"Superman" Producer Reported Missing in Mexico

[Jeff Dunsavage]

Ilya Salkind, the man who first brought Superman to the big screen, has been reported missing in Mexico. Not a lot of details yet. Here's the Fox News story.

[Jeff Dunsavage]

Wish I'd seen this thread sooner. I think we've got a snowball of misunderstanding going on -- it happens sometimes when people who don't know each other are communicating through a medium without the benefit of inflection or body language.

Richard's exactly right re: Julie. If she hadn't been so diligently tracking missing person stories 2 and a half years ago and brought my brother's case to his attention, MAP would not have a lot of the knowledge resources we currently have. Julie's SAR knowledge and experience, combined with those of DEEMI and VIASAR really formed the practical foundation of MAP. Julie's, Richard's, and Chris Rowley's unflagging dedication to the SAR and understanding of the issues faced by families of the missing have strongly inspired and influenced my efforts.

 

And Renee is coming from much the same place as I, Chris Shaw, and Cindy Scheepstra were back at the beginning of our experiences. You go from shock, fear, and frustration to feeling empowered by the realization that you're not alone in this, to passionate involvement in the cases of others. Passion and frustration create a filter that can limit or distort your perception of other people's meanings or motivations. Great example of this: the night in May 2009 when Richard first contacted me (after Julie flagged my family's case to his attention), I was sure he was some kind of opportunist looking to take advantage of my family's situation. First, it was late when he called, and I'd been dealing with State Dept. nonsense for...I don't know, probably a week at that point. The military search had been called off, we didn't know what we were going to do next, and suddenly this really fast-talking guy calls, I'm barely understanding a thing he says apart from the fact that he seems to be trying to sell me a high-res camera (that was the only piece of the torrent of information he was throwing at me that I was able to process -- I'm trying to find my brother and keep my family together, and this guy wants me to buy a camera!). Honestly -- if I hadn't been so tired and confused when he called, I probably would've hung up on him. What I wouldn't realize until much later was that here was someone with specific knowledge I needed, a passion and sense of urgency I could not yet comprehend coming from a stranger, and a very clipped, minimalist manner of communicating that (when combined with a week or so of having almost no one outside my circle of family and friends and my brother's friends who cared to help) at that moment I could only translate as a hustle. I laugh about it now, because Julie, Richard, and Chris provided the foundation of everything I've since learned about SAR, were among MAP's earliest and have remained among its most dedicated members, and I nearly hung up on him! Fear, frustration, passion, and exhaustion affect our perceptions and interpretations, so I  completely know where Renee has been coming from here.

 

So, yeah....we are all on the same side. One of the most pleasant surprises I've found throughout my missing-persons experience has been that very few people who come into this kind of work come to it from anything less than the best intentions. Execution and competencies vary, but I don't think I've met anyone (outside of government) whose heart was not in the right place.

 

Thanks to all of you for everything you do. There is nothing external forcing any of you to involve yourselves so deeply in MAP. The easiest thing in the world would be to just "worry about your own." That you all show such compassion and commitment to the plights of strangers' families is the clearest indication of the motives in your hearts. Between this work and my "real" job and family life, I probably don't take the time often enough to say thank you.

 

Richard Bowie said:

I think everyone is trying the best they can to help... thanks to julie and jeff for being there since the beginning of this service....we all want the same thing .. so lets all work on finding him.. and not worry about the other things.  Julie is the kindest person I have ever met... so NEVER worry about her motivations .. her heart is strong and clear.

[Julie R. Jones]

I am sorry that I contributed to the misunderstandings as of course, this wasn't my intention.  But I want to say God bless YOU Jeff for all that you do.  Your kind words mean a lot (to all of us) and yes, we are all in it together for the long haul.  Wish I had this great kind of support system that you all are giving for the long-forgotten cases that I work here in the U.S., they all are so tragic.

 

Again, well said and thanks for your support.

 

Jeff Dunsavage said:

Wish I'd seen this thread sooner. I think we've got a snowball of misunderstanding going on -- it happens sometimes when people who don't know each other are communicating through a medium without the benefit of inflection or body language.

