A missing 10-year old girl from North Carolina was thought to be missing, but now the investigation has shifted to a homicide. Zahra Baker was reported missing over the weekend by her father and stepmother who claimed they last saw her in her bed. Local authorities have trouble believing this story, and for good reason.

Zahra’s stepmother, Elisa Baker, is currently behind bars on unrelated charges. She has also been accused of writing a fake $1 million ransom note to throw off investigators. Even more disturbing is that friends and family of the Bakers have stated that Elisa was often hard on Zahra and that she repeatedly physically abused the child.

What makes this investigation so difficult is that no one has seen Zahra within the past month, so it’s hard to know exactly how long she’s been missing. She also fought a long battle with childhood cancer, leaving her deaf and with a prosthetic leg. In recent reports, investigators have indicated that they believe Zahra was alive in mid-September when the family moved to a new home. Yet neighbors say they didn’t even know that the family had a young daughter.

Investigators have begun looking for the body of 10-year old Zahra and are deeply saddened by the grim details that this case is bringing out. A vigil was held Wednesday night and a deacon at East Hickory Baptist Church said that everyone is praying for the girl.

Image c/o cbsnews.com

As the last Chilean miner has been rescued, the 33 men were welcomed as national heroes and set a world record for survival underground. The men, who were trapped underground since August 5, were in surprisingly good condition. In fact, the immediate needs only included two cases of dental problems and one case of a pre-existing lung disease. Other minor problems include fungal infections, eye problems, and collapsed lungs.

As the men were brought up from the mine, they kept their dark glasses on to protect their eyes from the sunlight, which they haven’t seen in over 2 months. Not seeing natural light for this long can tamper with the biological clocks and sleep cycles, so it’s likely that the miners will face difficulties in adjusting to a regular sleep routine.

Some medical professionals also caution that the miners may face some emotional problems down the line. Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and flashbacks are also obstacles the miners may face 6 months or more from now. In the meantime however, the miners are overjoyed to have been rescued and back with their families. And, while emotional stress will be part of the healing process, the miners have much to look forward to.

None of the miners intend to return to their old jobs for obvious reasons, but the good news is that they have received an overwhelming number of gifts and invitations, including book offers, advertising deals, film contracts, and other miscellaneous jobs. As the miners slowly return to their normal lives, they pass on their shifts and pray that no other miners will encounter this tragedy.

Image c/o Alex Ibanez/AP

Whether you’re looking for a long lost family member or friend, interested in running a background check on yourself, or following up on caregivers and neighbors, Public Records databases can be your best friend. Indeed, there are plenty of companies that offer these services, but not all are treated (or shall we say, created) equal. One of the first questions that everyone asks is why it costs money to access these records? After all, they are public – and free – right?

It is true that these records are public and until recently, were only held at government offices where you would have to pay a visit if you wanted to do any type of search. Not to mention, it was difficult to do multiple searches in one visit, as accessing these documents was often time consuming and difficult. Over the years, this information has become accessible online, but since it is a service, it does cost a small fee.

The membership fee is what is used to keep the databases up and running, ensuring that the information is up-to-date and current. Plus, members save themselves the time and hassle of having to locate a government office and look through hundreds of thousands of Public Record files. With online tools, all you have to do is plug in the name of the person you’re looking for and the information will be instantly pulled up.

So do these Public Records databases really work? Is it worth becoming a member? Many people agree yes. While the reasons vary for why people use these databases, they are found to be highly accurate, provide instant results and take the leg work out of searching for people. Businesses especially love this service, as they can run background checks from the convenience of their own office and get instant results for one low membership cost.

Before choosing a company, be sure that they offer:

• 1) A large, up-to-date database that holds over 3.2 billion records
• 2) A money-back guarantee so that customers can get their money back if they’re not happy with the service
• 3) 24/7 technical support and committed customer support team
• 4) An easy interface that allows its users to plug and go
• 5) Low membership fees
• 6) Access to public marriage records, death records, birth records, arrest records, criminal court records, and divorce records.

