LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced she will be hosting the 11th Annual Never Forgotten – Arkansas Takes Action event on Thursday, July 21, 2022, at the Benton Event Center. Rutledge’s event consists of an all-day training session for law enforcement and attorneys, a family session, as well as a luncheon to recognize Arkansas’s missing. The event was established and has grown each year to bring awareness to the challenges associated with missing persons cases for families and law enforcement officials while also recognizing Arkansas’s missing children and adults. Registration is open for families, law enforcement and attorneys for the morning sessions. The luncheon ceremony is open to the public, but pre-registration is required which can be found on the website.
“Many Arkansans have told me that Never Forgotten has become so much more than a training conference, it’s a time that brings hope for families of the missing,” said Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “My prayer and plan for this program is that it will continue to grow and bridge the gap between law enforcement and families of the missing by providing state-of-the-art training, resources and support.”
The law enforcement training begins at 9 a.m. with Arkansas State Crime Lab CODIS Administrator Miranda Crawford presenting on DNA and missing person cases. Cold Case Diver Doug Bishop will present to participants on cases, sonar basics and investigative tactics he utilizes in cold cases. Law enforcement will also hear about the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s resources to assist law enforcement in identifying, locating and investigating child sex trafficking.
During the family session, which begins at 9:30 a.m., families will learn about scams that target families of missing persons, how to organize files and staying connected with the Morgan Nick Foundation. Open discussion will also be held with representatives from the Arkansas Crime Information Center, Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, Arkansas State Crime Lab, Arkansas State Police, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and the FBI.
The luncheon ceremony will feature keynote speaker, Doug Bishop with Adventures with Purpose to discuss two Arkansas cases they assisted with, recognition of families of the missing and presentation of the Star of Excellence award.
This program has been approved for 5 hours of Continuing Law Enforcement Standards Credit (CLEST) and 3.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE).
Rutledge has led the charge in building stronger partnerships with stakeholders to educate, connect and provide outreach for missing persons in Arkansas. In 2021, a missing persons exhibit was first on display at the State Capitol before traveling statewide. This exhibit will be displayed at the Never Forgotten Event. In 2018, Rutledge released the first comprehensive resource guide for families of missing loved ones which is available to be downloaded or ordered for free at ArkansasAG.gov and NeverForgotten.ar.gov. Each week, Rutledge posts “Missing Person Monday” on social media highlighting a different missing person case.
For more information about the event or other trainings offered by the Attorney General’s Office, please visit ArkansasAG.gov.
About Attorney General Leslie Rutledge
Leslie Carol Rutledge is the 56th Attorney General of Arkansas. Elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn in on January 13, 2015, she is the first woman and first Republican in Arkansas history to be elected as Attorney General. She was resoundingly re-elected on November 6, 2018. Since taking office, she has significantly increased the number of arrests and convictions against online predators who exploit children and con artists who steal taxpayer money through Social Security Disability and Medicaid fraud. Further, she has held Rutledge Roundtable meetings and Mobile Office hours in every county of the State each year, and launched a Military and Veterans Initiative. She has led efforts to roll back government regulations that hurt job creators, fight the opioid epidemic, teach internet safety, combat domestic violence and make the office the top law firm for Arkansans. Rutledge serves on committees for Consumer Protection, Criminal Law and Veterans Affairs for the National Association of Attorneys General. She also served as the former Chairwoman of the Republican Attorneys General Association.
A native of Batesville, she is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Rutledge clerked for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, was Deputy Counsel for former Governor Mike Huckabee, served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and was an Attorney at the Department of Human Services before serving as Counsel at the Republican National Committee. Rutledge and her husband, Boyce, have one daughter. The family has a home in Pulaski County and a farm in Crittenden County.