Nearly a quarter-century after the brutal murder of Kimberly Simon, her case remains unsolved. Her family believed the case was closed when Steven Barnes was charged with her death and spent almost 20 years in prison. But Barnes’ mother Sylvia never doubted her son’s innocence.

Finally in 2008, after her tireless efforts, advances in DNA testing cleared Steven Barnes of the crime. After nearly 20 years in prison, Steven was a free man.

We’ve talked about the importance of DNA testing here on the AMW Safety Center. For two decades, states have been collecting DNA from convicted felons, and it has provided key evidence in thousands of crimes.

According to the DNA Saves project, arrestee testing can help in numerous ways:

• Catch repeat offenders sooner: Since 1974, more than 90 percent of all state prisoners have been repeat offenders.
• Prevent violent crimes: When violent criminals stay out free on the streets, this places other people at risk as potential victims of crime.
• Exonerate the innocent: As in the case of Steven Barnes, DNA testing allowed for the truth to come out and prove his innocence.
• Reduce criminal justice costs: DNA testing can help to prevent prolonged investigations and save the community money and resources.

In Kimberly Simon’s murder investigation, DNA evidence could have allowed authorities to rule Steven Barnes out as a suspect. Now, 25 years later after the murder, authorities have reopened the case — but they have the difficult task of tracking down witnesses and investigating evidence and locations more than two decades after the crime.

Twenty-one states have already passed laws for collecting DNA samples at arrest. If it hasn’t happened in your state, contact your state legislators today to get them on board. DNA evidence is a very important tool for solving crimes today, helping to protect the innocent and quickly put dangerous criminals behind bars.

For over two decades now America’s Most Wanted has been committed to finding justice for victims. And as the show reaches the milestone of 1000 episodes, that commitment remains unwavering.

Throughout the years, AMW has showcased some terrifying crimes. And even though its impossible to predict when trouble will strike, it always helps to be prepared. The AMW Safety Center builds upon the America’s Most Wanted mission to help ensure that you and your family can be more prepared for emergency or dangerous situations. Whether it’s helping to empower victims of sexual assault or other crimes, tackling gang violence in your community, or even recognizing and responding quickly to someone who’s injured or suffering a health emergency, the AMW Safety Center is a one-stop-shop with the resources and expert advice you and your family need to stay street smart. (more…)

Sexual abuse can happen to any child. Experts state that in the U.S., one in six boys and one in four girls is sexually abused. Most of the time, the abuser is someone the child knows and trust. This person could be a friend of the family, a babysitter, a neighbor, or as one community in Northern Virginia recently discovered, a coach.

For nearly 20 years, John Hamilton was a trusted coach in his community. Then in 2009, after a man came forth to police stating he’d been abused by Hamilton as a child, an investigation would uncover that Hamilton was responsible for many more instances of sexual battery and indecencies. And now, after agreeing to plea guilty to the most serious charges, Hamilton is on the run from authorities. (more…)

Gang violence can reach into nearly any community, and is not limited to any particular demographic. In Southern California, near San Diego, one upper class neighborhood has experienced the repercussions of Mexico’s dangerous drug war spilling into their community.

The Arellano Felix Organization is one of the most violent enforcement crews in Tijuana, Mexico. But an internal dispute led to the establishment of “Los Palillos” — “The Toothpicks,” — in the San Diego area. These gang members use very dangerous tactics such as kidnapping for ransom,impersonating police officers, violent shoot outs and robberies, and drug deals to finance their operation. (more…)

This year, the East Coast has seen a series of historic winter storms that have forced closures of schools, federal government offices and transit. For kids, it can be fun to have time off of school and play around with friends in the winter wonderland, but it’s not all fun and games.

In ice and snow, it’s very easy for accidents to happen, so the safety of your family is very important for you to consider. If you live in an area affected by winter storms, and especially if your region is unaccustomed to this year’s extremes, you need to be extra cautious in being prepared for the weather.

The folks at Kids Health have a lot of great tips that can help make sure you and your family make it through this winter as safely as possible. (more…)

According to the FBI, there are as many as 100,000 active missing persons cases in the United States everyday. Having a loved one go missing is a nightmare. After you report your case to the police, your options are not limited. Take action! There’s a lot you can do to find your missing person.