Image c/o yearn2earncash.com

Valerie Hamilton, 23, daughter to Concord’s police chief, went missing last Wednesday after leaving a bar with suspect Michael Harvey, 34. Her body turned up at 1 am on Sunday morning and Harvey was arrested the following day in New York.

Harvey panicked and fled to his home state of New York, staying at a friend’s house with a stolen car in tow. At this time, Harvey denies that he had any connection to Hamilton’s death and has stated, “She OD’ed in her sleep. This is not a murder. I did not kill her.”

Although initial medical reports “do not indicate any sign of traditional physical trauma to Hamilton’s body, i.e. gunshot wounds, stab wounds, strangulation, bludgeoning”, Harvey isn’t off the hook quite yet. Instead of seeking help for young Hamilton, he panicked and dumped her body in a mini-storage facility in East Charlotte.

Harvey went through great lengths to cover up her death and tampered with a crime scene. Furthermore, witnesses from Wednesday night said that Harvey refused to get Hamilton help that she desperately needed and ignored calls to seek medical attention.

While the courts await toxicology reports, Harvey continues to stand by his story that both him and Hamilton had done black tar heroin last Wednesday evening and when he woke up, she was dead. Although Harvey believes his story, his actions and lack to come forward in Hamilton’s death outline a dark character. He also has a lengthy criminal record and is a registered offender, growing up with a troubled past.

Image c/o AP Photo/David Duprey

As a parent of a toddler, going to public places is always a bit of a struggle. My nearly 2 year old is done with the stroller and he insists on walking everywhere. Who can blame him when there’s so much to explore hands-on? Yet as any parent or caregiver knows, small children can disappear within seconds, walking one way when you’re going another. Since those handy child leashes now carry a less than positive reputation, parents are left carrying their tots or pulling them along by hand.

When I heard about child locators, I had to do some research. What are they? Do they really work? Are they reliable? After all, this is my child I would be putting into the hands of a child locator if he were to wander off.

Child locators are electronic devices that use technology to communicate where a child is. The first type is called a short range locator and it uses radio technology to alert where the child is. The positives: these devices provide instant feedback and are ideal for parks, playgrounds or other public places with large groups of people. The drawbacks: they only work in short range areas, most around 600 feet outdoors and 250 feet indoors. Plus, they will need to be taken with you everywhere; just one more thing to dump in the purse.

The second type is a long range locator which uses GPS technology to locate a child. The positives are that these locators are highly reliable, work for long distances and are ideal for tracking teens who are just learning to drive. While long range locators provide accurate results and can prove beneficial in times of crises, they also require an Internet connection, meaning that you need online access on a phone or computer. This can be difficult if you’re in area with poor reception.

Overall, I think these gadgets can certainly be helpful, especially if planning a busy day at a public outing. Many of them have cute teddy bear locators that the child wears and cost anywhere between $10 and $160, depending on features and brand. Not only are they great for busy toddlers, but also for older kids who want a bit of freedom at amusement and water parks, as well as teens who are learning to drive.

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You hear about email accounts being hacked into all the time, but until it happens to you, it’s difficult to understand the consequences. Well, it happened to me and I was completely unprepared for how to handle the situation. Thankfully, the hackers did not send out a “Help Me!” email to my contacts, but instead one that wanted them to try out a new product that I had gladly endorsed. Yeah right! Most knew right away that it was spam, but for those who didn’t, the world of malicious software and viruses continues.

The interesting thing about hacking into accounts is that the hacker doesn’t necessarily need access to your account. All they have to do is make it look like the email was sent from your address. Still, you can never be too sure as many hackers actually do access your account, meaning that they have all of your information. So what should you do if your account has been hacked into?

• First and foremost, change your account password to something different, something VERY unique and something safe.
• Run a virus scan and make sure that there are no viruses or malicious software on your computer.
• Notify the support center of your situation. When support is aware of these issues, such as a recent outbreak of Hotmail hackers, they are better able to tackle the issue.