Richard's exactly right re: Julie. If she hadn't been so diligently tracking missing person stories 2 and a half years ago and brought my brother's case to his attention, MAP would not have a lot of the knowledge resources we currently have. Julie's SAR knowledge and experience, combined with those of DEEMI and VIASAR really formed the practical foundation of MAP. Julie's, Richard's, and Chris Rowley's unflagging dedication to the SAR and understanding of the issues faced by families of the missing have strongly inspired and influenced my efforts.

 

And Renee is coming from much the same place as I, Chris Shaw, and Cindy Scheepstra were back at the beginning of our experiences. You go from shock, fear, and frustration to feeling empowered by the realization that you're not alone in this, to passionate involvement in the cases of others. Passion and frustration create a filter that can limit or distort your perception of other people's meanings or motivations. Great example of this: the night in May 2009 when Richard first contacted me (after Julie flagged my family's case to his attention), I was sure he was some kind of opportunist looking to take advantage of my family's situation. First, it was late when he called, and I'd been dealing with State Dept. nonsense for...I don't know, probably a week at that point. The military search had been called off, we didn't know what we were going to do next, and suddenly this really fast-talking guy calls, I'm barely understanding a thing he says apart from the fact that he seems to be trying to sell me a high-res camera (that was the only piece of the torrent of information he was throwing at me that I was able to process -- I'm trying to find my brother and keep my family together, and this guy wants me to buy a camera!). Honestly -- if I hadn't been so tired and confused when he called, I probably would've hung up on him. What I wouldn't realize until much later was that here was someone with specific knowledge I needed, a passion and sense of urgency I could not yet comprehend coming from a stranger, and a very clipped, minimalist manner of communicating that (when combined with a week or so of having almost no one outside my circle of family and friends and my brother's friends who cared to help) at that moment I could only translate as a hustle. I laugh about it now, because Julie, Richard, and Chris provided the foundation of everything I've since learned about SAR, were among MAP's earliest and have remained among its most dedicated members, and I nearly hung up on him! Fear, frustration, passion, and exhaustion affect our perceptions and interpretations, so I  completely know where Renee has been coming from here.

 

So, yeah....we are all on the same side. One of the most pleasant surprises I've found throughout my missing-persons experience has been that very few people who come into this kind of work come to it from anything less than the best intentions. Execution and competencies vary, but I don't think I've met anyone (outside of government) whose heart was not in the right place.

 

Thanks to all of you for everything you do. There is nothing external forcing any of you to involve yourselves so deeply in MAP. The easiest thing in the world would be to just "worry about your own." That you all show such compassion and commitment to the plights of strangers' families is the clearest indication of the motives in your hearts. Between this work and my "real" job and family life, I probably don't take the time often enough to say thank you.

 

Richard Bowie said:

I think everyone is trying the best they can to help... thanks to julie and jeff for being there since the beginning of this service....we all want the same thing .. so lets all work on finding him.. and not worry about the other things.  Julie is the kindest person I have ever met... so NEVER worry about her motivations .. her heart is strong and clear.

[Jeff Dunsavage]

Yesterday, during a quiet time talking with friends, I made a reference to MAP being only a year and a half old and being really pleased with the things we'd managed to accomplish. Then I remembered that, no -- Joe's been gone a year and a half and MAP wasn't started until 6 months later. So, we're only still taking our baby steps and we're going to stumble, but we have a strong and growing core group and an ever-widening network. It's exciting, inspiring, and sad, all at once.

 

Julie, have you ever talked with Kym Pasqualini? She used to run the National Center for Missing Adults, and she's a member of MAP. I don't know what she's up to these days, but if you haven't made her acquaintance you probably should.

 

Jeff

Julie R. Jones said:

I am sorry that I contributed to the misunderstandings as of course, this wasn't my intention.  But I was to say God bless YOU Jeff for all that you do.  Your kind words mean a lot and yes, we are all in it together for the long haul.  Wish I had this great kind of support that you all are giving for the long-forgotten cases that I work here in the U.S., they all are so tragic.

 

Again, well said and thanks for your support.

