This is an update from regional authorities regarding ongoing missing persons investigations.

Earlier reports indicated a higher number of missing individuals than currently recorded.

Officials have since revised the total, trending downward, after determining that several reported persons may not have existed as previously believed.

Residents are advised that memory discrepancies can occur during periods of stress.

If you believe someone you know is missing, please take a moment to confirm your recollection.

Check for photographs, messages, or any physical evidence that the individual

was present in your life. Do not rely solely on social media for confirmation, as this

has proven to be unreliable. If no such evidence can be found regarding the existence of an

individual, do not file a report

with your local law enforcement. In some cases, continued focus on individuals who cannot

be verified has led to confusion, distress, and further discrepancies in personal records,

as well as individual memories. If you feel a certain someone

is gone, but cannot prove they were ever here, please contact support services. Do not attempt

to reconstruct them from memory alone. Do not focus on them. Do not think about them anymore.

They never were and should never be.