Exactly 22 years after the mysterious disappearance of Lincoln resident Gina Bos, her family hopes Oct. 17 will gain new meaning for families across Nebraska.
At the state Capitol on Monday, surrounded by the friends and loved ones of Nebraska's missing persons, Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation declaring Oct. 17 Missing Persons Day in Nebraska.
"Missing persons is something that, here in Nebraska, you may not think about in your day-to-day life, but it is something that many families have to deal with," Ricketts said.
Earlier this year, a coalition of Nebraska families reached out to Ricketts and state Sen. Julie Slama in hopes of creating an annual day of recognition.
"The day is an opportunity to recognize all of Nebraska's missing, not just the ones that are media friendly, that have a scandalous story or the story that's intriguing to the public, but all Nebraska missing persons," said Jannel Rap, Bos' sister and founder of .
"There's so many long-term missing that nobody's heard about in the media for so long, and who could possibly be found if the public knew they were missing. ... Every missing person is valuable and worth being found."
After her sister's disappearance in 2000 after performing at Duggan's Pub, Rap encountered many obstacles while trying to gain media coverage, finding many doors closed since there was no scandal, suspect or household name attached to the case. According to Rap, when the public stops seeing coverage of disappearances in the news media, they assume the individuals have been found and stop looking.
Rap said she hopes the day can help the public realize how many Nebraskans are missing, as well as the pain and heartache of their loved ones, who continue to search to bring them home.
According to Ricketts, 2,058 Nebraskans went missing in 2022. Although the majority were located, 310 remain missing, bringing the total number of cases in the Nebraska State Patrol database to 835.
Christina Loupin, mother of then-28-year-old Chris Loupin, who went missing nearly three years ago, said the governor's proclamation opens the door for more awareness and possibilities for the families of missing Nebraskans to reconnect with their loved ones.
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"I'm here so everybody else that's going through this can know that they're not alone, to bring awareness that there are still missing people in Nebraska and it does happen to everyday people," Christina Loupin said. "When Chris went missing, even though I had so many friends and family, nobody felt what I felt, nobody knew what I was feeling. Losing a child is different than not knowing where your child is and it's hard, you don't know what to do."
Chris Loupin disappeared from the 4 Seasons Campground south of Elm Creek during a smoke break.
"I don't know what hope is right now," Christina Loupin said, asking that any information regarding her son's 2019 disappearance be submitted to law enforcement.
Christina Loupin said that the other families, especially mothers, have become a support group. They share the good days and the bad ones, as well as ways they are looking for their children.
"We're connected in a way we don't want to be," Christina Loupin said. "It's unfortunate, but it's what bonds us."
In its efforts to increase awareness about cases , Rap's nonprofit has , creating online summaries of circumstances, descriptions, sources and flyers to help bring them home.
"I keep looking, because other people have been found," Rap said. "Over 2,000 people that we've profiled since I started (GINA) have been found. If they can be found, then so can my sister."
For more information on Nebraska's missing persons, visit .
Christina Loupin, mother of then-28-year-old Chris Loupin, who went missing nearly three years ago, stands with Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday after the governor signed a proclamation declaring Oct. 17 Missing Persons Day in Nebraska.