Editing Laura Recovery Center

{{Short description|American non-profit organization}}
The '''Laura Recovery Center''' (LRC) is a [[non-profit organization]]<ref name=ProPublica>{{cite web
|accessdate=2025-02-09 |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/760565291
|title=Non-Profit Explorer: Laura Recovery Center Foundation
|publisher=[[ProPublica]]}}</ref> that worked to prevent kidnappings and abductions and to recover victims of such events. The center was located in [[Friendswood, Texas]], and was named for Laura Kate Smither (April 23, 1984 – April 3, 1997), a 12-year-old girl who was abducted near her Friendswood home and murdered.

==History==
The center was established by Smither's parents, Bob and Gay Smither, in April 1998 in response to their daughter's murder. On April 3, 1997, Laura Smither was abducted near her home while she was jogging. After her disappearance, more than 6,000 volunteers searched over 800 square miles (2,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>). Her body was discovered seventeen days later, on April 20, in a regional water retention pond ten miles from her home.<ref name="hanson">{{Cite news |last=Hanson |first=Chris |date=2020-04-03 |title=The disappearance of 12-year-old Friendswood girl Laura Smither |language=en |url=https://abc13.com/missing-laura-smither-jessica/1272189/ |access-date=2022-02-01}}</ref> In 2016, [[William Lewis Reece]] was indicted on charges of murdering Smither, and other missing Texas girls, and in 2022 he was sentenced to life in prison.<ref name=life>{{Cite web|url=https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/06/29/william-lewis-reece-expected-to-plead-guilty-to-murders-of-3-houston-area-women-wednesday/?outputType=amp|title=William Lewis Reece sentenced to life in prison for murders of Laura Smither, Jessica Cain and Kelli Ann Cox|first=Cathy |last=Hernandez|publisher=[[KPRC-TV]]|date=June 29, 2022|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20220630040350/https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2022/06/29/william-lewis-reece-expected-to-plead-guilty-to-murders-of-3-houston-area-women-wednesday/?outputType=amp|archivedate=June 30, 2022|access-date=June 30, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>  He had previously been sentenced to death for the murder of Tiffany Johnston in Oklahoma.<ref name="christian">{{Cite news |last=Christian |first=Carol |date=2017-04-03 |title=Abducted 20 years ago, Laura Smither leaves legacy of hope and healing |language=en-US |work=Houston Chronicle |url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/friendswood/news/article/Abducted-20-years-ago-Laura-Smither-left-legacy-11041309.php |access-date=2022-02-01}}</ref><ref name="arnold">{{Cite news |last=Arnold |first=Robert |date=2021-06-02 |title=After 24 years, 4 murders and one kidnapping, William Reece is sentenced to death|language=en |url=https://www.click2houston.com/news/investigates/2021/06/02/accused-serial-killer-william-reece-sentenced-to-death/ |access-date=2022-02-01}}</ref>

In 2010, the center announced a need for more funding in order to keep operating.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Laurie |date=2010-12-02 |title=Laura Recovery Center Desperate for Funds |url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2010/12/02/24437/laura-recovery-center-desperate-for-funds/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |language=en-US}}</ref> The center originally focused on education, training law enforcement and organized community searches related to child abduction and child safety.

As of 2013, the LRC was no longer active in recovering missing children. The change coincided with the retirement of Bob Walcutt, the center's executive director.<ref name="Newpher">{{Cite news |last=Newpher |first=Jeff |date=2013-02-20 |title=Laura Recovery Center changes with the times |language=en-US |url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/friendswood/news/article/Laura-Recovery-Center-changes-with-the-times-9330777.php |access-date=2022-02-01}}</ref> During its time working on missing children's case, center participated over 100 active searches, and helped with more than 1,700 cases.<ref name="arnold2">{{Cite news |last=Arnold |first=Robert |date=2017-04-01 |title=Remembering Laura: A 20-year search for justice |language=en |url=https://www.click2houston.com/news/2017/04/01/remembering-laura-a-20-year-search-for-justice/ 
|access-date=2022-02-01}}</ref>As of 2021, they were continuing with training law enforcement on organizing community resources.<ref name="arnold2"/><ref name=990EZ-2021>{{cite web|accessdate=2025-02-09
|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/760565291/202321989349200102/full
|title=Form 990-EZ (2021) - Laura Recovery Center Foundation|page=2|author=Laura Recovery Center Foundation
|publisher=ProPublica|date=December 31, 2021|quote=The President presented at 3 national missing children trainings for law enforcement attended by approximately 280 officers.}}</ref>

==Searches==
The Laura Recovery Center organized numerous community led searches for abducted children, including those for [[Murder of Danielle van Dam|Danielle van Dam]] and [[Murder of Morgan Dana Harrington|Morgan Harrington]]. The search for van Dam in 2002 was the group's first out-of-state effort<ref>Ma, Kenneth. [http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2002/02/11/export2854.txt "Volunteers scour county for Danielle"], ''North County Times'', February 10, 2002. Retrieved April 22, 2007.</ref> and was one of the largest volunteer search efforts in Californian history, with hundreds of volunteers searching deserts, highways and remote areas for weeks.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=91857|title=Body Confirmed as Danielle van Dam|date=February 28, 2002|work=ABC News|accessdate=July 8, 2014}}</ref> A volunteer party organized by the Center found her body.<ref name = "grim">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/01/us/grim-guesswork-led-to-the-body-of-san-diego-girl.html|title=Grim Guesswork Led to the Body of San Diego Girl|last=Madigan|first=Nick|date=March 1, 2002|work=New York Times|accessdate=July 8, 2014}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>
 

{{Portal|Texas|Law|1990s}}

[[Category:Foundations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Child safety]]
[[Category:Missing people organizations based in the United States]]