 

Jeff Dunsavage said:

Wish I'd seen this thread sooner. I think we've got a snowball of misunderstanding going on -- it happens sometimes when people who don't know each other are communicating through a medium without the benefit of inflection or body language.

Richard's exactly right re: Julie. If she hadn't been so diligently tracking missing person stories 2 and a half years ago and brought my brother's case to his attention, MAP would not have a lot of the knowledge resources we currently have. Julie's SAR knowledge and experience, combined with those of DEEMI and VIASAR really formed the practical foundation of MAP. Julie's, Richard's, and Chris Rowley's unflagging dedication to the SAR and understanding of the issues faced by families of the missing have strongly inspired and influenced my efforts.

 

And Renee is coming from much the same place as I, Chris Shaw, and Cindy Scheepstra were back at the beginning of our experiences. You go from shock, fear, and frustration to feeling empowered by the realization that you're not alone in this, to passionate involvement in the cases of others. Passion and frustration create a filter that can limit or distort your perception of other people's meanings or motivations. Great example of this: the night in May 2009 when Richard first contacted me (after Julie flagged my family's case to his attention), I was sure he was some kind of opportunist looking to take advantage of my family's situation. First, it was late when he called, and I'd been dealing with State Dept. nonsense for...I don't know, probably a week at that point. The military search had been called off, we didn't know what we were going to do next, and suddenly this really fast-talking guy calls, I'm barely understanding a thing he says apart from the fact that he seems to be trying to sell me a high-res camera (that was the only piece of the torrent of information he was throwing at me that I was able to process -- I'm trying to find my brother and keep my family together, and this guy wants me to buy a camera!). Honestly -- if I hadn't been so tired and confused when he called, I probably would've hung up on him. What I wouldn't realize until much later was that here was someone with specific knowledge I needed, a passion and sense of urgency I could not yet comprehend coming from a stranger, and a very clipped, minimalist manner of communicating that (when combined with a week or so of having almost no one outside my circle of family and friends and my brother's friends who cared to help) at that moment I could only translate as a hustle. I laugh about it now, because Julie, Richard, and Chris provided the foundation of everything I've since learned about SAR, were among MAP's earliest and have remained among its most dedicated members, and I nearly hung up on him! Fear, frustration, passion, and exhaustion affect our perceptions and interpretations, so I  completely know where Renee has been coming from here.

 

So, yeah....we are all on the same side. One of the most pleasant surprises I've found throughout my missing-persons experience has been that very few people who come into this kind of work come to it from anything less than the best intentions. Execution and competencies vary, but I don't think I've met anyone (outside of government) whose heart was not in the right place.

 

Thanks to all of you for everything you do. There is nothing external forcing any of you to involve yourselves so deeply in MAP. The easiest thing in the world would be to just "worry about your own." That you all show such compassion and commitment to the plights of strangers' families is the clearest indication of the motives in your hearts. Between this work and my "real" job and family life, I probably don't take the time often enough to say thank you.

 

Richard Bowie said:

I think everyone is trying the best they can to help... thanks to julie and jeff for being there since the beginning of this service....we all want the same thing .. so lets all work on finding him.. and not worry about the other things.  Julie is the kindest person I have ever met... so NEVER worry about her motivations .. her heart is strong and clear.

[Jeff Dunsavage]

Great News! Ilya Salkind Found Alive in Mexican Hospital

[Julie R. Jones]

I have recently made contact with a very nice person within the National Center for Missing Adults and we should be speaking together this afternoon (by coincidence).  But if possible, at a convenient time could you reach out to Kym and 'introduce' us?  That would be fantastic.   You can always give her my personal contact info. which is also available on this wonderful website (thanks to you!)

Jeff Dunsavage said:

Yesterday, during a quiet time talking with friends, I made a reference to MAP being only a year and a half old and being really pleased with the things we'd managed to accomplish. Then I remembered that, no -- Joe's been gone a year and a half and MAP wasn't started until 6 months later. So, we're only still taking our baby steps and we're going to stumble, but we have a strong and growing core group and an ever-widening network. It's exciting, inspiring, and sad, all at once.

