12
From City/State: Sherman Oaks, CA
Missing From (Country): USA
Age at Time of Disappearance: 27
Gender: Male
Race: White
Height: 68 inches
Weight: 165 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Complexion: Medium
Glasses/Contacts Description: Contacts (description not available).
Identifying Characteristics: Freckle in eye, crooked upper teeth.
Clothing: Possibly wearing gray "Nike Shox" athletic shoes, possibly carrying a blue "Addidas" bag.

Circumstances of Disappearance: Unknown. Robert was last seen at approximately 8:00pm at a family member's residence in the vicinity of the 13500 block of Valley Hart Dr. in Sherman Oaks, CA. He may be seen in a blue Lexus or green Porsche. Robert may be in the area of Las Vegas, NV.

Investigative Agency: Los Angeles Police Department
Phone: (213) 485-5381
Investigative Case #: 0510-15049
NCIC #: M-554858400

http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/...php?A200502911S

http://www.angelsmissing.com/forum/index.p...ype=post&id=694
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
PorchlightUSA
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
24 Weeks Since Robert Anthony Spellman Goes Missing Without A Trace Turns 28 Years Old Today

Los Angeles, CA Sunday, October 2, 2005

24 weeks have passed since the mysterious disappearance of Robert Anthony Spellman, of Sherman Oaks, California, whom today turns 28 years old, and he is still missing without a trace.

As Robert’s family and friends brace themselves as they try to celebrate his special day, they were very hopeful that he was there to join them. However, everyone still remains strong and hopeful for Robert’s safe return. Robert is missed by many who love him and would like to wish him a Happy 28th Birthday Robert!

The family continues to request the assistance of the local print, radio and television media to air Robert Spellman's story. As well as law enforcement to investigate any and all clues leading to the safe return of Robert Spellman.

# # # #

Contact Family Direct: 818.231.3406

Robert Spellman Tip Line: 877.821.4631

Robert Spellman Website: http://www.geocities.com/FindRobertSpellman/
Attached to this post:
Attachments: a.gif (976.88 KB)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
PorchlightUSA
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
Robert Spellman My Space page

http://www.myspace.com/robertspellman_missing
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
PorchlightUSA
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]

http://www2.dailynews.com/marielgarza/ci_2947449

Missing man's case stirs little concern
Mariel Garza, Columnist

Imagine that one day someone in your life your best friend, girlfriend, mother or neighbor suddenly, and without explanation, stops answering the phone. That's strange, you think. But certainly nothing to get alarmed about.

After a few days of silence, the worry starts to kick in. You knock on their door no answer. You call their friends, who know nothing. Your friend or relative is simply gone.

For every clear-cut missing-persons case like that of Natalee Holloway, who vanished in Aruba last spring after a drunken night out, there are hundreds of others who simply drop out of sight with little fanfare. And because the person isn't pregnant or a celebrity or a small child, you will probably never hear about them.

One of those is Sherman Oaks native Robert Spellman, 28, who on April 13 stopped his daily visits to his mom, stopped returning phone calls to his friends and sisters, and abandoned his beloved dogs.

I wouldn't have heard of the case had it not been for the tenacity of one of Robert's older sisters, Tracy Spellman of Tarzana. Missing adults, particularly men, aren't considered big news unless their disappearance coincides with some horrific crime, alien sighting or supernatural phenomenon. Not when, in 2004 alone, 37,809 adults were reported missing in California, according to the Department of Justice.

But Tracy kept plugging away, sending regular e-mails to every news outlet she could think of. I monitored the dispatches, fascinated by their determination and increasingly their desperation.

One day in early August the e-mails stopped, their disappearance as mysterious as Robert's. Had he turned up?

No, Tracy told me when I called. The new mom (she had had her second son just three weeks before her brother went missing) took a break from the e-mail blasts and amateur sleuthing. She had become discouraged by the lack of media interest in her brother's case and what she feels is a lackluster investigation by police, who aren't even sure he's missing.

"It's been frustrating," she said.

No wonder. She's fighting an uphill battle. Her brother's case doesn't have the elements of a missing-persons situation that typically compels the nation's attention someone young and weak led astray by a predator. He is strong ("ripped," Tracy says) from hours working out at the gym; he had many female admirers, drove an assortment of fast cars and lived well.

