$20,000 Missing and the Witnesses Vanished
Someone stole $20,000 from a business safe. The owner knew who did it—his former employee. But he couldn’t prove it.
Police investigated. Filed a report. But without witnesses or direct evidence, they couldn’t charge anyone.
There were witnesses. Two people who’d been in the building that night. Who saw the employee near the safe. Who could confirm what happened.
But both had disappeared. Moved with no forwarding address. Phone numbers disconnected. Social media dark.
Without those witnesses, there was no case.
That’s when he hired us for witness location investigation.
We found both witnesses in 10 days. Got their statements. The case went to trial. The employee got convicted. Business owner recovered his money.
Here’s how witness location investigation solved it.
Why Witnesses Disappear
You’re probably dealing with this right now. You have a case, but the witnesses you need are gone. And you’re wondering where they went and why.
Usually in witness location investigation, the reasons are simpler than you think:
They moved on with their lives. The incident happened months ago. They got a new job, moved to a new city, changed phone numbers. Didn’t realize anyone would need them.
They don’t want to get involved. Court means time off work. Dealing with attorneys. Possibly dealing with the defendant. They made themselves hard to find.
They’re scared. Worried about retaliation. Worried about their own situation. Worried about what testifying might reveal about their lives.
They’re transient. Day laborers. Temporary workers. People without permanent addresses. Witness location investigation is harder when people move frequently.
Life got chaotic. Lost their phone. Personal crisis. Became homeless. Got arrested. Life circumstances made them disappear.
In our robbery case, both witnesses had simply moved for new jobs in different cities. No sinister reason. They just didn’t know anyone needed them for witness location investigation.
Why Police Couldn’t Find Them
You probably already tried going through police. They tried a few things, then told you they couldn’t locate the witnesses. Now you’re stuck.
Here’s why witness location investigation often requires private investigators:
Police have hundreds of cases. They can’t spend days tracking down witnesses for every one. A few basic attempts, then they move on. They don’t have budget for extensive witness location investigation.
When witnesses cross state lines, police face jurisdictional complications. We don’t have those limits.
Police need to close cases quickly. If witness location investigation takes too long, they move to other priorities.
We have access to skip tracing databases, private investigator networks, and resources police don’t typically use for witness location investigation.
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, witness location investigation has become increasingly important as people move more frequently and traditional address records become less reliable.
We’re not better than police. We just have time and resources to dedicate to witness location investigation when they can’t.
Finding the First Witness
The first witness had worked cleaning the building. Last known address was an apartment she’d moved out of three months ago.
We started with skip tracing in witness location investigation.
Property records showed no real estate. Utility records at old address ended three months ago with no forward. Credit headers showed she’d recently applied for credit—that gave us her new employer.
We called the new employer verifying employment for a background check. Got confirmation she worked there. Receptionist mentioned she lived somewhere near the office.
Checked addresses near that employer. Found her name on an apartment lease database two miles from her job.
Current address located through witness location investigation in three days.
Finding the Second Witness
The second witness had been a night security guard at a neighboring building. Last address was six months old. Phone disconnected.
Vehicle registration from DMV showed current address in Dallas—three hours away. He’d moved for a better security job.
Found social media under a slightly different name spelling. Privacy settings high, but we found his employer tagged in a post. Security company in Dallas.
Called the company verifying employment dates. Confirmed he worked there and got his work schedule.
Both witnesses located within three days of starting witness location investigation.
Making Contact Without Scaring Them Off
Finding witnesses is half of witness location investigation. Getting them to talk is the other half.
The Cleaning Worker
We couldn’t just show up at her work—might get her in trouble or scare her off.
We went to her apartment. Waited for her to come home. Approached carefully.
Identified ourselves as investigators working the robbery case. Made clear she wasn’t in trouble. Just needed her statement about what she saw that night.
She was nervous at first. Worried about going to court. Didn’t want problems.
We explained the situation. The man who stole from her former employer was getting away with it without her help. She was the only person who saw him near the safe that night.
She remembered clearly. Saw the employee leaving the office area where he shouldn’t have been. Acting nervous. Noticed the safe door was open when it was always locked.
She agreed to give a statement. We recorded it. Had her sign an affidavit. Got her current contact.
First witness secured in witness location investigation.
The Security Guard
He’d moved three hours away. We drove to Dallas for this witness location investigation.
Went to his workplace. Spoke with his supervisor first. Explained we needed to talk to him about a criminal case he’d witnessed. Got permission to meet him during his break.
He remembered the night. Remembered seeing the employee’s car in the parking lot late when the building should’ve been empty. Remembered the employee leaving around 2am carrying a duffel bag.
He’d actually reported it to the building manager the next day. Thought it was suspicious. But no one followed up. He moved shortly after and forgot about it.
He didn’t realize he was needed. That’s why witness location investigation was necessary.
He agreed to provide a statement. We recorded it. Got his contact. He agreed to testify if needed.
