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Missing Persons & Locates
When someone is out of reach, start with what you know.
Losing touch with someone can leave important matters unresolved. TJS conducts missing persons and locate investigations using lawful record research and careful field work to help establish where a person can be reached.
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Speak to an Investigator (888) 600-0261
01. Overview
Follow the trail that records and people leave.
People move, change numbers, and drift away from family and friends. Sometimes that is a simple loss of contact. Sometimes a person needs to be found to settle an estate, return money or documents, or reconnect a family.
TJS Private Investigations handles missing persons and locate investigations from our Houston, Texas headquarters for clients across the states we serve. We start with the details you already have, research available records, and confirm leads before treating them as findings.
Situations where a locate investigation can help:
- Finding a relative you have lost contact with
- Reconnecting with an old friend or former colleague
- Locating someone who is owed money or property
- Returning important documents to their owner
- Identifying and locating heirs to an estate
- Finding a witness to an event that affected you
- Confirming that a person is safe and reachable
If you believe someone is in danger or has gone missing under suspicious circumstances, contact the police first. A private investigation can support that process but should never replace an emergency report.
02. Capabilities
Several lawful paths to the same answer.
Public Record Research
Review available address, court, property, and business records that may point to a current location.
Identity Matching
Compare names, dates, and past addresses to separate the right person from others with similar details.
Last-Known Location Work
Trace movement from a last-known address or community, following leads in a logical order.
Field Verification
Where appropriate, confirm a location in person rather than relying on records alone.
Heir Searches
Research family connections and available records to help identify and locate relatives named in, or affected by, an estate.
Discreet Contact
When the client and circumstances allow, pass on a message so the person can choose whether to respond.
03. Our Investigators
Patience, method, and respect for privacy.
Locate work rewards persistence. Records can be outdated, incomplete, or attached to the wrong person. With more than 17 years of investigative experience, our investigators check each lead against others before reporting it, and they use only lawful public-record and field methods.
Some people do not wish to be found, and they may have good reasons. Where appropriate, we may confirm that a person has been located, and that they are safe, without disclosing their address. We do not locate people for harassment, intimidation, or any unlawful purpose, and we may decline an assignment that raises those concerns.
04. What Clients Receive
A clear account of the search.
Depending on the purpose of the search and the records available, your report may include:
- A summary of the information you provided
- Sources researched and leads followed
- Current contact or location details, where appropriate to share
- Notes on how the identity match was confirmed
- Results of any field verification
- Any message passed on, and whether a response was received
- Open questions and recommended next steps
Not every person can be located, and records may lag behind a recent move. We explain what was checked and why a search may remain unresolved.
05. Why Choose TJS
A careful search with a clear purpose.
Experienced
More than 17 years of investigative work and 532+ cases closed.
Discreet
We handle your search quietly and protect the privacy of everyone involved.
Lawful Methods
We rely on available records and field work, never on methods that cross legal lines.
Clear Communication
You know what we are checking, what we have confirmed, and what remains uncertain.
06. How It Works
From a last-known detail to a confirmed answer.
- 01.
Share What You Know
Tell us who you are looking for, why, and every detail you have, however small.
- 02.
Agree the Scope
We discuss the purpose, the approach, what can be shared with you, timing, and cost before work begins.
- 03.
Research and Verify
Investigators follow leads through available records and confirm them in the field where needed.
- 04.
Report the Outcome
You receive an organized account of the search, the result, and any limits on what could be disclosed.
07. Frequently Asked Questions
What a locate investigation can and cannot do.
1. Can a private investigator find a missing person?
Often, yes. Investigators can research available records and follow field leads that are hard to pursue on your own. Results depend on how much information exists and how recently the person moved.
2. Should I call the police or a private investigator?
If you think someone is in danger, call the police first. A private investigator is a good fit for lost contacts, heirs, and people owed money or documents, and can also support a family alongside a police report.
3. Will you give me the person’s address?
In many cases, yes. Where someone has chosen not to be found, or sharing a location could put them at risk, we may confirm they were located and offer to pass on a message instead.
4. What information do I need to start?
A full name, approximate age or date of birth, and a last-known city or address are helpful. Old photos, contacts, and workplaces can also give us useful starting points.
5. Do you help locate heirs for an estate?
Yes. We research family connections and available records to help identify and locate heirs, and we can work alongside the estate’s attorney.
08. Next Steps
Tell us who you are trying to reach.
Share the details you have and why the search matters to you. If a witness or legal matter is involved, see our witness locate services or our work for individuals and families. Where you also need to understand someone’s history, a background check may help.
[Ready to start a conversation]
Find a way back to the people who matter.
Tell us who you are looking for and what you already know. We’ll explain how we would approach the search and what we can lawfully share.
Speak to an Investigator (888) 600-0261
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