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Exceptional >98% Success Rate
Phone: 0493 278 297
Specialising in Skip Tracing, Person Location, Family Research & Factual Investigations
MISSING IN AUSTRALIA
MISSING PERSONS SPECIALISTS, RESEARCHERS, ADVOCATES
The partnership of Valentine Smith and Samantha Kiss is dedicated to the field of Missing Persons, with special interest and a unique understanding in cases within a bush/wilderness setting.
At Missing in Australia, our purpose is to advance how we, as a community, investigate and understand cases of those who become lost or go missing. We believe this begins with two fundamental questions: what are we looking at, and what are we looking for. Answering them requires a careful, thorough examination of every element within the environment that may shape the outcome of a case — from human behaviour to weather conditions, and the flora and fauna that share that landscape. It is only through this depth of understanding that we can offer real hope and clarity to those searching for answers.
MISSING IN AUSTRALIA BLOG
Backtracking: identifying, reading and following your own foot impressions to find the way back
No. 3 in a 3-part series of – Man-tracking in SAR Operations and Investigations (Image of ‘The Tracker at Work’ – Kyt Lyn Walken[i] somewhere in Europe) ‘The Forest rolls on forever, amidst its green carpet the mountains rise, foreboding, a maniacal maze of game trails…I know there are tracks…but where are they, where am I?’[i] Among all wilderness navigation skills, few are as practical and as misunderstood as backtracking. Most people think the term simply means, "turning a
Valentine Smith APM
Sep 138 min read
Man-tracking skills for SAR personnel- A Footprint is a communication.
No 2 in a 3-part series of – Man-tracking in SAR Operations and Investigations My advice is no matter where the case is, be it deep in the mountains, or in the pits of suburbia we enter the theatre of every investigation like a ‘Stone-Smith’ studies a block of granite, or a diamond in the rough, every potential facet examined carefully before chipping away at the hard crust, sifting through the dust, looking for the glint of value in a gem of the truth. Eccentric, maybe, or p
Valentine Smith APM
Aug 97 min read
Man-tracking skills for SAR personnel- Usage is on the rise in Europe
No 1 in a 3-part series of Man-tracking in SAR Operations and Investigations ‘One of the most overlooked aspects of tracking is that it fundamentally trains observation’. The quote, in italics, above and the three below are from Kyt Lyn Walken’s notes on Man-tracking. I’m not a Man-tracker, but Kyt is and she is recognised across Europe as one of the best. Her experience, qualifications and energy in the field are outstanding[i]. As a specialist in investigative thinking wha
Valentine Smith APM
Jul 1010 min read
Remote Crime Viewing - Article 4 in a 4-part series
[i] The Natural Investigative Skills re-visited Remote Crime Viewing – Psychic Intuition – Science – It is complex, fascinating, captivating and certainly not deserving of dismissive scepticism. Intuition or Psychic visions have been with us for millennium: In Indigenous cultures the practice of seeking signs from ‘above or beyond’ are well documented. In the US in 1876 as the US Army sent three columns of troops into Indian Territory, Sitting Bull, the famous Hunkpapa La
Valentine Smith APM
Jun 710 min read
Tracking - Article 2 in a 4-part series
The Natural Investigative Skills re-visited ‘…The father, however, did not despair, and after some trouble secured the services of two or three aborigines, whose sharp eyes soon picked up the tracks the white men were now unable to follow. They pointed out where the children had slept, where they had stumbled along in the dark, and where an attempt to carry the youngest child had failed, the bearer being too weak to rise with the burden;’ The italic piece above is an exc
Valentine Smith APM
Apr 219 min read
The Six Senses: Focusing on Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste/Smell (Intuition) - Article 1 in a 4-part series
The Natural Investigative Skills re-visited [i] The symmetrical beauty of nature is delivered to us in a myriad of ways, sometimes it is the repetitive pattern of a leaf generally indistinguishable amongst millions on a giant tree, each with its lifeblood of veins, or perhaps it is the wings of a butterfly, or the feathers of a bird duplicated either side of its centre line and perfect in almost identical beauty when viewed from either the left or the right. Or maybe it’s i
Valentine Smith APM
Mar 1812 min read
![CONCEALMENT OF THE WHEREABOUTS OF HUMAN REMAINS (RE-VISITED)[i]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/93549e_46cacd5e8a844e28b2b6ed3106443b84~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_554,h_463,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_30,blur_30,enc_avif,quality_auto/93549e_46cacd5e8a844e28b2b6ed3106443b84~mv2.jpg)
![CONCEALMENT OF THE WHEREABOUTS OF HUMAN REMAINS (RE-VISITED)[i]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/93549e_46cacd5e8a844e28b2b6ed3106443b84~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_554,h_463,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/93549e_46cacd5e8a844e28b2b6ed3106443b84~mv2.jpg)
CONCEALMENT OF THE WHEREABOUTS OF HUMAN REMAINS (RE-VISITED)[i]
(The follow up to the original article of 3 Nov 2025 with updates and objectives) Thousands of you visited the first article on LinkedIn and hundreds read the full article on our web site at www.missinginaustralia.com.au In response, I am extremely grateful for your interest in this very important subject. This is not just about ‘no-body, no-parole’, that is already in place and often does not work. This is focussed more on those remorseless apathetic types who have the kno