Second witness secured in seven days through witness location investigation.
What Happened Next
Witness location investigation isn’t just finding people—it’s documenting everything properly for court.
We provided the business owner’s attorney:
Current contact information for both witnesses. Addresses, phone numbers, email, employment information.
Recorded sworn statements from both witnesses describing what they saw the night of the robbery.
Written affidavits signed and notarized from both witnesses.
Timeline corroborating statements with security footage timestamps and other evidence.
Detailed report of our witness location investigation process.
With this evidence from witness location investigation, the prosecutor reopened the case.
Former employee was arrested. Faced with witness statements, his attorney knew the case was strong.
He pleaded guilty. Got prison time, ordered to repay the $20,000.
Business owner recovered his money. Justice served because witness location investigation found the witnesses.
Why This Matters for Your Case
You’re reading this because you need witnesses and can’t find them. Maybe police told you they’ve done all they can. Maybe you tried yourself and hit dead ends.
Here’s what you’re probably feeling: frustrated that your case is solid but you can’t prove it. Worried that the person responsible will get away with it. Angry that justice depends on finding people who don’t want to be found.
Witness location investigation changes that.
Witnesses make or break cases. Physical evidence isn’t always available. Witness testimony fills gaps. Without witness location investigation, strong cases fall apart.
Time makes it harder. The longer you wait, the harder witness location investigation becomes. People move farther. Contact information changes more. Trails go cold.
Professional investigation gets results. We have time, tools, and resources for witness location investigation that overworked police departments don’t.
According to the American Bar Association, witness availability is one of the top factors determining case outcomes. Witness location investigation directly impacts whether cases succeed or fail.
Cases That Need Witness Location Investigation
You might need witness location investigation for:
Criminal defense. Finding alibi witnesses who can prove innocence. Locating witnesses who saw what actually happened.
Criminal prosecution. Finding witnesses to crimes when police investigation stalled.
Personal injury cases. Locating accident witnesses who saw what happened. Finding medical witnesses.
Wrongful death cases. Finding witnesses to accidents or incidents. Proving liability or negligence.
Business disputes. Locating witnesses to contract negotiations, business meetings, transactions, fraud.
Family law. Finding witnesses in custody disputes, divorce proceedings, abuse cases.
Estate and probate. Locating witnesses to will signings, testamentary capacity, undue influence.
Check out our witness location services for more details.
How Witness Location Investigation Actually Works
When you hire us for witness location investigation:
We start with whatever information you have. Names. Last known addresses. Phone numbers. Employment history. Vehicle information. Family names. Anything that helps.
We use specialized databases. Credit headers. Utility records. Property records. Vehicle registrations. Court records. Professional licenses. Information you can’t access on your own.
We search social media platforms. Sometimes under different name spellings. Maiden names. Nicknames. People leave digital footprints even when they try to disappear.
We do field investigation when needed. Interviewing neighbors at old addresses. Talking to former employers. Checking places witnesses frequented.
We use investigator networks. Contacts in different regions who can check locations we can’t reach easily.
We make contact carefully. Explain who we are, why we need them, how the process works. Obtain statements and coordinate with your attorney.
What Makes It Work
Not all witness location investigations succeed immediately. Here’s what helps:
Starting early. The sooner you hire us after realizing witnesses are missing, the easier witness location investigation becomes. Fresh trails are easier to follow.
Good initial information. The more you can tell us about the witness, the better. Even small details help.
Cooperation from attorneys. When attorneys work with us and provide legal support, witness location investigation gets better results.
Patience and persistence. Some cases solve in days. Others take weeks. We don’t give up just because it’s hard.
Professional approach. We approach witnesses respectfully. They cooperate better when we’re not aggressive or threatening.
Don’t Let Missing Witnesses Destroy Your Case
Look, you have a solid case. You know what happened. You know who’s responsible. But without witnesses, none of that matters.
The robbery we investigated? The owner knew his employee stole the money. But without witnesses placing him at the scene, there was no case. The employee would’ve walked away with $20,000.
Witness location investigation changed everything. Found the witnesses. Got their statements. Justice happened.
If you need witnesses located, don’t wait. Every day that passes makes witness location investigation harder. People move farther. Memories fade. Trails go cold.
We Can Help
At Terrance Private Investigator & Associates, we specialize in witness location investigation throughout Houston, Texas, and nationwide.
We’ve located hundreds of missing witnesses. Criminal cases. Civil cases. Witnesses who moved. Witnesses who were hiding. Witnesses who just got lost in life.
If you need witnesses found, we’ll find them. We have the tools, databases, experience, and persistence for successful witness location investigation.
Call Now: 832-404-3400
Email: getanswers@piterrance.com
Visit: www.piterrance.com
Professional witness location investigation. Results that win cases.
Because justice shouldn’t depend on whether witnesses can be found—and with witness location investigation, it doesn’t have to.
