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Step 1
File an official police report immediately. Unless you are sure the missing person is not in some kind of serious trouble, get the police to investigate as soon as possible. They have better resources than you, along with the training and authority that allow them to investigate effectively in ways you couldn't.
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Step 2
Create a flier that shows the missing person's photo, along with a description of the clothing she was wearing when she went missing, the date she disappeared and her contact information. Put the fliers anywhere people might have seen her: in the area where she was last seen, her neighborhood, her regular haunts and anywhere else they might help.
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Step 3
Make a list of any information you already know about your missing friend. Who does he hang out with and what organizations is he part of? Where was he last seen, and why might he have gone missing? Is it possible he just took off spontaneously; if so, where? What, if anything, is known about his actual disappearance? Share your information with the police.
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Step 4
Contact anyone who might know anything. Contact every friend, acquaintance and organization member who knows the person, to find out if they have any information. Spread the word that she is missing, and give out your contact number and email address, in case the people you contact think of anything. You may want to print up business cards to hand out.
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Step 5
Pay a visit to all the places your friend frequents. Stop by bars and parks and explore neighborhoods he used to visit. Talk to as many people as you can. Don't be afraid of prying. Finding your friend safe and unharmed is more important than being polite.
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Step 6
Keep in contact with the police. There should be a primary investigator assigned to the case. Arrange to meet with him regularly to share what information you have and to ask what he has discovered.
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Step 7
Consider talking to the press. If you can get the missing person's picture on the news, thousands of people will see it, greatly increasing the chance that someone who has seen her will spot the image.