Also be sure that your contacts know that the emails that were sent are obviously spam and that they should not open them. There may be viruses attached to the email, so they too, should run a virus scan if they opened the email. If in doubt, change the passwords to all of your accounts and change your email address as well. You never know exactly how much information the hackers can access, so it’s better to play safe than be sorry.

Image c/o modmyi.com

I can’t believe it took me more than 10 years of owning a business to finally appreciate the value of a background check!

Over the years I’ve been involved in the hiring of more than 250 people. During that time, I’ve learned to expect just about anything. The one thing that has remained constant throughout these interviews and reviews is that most people do not tell the whole truth about who they are and what they’ve done.

I guess it is just human nature and so I try not to judge. I have certainly made my share of mistakes over the years, and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. People can change, and life is about second chances. Still, after 10 years of making mistakes, I decided it was time to change my policy. I simply decided I had to run a check on everyone I was involved in.

Here is the service I personally use to screen every business partner and employee. I was able to get a $20 discount for anyone else who want’s to use this service.

The issue for me is this: As a business owner, I have a responsibility to verify what people tell me for myself. Hiring the wrong person is the most common, and costly mistake a business can make. Here are a few of the mistakes that COULD have been avoided over the years if I had just conducted a background check on a prospective employee:

1999 - Brought on a business partner who claimed he had made millions, only to find out that his previous company was all but bankrupt. This could have been easily verifiable.

2000 – Hired a sales person who appeared to be a hard working single mom, only to discover that she was addicted to crack cocaine and had a warrant for her arrest. Incidentially, when we fired her for non-performance, she went to the state employment board and triggered a 6 month human resources investigation that cost me 10x the revenue she had produced.

2002 - Hired a VP of Sales that was hiding past sexual harassment charges. He subsequently harassed one of his team members and nearly cost us our business. He had raving reviews and an MBA.

2004 – Hired a handyman who turned out to have 34 arrest records and ended up robbing my home while I was away on business.

2006 – Hired another VP of Sales that again harassed one of my teenage employees. (You would think I would have learned my lesson!)

2009 – Hired an Account Manager who, within the period of 3 months had both the DEA and Sheriffs office visit our company, with the last visit resulting in her leaving in handcuffs!

2010 – I finally learned my lesson. I no longer hire anyone, partner with anyone or do business with anyone without first running a background check!

So, what is the best way to run a background check?

Criminal history is for the most part public information. Depending on the crime, most arrests and convictions remain on someone’s background for a while. While you can pay a lawyer to get your information “Expunged” from state and federal records, most of the information is kept on file.

There are a number of companies that specialize in aggregating this information by state and county. Because people can easily move from state to state, it can be difficult to find out a person’s entire ‘rap sheet’. These private organizations build software that keeps information updated and then makes it easily available. Like anything, it may not always be entirely accurate, but I’ve found that in most cases if there is a problem, or something someone is hiding, it will show up in these databases.

NetDetective normally costs $29, but blog readers get a $9.95 version.

About 5 years ago, I got involved with a company called HD Publishing. They were a small, innovative company that made their profit by purchasing large chunks of public data, organizing it, and then making it available to the average person in an easy-to-search format. You would be surprised at how difficult this actually is to do. With more than 3.1 Billion records, many of which update and change all the time, maintaining and delivering this kind of a database is very costly. They now offer a service called NetDetective, that allows you to log in at any time and search quickly on just about anyone in real time. This is the service I use and have grown to trust. The main thing I like about it is that I know the people behind the scenes, I see how much work goes into it, and I know that if any of their customers EVER have an issue, that they are just a phone call or email away.

In an effort to keep the criminal histories mentioned in this article, the author needs to remain anonymous. The author is an entrepreneur and currently helps maintain this site. While he does receive compensation for the sale of NetDetective, the story above is 100% based on real events that happened while running and growing 3 internet startups.

