Pick your cliche—a “shot in the dark” or a “needle in a haystack.” I have no false hope here. I don’t expect this post will result in useful information about a missing Central New York teenager. But I saw this flyer posted on a corkboard inside Marshall Square Mall in Syracuse, and the child’s smiling face and wavy hair evoked pity in the form of a gut punch.
Missing teenager Christopher Pierce.
The paper displayed photos and biographical data for 14-year-old Christopher Pierce of Theresa, New York, in Jefferson County. He stands about five feet nine inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. He was last seen on Nov. 1 at 550 Harrison Street—a medical complex near Interstate 81 in Syracuse.
I can’t imagine the horror his parents are enduring, replaying their worst fears as more time passes and he fails to appear.
If anyone has information, they can call the Syracuse Police Missing Person Unit at 315-442-5233.
I also couldn’t help wondering what type of kid Christopher is. Who is his favorite musical artist? Does he play sports? Does he ride dirt bikes or go snowmobiling in the Tug Hill plateau? Does he have siblings? What are his favorite pizza toppings? All the mundane little details that add up to a life. And in a case like this, good thoughts and prayers prove futile. They can’t bring the kid home to his parents. But a few aimless prayers also won’t cause any damage.
Francis DiClemente 
Thank you for sharing. There is no telling how many times I come across random missing posters and it breaks my heart for each of them and their families. My hope is I always to try to remember the faces I see just in case I happen to see one that I seen in the posters/flyers so that I can report it as soon as possible. People get so caught up in their own day to day issues that they tend to forget just how many missing and exploited children there are all over the world and especially in America. Cold cases and so forth.
Hi Sara. Thanks for reading and for the comment. It is so sad how many kids are missing and will never be found. It gives me such a helpless feeling. And I wanted to acknowledge Christopher, to at least make mention of his existence, to recognize and remember his humanity.