Make Noise! In 2007, when Lisa Stebic, the mother of two disappeared from her Plainfield, Ill. home, her family and friends took action immediately and made her story a national obsession. They were so successful that people from across the globe have become involved. If someone you love disappears, make as much noise as possible to keep the focus on finding them. Here are a few critical tips which could help you in the campaign to bring your missing loved one home. (more…)

Youth violence can affect teens in any community. Whether bullying, gang violence or disagreements that turn physical, too many of our kids are witnesses to violence on a daily basis. According to Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), youths under 18 account for approximately one in six violent crime arrests. And for every teen who is arrested, there are ten more engaged in physical violence that could have led to serious injury.

But what can your teens do to prevent violence in their school? The folks at SADD have a few tips that could help to maintain a safer school environment.

• Commit to nonviolence. Don’t bully, tease or spread gossip about other students.
• Get involved in your community by volunteering or joining after school programs.
• Learn how to resolve arguments without violence.
• Join groups at school or in your community that promote nonviolence.

Its important to recognize the warning signs of violence early on, in order to prevent or avoid it. If your teen is a victim of hazing or bullying of any kind, or if they witness it happening, its important to talk to a trusted adult and report it. The physical pain may heal, but emotional scars could carry on for life.

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, people all over the world were shocked to find out a massive earthquake had struck and devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti. According to the Red Cross, the quake and repeated aftershocks caused widespread destruction, leaving tens of thousands of casualties and possibly millions more were impacted throughout the country by injury or displacement. The full scope of devastation is still unfolding.

And as the world watches rescue workers sorting through the debris, aid groups work with what resources they have available. In the case of the Red Cross, the response has been great. In just a couple of days, nearly $1 million in donations were raised for the Red Cross and their relief effort through a text message campaign backed by the U.S. State Department.

In times like these of great tragedy, many of us are inspired to donate our time or money, in spite of tough economic times. But it’s important to remember that even during the most difficult times, there are always people out there who’s sole aim is take advantage of your good intentions in order to separate you from your money. Make sure you know you are dealing with an organization you can trust.

The FBI offers some good advice to help you make sure your donation makes to those who need it most, rather than just lining some crook’s pockets.

• Don’t respond to any unsolicited spam emails, and never click on any links in an unfamiliar message.
• Beware of any email that supposedly has images of the disaster sent as attachments, those files could contain viruses or other malicious files.
• Never give your personal or financial information to anyone soliciting contributions. This could open you up to identity theft.
• Make your donations direction to an organization you are familiar with. Don’t rely on any one else to make a contribution on your behalf.

Check out the FBI’s site for more tips on how you can avoid falling victim to scammers trying to take advantage of this great tragedy. The AMW Safety Center also has plenty of tips to help protect you from a variety of types of ID crimes.

Kids and teens spend a lot of time online establishing their internet identities. But it’s important to remember that what you post online can be viewed by anyone. Teachers, coaches, college admissions offices, or potential employers might be your scanning your profile to get a sense of who you are.

So how do you decide what information is ok to post? The folks at Net Smartz have some good advice to help.

• Don’t post any pictures, videos or information that you might regret later.
• Think before posting anything. Who might see this? What will they think?
• Use privacy settings to control access to what you post. This can help prevent cyberbullies and predators from gaining access to your personal information.
• Think about how fast information can move from one place to another when people forward via e-mail, IM, or texts. And once it gets out there, you may never have a chance to take it back.

The AMW Safety Center has a lot of information you can share with your teens, to help make sure they stay in control of their online reputations. And check out the Net Smartz Workshop for more tips.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), 2 out of every 3 rapes in the U.S. are committed by someone the victim knows. This might be an acquaintance, someone they are on a date with or someone they’ve newly met at a bar or club. But no matter who commits the crime, it’s a serious offense either way. The FBI ranks it as the second most violent crime, only after murder.

RAINN offers a few tips to help you recognize and get out of a potentially dangerous situation:

• Reduce your risk by sticking close to friends. Always make sure your friends know where you are and who you are with.
• In any relationship, you should read signals. If someone is not listening to you, not taking you seriously, or not responding when you say no, you should take that as a sign that they will not respect your wishes.
• If you are out in a situation that makes you uncomfortable, get out as safely as you can. If you have to, lie. Make up an excuse to remove yourself from the situation. Tell them you have to go to the bathroom, or to meet a friend, anything to get yourself out.

The circumstances vary from case to case, but the end result is the same. It doesn’t matter what the victim was wearing or if they were drinking. Rape is rape. It is a very serious crime that can have a long lasting effects on a victim.