With thousands of people dead, hundreds missing and the livelihoods of Pakistani families in despair, the worst flood in decades continues to cause agony in the flood-stricken areas of the country. Government camps are overcrowded and many are faced with hot and humid conditions, lack of water and lack of electricity. Food is sparse and many Pakistani’s are left with only the clothes on their backs – some even less. The United States has been the biggest support for the country, stepping in and committing 200 million dollars. However, it may take years to rebuild this country and for many, life will never be the same.

Nearly a month after the Pakistan flood, children are still missing and the parent’s hopes for finding them are growing more worrisome. When the flood hit, those living in mud homes had everything washed away and everyone fought for their own lives. Families with missing children have spent weeks searching the streets to see if their children remain. Before the flood hit, nearly 4300 children went missing in Pakistan, a huge concern as rates for drug trafficking, sex trade and abduction are high. With even more vulnerable children missing from the flood, parents are concerned that these numbers will grow.

For those who have survived and remained with their parents in government camps, the future looks good, but not for quite some time. Children lack clothes, water and food and there is a rise in certain diseases, such as measles. It is estimated that nearly 6 million Pakistani children are at risk for malnutrition and many are already ill and fighting for their life.

To help the survivors of the flood, text “FLOOD” to 27722

Image c/o whudat.com

Sure, the Internet is a great tool to stay connected with the outside world, but it can also come in handy with more serious issues. Kyron Horman, a 7 year old boy that has been missing since June 4, 2010, is a name that most people are familiar with. His case is a unique one in that his stepmother, Terri Horman, is the individual believed to be responsible for the kidnapping. With an ongoing search for more than 2 months, friends and family are growing more worrisome by the day. While Kyron’s pictures have been seen on the news and Internet, there are several websites devoted to finding this little boy.

The first site, bringkyronhome.org, is run by volunteers and contains numerous pictures of Kyron. Not only does this website get the boy’s pictures out there, but it also asks that the public spreads the word about Kyron and post flyers of the missing child. The public can also help by donating funds to Kyron’s search via Paypal.

The second website is on the social network Facebook and is titled Missing Kyron Horman. Once again, pictures are posted and the public can keep updated with fundraisers, new updates in the case, and phone numbers to call with information. Over 74,000 people have checked out this page, so just imagine how powerful these Internet tools are in missing persons cases.

Kyron Horman went missing June 4th from the Skyline School outside of Portland, Oregon. He is 7 years old, weighs 50 pounds is 3 feet 8 inches. He has blue eyes and brown hair and may be endangered. If you have any information regarding Kyron’s whereabouts, please contact the tip line at 503-261-2847.

Image c/o bringkyronhome.org

Hiking can be one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have. However, as fun as it may sound, things can sometimes go wrong. For the inexperienced hiker, please take into consideration that getting lost is an easy thing to do. Here are some tips that may be of good use in future hiking endeavors:

First things first – if you get lost, DO NOT PANIC!

• Bring a compass: A compass is one of the most important items to have with you when you’re out in the wild. The arrow of a compass always points north, giving you at least a general idea of which direction you’re going.
• Look behind you: This is good advice in any situation, but in hiking, it’s especially important to look behind and around you. Scan the environment. Look for distinguishing landmarks. You could even leave a paper trail to let yourself know that you’ve already come this way, and to help find your way back (bright ribbons tied to branches can serve this purpose; just be sure to untie them and take them with you as you leave).
• Bring a map: This is pretty much common sense. If you go hiking and you don’t have a map, how do you know where you’re going? Even the most experienced hiker carries a map. Also, make sure you know how to read the map. If you don’t know what you’re looking at, you can still get lost even with the map.

Make sure the next time you are planning a hiking trip, you take the necessary precautions. Getting lost in the woods is never fun, so smart planning and a positive attitude will make the trip more enjoyable. Lastly, if you don’t know what you’re doing, go with someone who does.

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