TAMPA, Fla. — Family members of the more than 3,000 missing persons in Florida were given the chance Thursday to give information, DNA samples and speak with investigators thanks to "Missing in Florida Day."

More than 3,000 people are listed as missing or endangered in the state and documented in the National Crime Information Center, which is the database accessed by law enforcement. Only roughly 1,700 of the cases are listed in NamUs.gov, which is the database that allows for public access. That means nearly 2,000 cases cannot be accessed by friends and family members who are seeking case updates on their missing loved ones. 

According to Erin Kimmerle, a forensic anthropologist with University of South Florida, the gap in cases is because either reports were not filed or that the case lacks basic biometric information like DNA, which is required to make a match. “

The genealogical kits will go ultimately to the ged-match system, and it's important because sometimes families in that situation have given samples to ancestry.com or databases and not realizing that’s not available to law enforcement and not reaching the places they’re hoping for,” Kimmerle said. 

At "Missing in Florida Day," held Thursday at the Italian Club of Tampa, families were able to give DNA samples free of cost, which can help develop their missing loved ones’ DNA profile. 

A number of law enforcement agencies and investigators were also on hand to help people navigate their missing person cases. 

Organizers said about 100 people attended the event. Among them was Iris Morton, who flew to Tampa from her home in Germany specifically to be at “Missing in Florida.”

Morton’s sister, Sandra Yeoman, birth name Sonya Bonita Burgess, never returned to her godparents’ Thonotosassa home after school on May 28, 1974. Morton said she was five years old at the time, while Sandra was 12 or 13.

Morton and her younger sister were among the families that shared their loved ones’ stories. Morton also submitted DNA and said she plans to spend the rest of her time in Tampa revisiting the area where she and her sisters grew up and searching for photos of Sandra, including any Hillsborough County Public Schools may have.

“All of my life, I’ve always felt like something’s been missing, and this is why I’m here today,” Morton said. “I was told from all family members and friends that I was the last one to see her. So, it’s always weighed heavily on me.”

Sidney and Hattie Crespo were also at the event. Their son, Joshua Simmons, was last seen in Tampa on March 4, 2022. They also shared their story with attendees.

According to the Crespos, Simmons left their home after saying he was going to spend the weekend at a hotel with his children. But Sidney Crespo said he doesn’t think the children, who live with their mother, were ever called.

Simmons had gotten remarried, according to his father, and his new wife committed suicide, so he was going through a hard time.

“We’ve been to other funerals for young people that have passed away, but their families know where their loved one is,” Sidney Crespo said. “We don’t know where ours is.”

The nonprofit We Are the Essentials is aiding in efforts to find Simmons. Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200.

At the last "Missing in Florida Day" back in 2016, 20 cases were opened and new leads were found in a few open cases.