Valentine Smith APM
Feb 218 min read
The Girl in the Forest
‘There is something surreal about this case, it involves a combination of a young woman, lost in herself and then physically but not spiritually, lost in a lonely forest. Then perhaps found in her isolation and death, but not without the assistance of a psychic intuitive connection with others. It is the sad and very real story of Claudia a young woman, tormented by mental health and drugs, and the search for her remains in a quiet and beautiful autumnal German forest. An in
Valentine Smith APM
Dec 28, 20259 min read
The Importance of Professional Private Investigation Services
When you need to find someone in Australia, the task can feel overwhelming. Whether it’s for legal reasons, personal closure, or historical research, locating individuals is rarely straightforward. That’s where professional private investigation services come in. They bring expertise, resources, and ethical standards that make all the difference. But what exactly makes these services so crucial? And how can you ensure your case is handled successfully? Let’s dive into the key
Enigma PI
Oct 22, 20254 min read
Private Investigation Techniques: Unveiling the Work of Private Investigators
When you think of a private investigator, what comes to mind? A shadowy figure tailing suspects in a trench coat? While Hollywood has certainly glamorized the profession, the reality is far more nuanced and methodical. Private investigation techniques are a blend of art and science, requiring patience, skill, and a deep understanding of human behavior. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes and reveal what really goes into the work of a private investigator, especially w
Enigma PI
Oct 10, 20254 min read
Part Three: Missing Person Response - Gaps uncovered
PART THREE OF A FOUR PART SERIES Victimology and Witness handling INTRODUCTION: Criticisms, no more criticisms – with over fifty years in policing and investigations, the last ten years almost solely concentrating on missing persons, I have identified gaps in most cases. However, I am generally not overly critical, why? Because I understand reality and the limitations and pressures in which police work. I also understand that it is the front-line officer who is usually the t
Valentine Smith APM
Dec 23, 20246 min read
Part Two: Missing Person Response – Gaps uncovered
PART TWO OF A FOUR PART SERIES INVESTIGATIVE RESPONSE – THE GAPS IN THE FIRST 120 HOURS INTRODUCTION: “If it looks like a duck and...
Valentine Smith APM
Nov 25, 20246 min read
Part One: Missing Person Response - Gaps uncovered
PART ONE OF A FOUR-PART SERIES INTRODUCTION: Criticisms, no more criticisms – with over fifty years in policing and investigations, the last ten years almost solely concentrating on missing persons, I have identified gaps in most cases. However, I am generally not overly critical, why? Because I understand reality and the limitations and pressures in which police work. I also understand that it is the front-line officer who is usually the target for criticism, which is often
Valentine Smith APM
Nov 11, 20246 min read
Gunfire – In ‘The High Country’
Murdered or Lost - clarifying the missing? (Three years down the track) There have always been ‘lone wolf’ stories of mostly men who...
Valentine Smith APM
Sep 11, 20246 min read
We might as well be on the moon
CREDIT: MATT PALMER - https://mattpalmer.co Our Trip to Craigs Hut. By Pastor Christopher and Yolanda Eckels[i] Edited by Valentine...
Valentine Smith APM
Sep 5, 202311 min read
Paradoxical undressing
Paradoxical undressing is one of those strange things that an investigator can come across, more especially in the depths of winter.
Valentine Smith APM
Apr 26, 20234 min read
![Murder and Missing Persons - It is not just about ‘Reckonology[i]’](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/93549e_2311d4fa984b4d519f79fc7f6fe9a5f0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_617,h_463,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_avif,quality_auto/93549e_2311d4fa984b4d519f79fc7f6fe9a5f0~mv2.jpg)
![Murder and Missing Persons - It is not just about ‘Reckonology[i]’](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/93549e_2311d4fa984b4d519f79fc7f6fe9a5f0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_617,h_463,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/93549e_2311d4fa984b4d519f79fc7f6fe9a5f0~mv2.jpg)
Murder and Missing Persons - It is not just about ‘Reckonology[i]’
Often, in order to strengthen an unsupported opinion, a ‘Reckonologist’ will use an expression of “They reckon”.
Valentine Smith APM
Jan 21, 20233 min read
Birdwatching - for bodies (Observations of wildlife to locate human remains).
As we get older some of us get great pleasure in ‘observing', from watching people in the street, to dog’s territorialising the park
Valentine Smith APM
Sep 6, 202213 min read
Footprints in the Wilderness
Why do any of us feel rejuvenated when we go into a forest, sit on a quiet ocean beach, or even visit an urban park?
Valentine Smith APM
Jul 22, 20223 min read
“Cold Case Challenges” Missing in Action, Lost Boys in the Wilderness
The incident scene is born through a set of circumstances. It explodes into life and then immediately begins to die until there is virtuall
Valentine Smith APM
Jul 21, 20227 min read
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