 

Julie, have you ever talked with Kym Pasqualini? She used to run the National Center for Missing Adults, and she's a member of MAP. I don't know what she's up to these days, but if you haven't made her acquaintance you probably should.

 

Jeff

Julie R. Jones said:

I am sorry that I contributed to the misunderstandings as of course, this wasn't my intention.  But I was to say God bless YOU Jeff for all that you do.  Your kind words mean a lot and yes, we are all in it together for the long haul.  Wish I had this great kind of support that you all are giving for the long-forgotten cases that I work here in the U.S., they all are so tragic.

 

Again, well said and thanks for your support.

 

Jeff Dunsavage said:

Wish I'd seen this thread sooner. I think we've got a snowball of misunderstanding going on -- it happens sometimes when people who don't know each other are communicating through a medium without the benefit of inflection or body language.

Richard's exactly right re: Julie. If she hadn't been so diligently tracking missing person stories 2 and a half years ago and brought my brother's case to his attention, MAP would not have a lot of the knowledge resources we currently have. Julie's SAR knowledge and experience, combined with those of DEEMI and VIASAR really formed the practical foundation of MAP. Julie's, Richard's, and Chris Rowley's unflagging dedication to the SAR and understanding of the issues faced by families of the missing have strongly inspired and influenced my efforts.

 

And Renee is coming from much the same place as I, Chris Shaw, and Cindy Scheepstra were back at the beginning of our experiences. You go from shock, fear, and frustration to feeling empowered by the realization that you're not alone in this, to passionate involvement in the cases of others. Passion and frustration create a filter that can limit or distort your perception of other people's meanings or motivations. Great example of this: the night in May 2009 when Richard first contacted me (after Julie flagged my family's case to his attention), I was sure he was some kind of opportunist looking to take advantage of my family's situation. First, it was late when he called, and I'd been dealing with State Dept. nonsense for...I don't know, probably a week at that point. The military search had been called off, we didn't know what we were going to do next, and suddenly this really fast-talking guy calls, I'm barely understanding a thing he says apart from the fact that he seems to be trying to sell me a high-res camera (that was the only piece of the torrent of information he was throwing at me that I was able to process -- I'm trying to find my brother and keep my family together, and this guy wants me to buy a camera!). Honestly -- if I hadn't been so tired and confused when he called, I probably would've hung up on him. What I wouldn't realize until much later was that here was someone with specific knowledge I needed, a passion and sense of urgency I could not yet comprehend coming from a stranger, and a very clipped, minimalist manner of communicating that (when combined with a week or so of having almost no one outside my circle of family and friends and my brother's friends who cared to help) at that moment I could only translate as a hustle. I laugh about it now, because Julie, Richard, and Chris provided the foundation of everything I've since learned about SAR, were among MAP's earliest and have remained among its most dedicated members, and I nearly hung up on him! Fear, frustration, passion, and exhaustion affect our perceptions and interpretations, so I  completely know where Renee has been coming from here.

 

So, yeah....we are all on the same side. One of the most pleasant surprises I've found throughout my missing-persons experience has been that very few people who come into this kind of work come to it from anything less than the best intentions. Execution and competencies vary, but I don't think I've met anyone (outside of government) whose heart was not in the right place.

 

Thanks to all of you for everything you do. There is nothing external forcing any of you to involve yourselves so deeply in MAP. The easiest thing in the world would be to just "worry about your own." That you all show such compassion and commitment to the plights of strangers' families is the clearest indication of the motives in your hearts. Between this work and my "real" job and family life, I probably don't take the time often enough to say thank you.

 

Richard Bowie said:

I think everyone is trying the best they can to help... thanks to julie and jeff for being there since the beginning of this service....we all want the same thing .. so lets all work on finding him.. and not worry about the other things.  Julie is the kindest person I have ever met... so NEVER worry about her motivations .. her heart is strong and clear.

[Julie R. Jones]

WHAT TERRIFIC NEWS JEFF --- May we continue to get news like this with all other missing person cases we follow ...

Jeff Dunsavage said:

Great News! Ilya Salkind Found Alive in Mexican Hospital