Indeed, the strikingly handsome young man was seemingly involved in some shady situations before his disappearance. Robert privately bought and sold high-end cars that police suspect weren't all entirely clean. He had been evicted from the Woodland Hills home he was renting and sued by his landlord, who also happened to be a friend of his business partner.

When he was last sighted, Robert had several thousand dollars in cash he was supposed to use in a car deal.

As they say in the movies, lots of things seem suspicious.

Tracy acknowledges that the facts surrounding Robert seem hinky. But she doesn't accept that as a reason for no one to care about his disappearance or, God forbid, the end of his life. "Nobody," she said, voice cracking, "deserves to get murdered."

I wish Tracy and her family well with their quest to find Robert. They may need it. Many of the thousands of people reported never turn up, leaving their families in perpetual limbo.

Anyone with information about the case can help by calling the family's hotline, (877) 821-4631.

Staff Writer Josh Kleinbaum contributed to this report.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
PorchlightUSA
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-0...der-trial_x.htm

Posted 3/30/2006 4:57 PM Updated 3/30/2006 9:45 PM

Accused killer in controversial murder case goes on trial

By Mark Memmott, USA TODAY

A case that spotlighted whether the national media only care about missing persons if they're young, white women is about to get its day in court.

Tamika Huston's body was found in mid-August 2005, after Christopher Hampton led police to the remains.

Christopher Hampton, 26, is accused of killing Tamika Huston, 24, in Spartanburg, S.C. His murder trial starts Monday.

Huston disappeared from her home there in late May 2004. Her body wasn't found until mid-August 2005, after Hampton led police to the remains. In the 15 months between, her family telephoned and e-mailed journalists. They pointed out the similarities between Huston's story and those of other missing women then in the news, including Laci Peterson, Lori Hacking and — later — Natalee Holloway. Like those women, Huston was young, attractive and had vanished. But unlike those women, Huston was black.

Her case got almost no attention from the national media, until some (including USA TODAY) examined whether the media were ignoring minorities and men.

Little or no national media coverage is expected of Hampton's trial. Spartanburg County Solicitor Trey Gowdy, who is prosecuting Hampton, says the only national outlet to express even tentative interest in covering the trial is Court TV. If convicted, Hampton could get 30 years to life in prison. Though he led police to her remains and made what officials say are incriminating statements, he has not confessed.

Rebkah Howard, Huston's aunt and a public relations professional who has served as a spokeswoman for the murder victim's family, says she has had no inquiries from reporters other than those from local media in South Carolina. "To be fair, there hasn't been much activity to report on," Howard says.

But lack of interest in Hampton's trial should not be taken as a sign the media are still only interested in missing white women, say both Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson and Keith Woods, dean of faculty at the Poynter Institute, a school for professional journalists. Both were critical last year of the media's work.

Now, Woods says, "we can celebrate some progress." Most recently, the cable news networks and other national media quickly picked up and reported on the March 19 disappearances of two black boys in Milwaukee. Quadrevion Henning, 12, and Purvis Virginia Parker, 11, remained missing Thursday.

Robinson sees "a few more instances of people of color popping on and off the media's radar screens."

Some in the media concede, though, that there's room for more progress. "I think the critics are a lot right. And I think they are a little wrong," CNN correspondent Tom Foreman wrote earlier this month at the Anderson Cooper 360 Blog.

"I've never, not even once, seen a story spiked because the victim was not attractive enough or the wrong race," Foreman added. "But I've seen plenty of stories fall by the wayside" when reporters and producers decided — perhaps wrongly — that viewers wouldn't care.

Some relatives of missing persons still have problems with the media's work. Robert Spellman of Los Angeles, a white man, went missing in April 2005. He was then 27. His sister, Tracy Spellman, has set up a website and a toll-free tip line (1-877-821-4631).

The case made it on to the Fox Network's America's Most Wanted website last fall. But Tracy Spellman says she's had no luck getting other media interested.

"Maybe I should Photoshop a wig onto his picture and turn him into Roberta Spellman," she says.


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · California Missing Persons 2000 to 2009 · Next Topic »
Add Reply