Corey Lamar Adams, center, sits surrounded by a shield of love, his family—his brother Curtis, father Johnnie, with his mother Gwen and sister Carmen.
Sitting in their living room, Gwen and Johnnie Adams recounted the nightmare of their son’s disappearance for 18 days. The cause of his death remains a mystery compounded by the fact that his family was never allowed to see his body.
Shaking her head in disbelief Gwen explained, “Our prayer is that no other family will have to go through the nightmare that we have.”
Shaking her head in disbelief Gwen explained, “Our prayer is that no other family will have to go through the nightmare that we have.”
The Green Alerts for Veterans and the Corey Adams Searchlight Act will remedy some of the anguish families endure when a loved one goes missing. This pending legislation will provide law enforcement an added resource by defining strategies for a rapid response to reports that a veteran, known to be at-risk, is missing.
Corey Adams, 45, was a 20 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He served four years of active duty as well as in the Air Force Reserves. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — a mental health condition triggered by witnessing or experiencing a terrifying event — and bipolar disorder in 2014 following his final tour of duty in the Middle East.
Similar to existing systems that broadcast information to the public through a variety of media channels and community resources about missing persons, the proposed “Green Alerts” will enable quicker response and action by law enforcement. Amber Alerts inform the public about missing children. Likewise, Silver Alerts are used to heighten awareness of missing senior citizens usually suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other mental disabilities. An added benefit of these alerts is citizen involvement in finding missing persons.
Corey Adams, 45, was a 20 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He served four years of active duty as well as in the Air Force Reserves. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — a mental health condition triggered by witnessing or experiencing a terrifying event — and bipolar disorder in 2014 following his final tour of duty in the Middle East.
Similar to existing systems that broadcast information to the public through a variety of media channels and community resources about missing persons, the proposed “Green Alerts” will enable quicker response and action by law enforcement. Amber Alerts inform the public about missing children. Likewise, Silver Alerts are used to heighten awareness of missing senior citizens usually suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other mental disabilities. An added benefit of these alerts is citizen involvement in finding missing persons.
Corey Adams' sons, Chevon and Cordae, and granddaughter Chloe Adams.
“My son’s last deployment was to Afghanistan. He was a different man when he came home this time. Corey had four tours of duty starting with the Gulf War code named Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He had mood swings. Maybe his mother did, but I didn’t see these symptoms of depression and anxiety before he left,” Johnnie explained. Arms crossed and serious Gwen added, “When he returned It was just the look in his eyes. I could tell something really traumatic had happened to him. He was still in the Air Force Reserves. He was the logistics supervisor.
He actually retired because they wanted him to go back, to be deployed again. I spent a lot of time with my son and I could just tell he had changed. Corey told me, ‘Mama don’t ask me about anything that happened over there. I don’t want to talk about it.’”
The Adams campaign for justice, largely coordinated by Corey’s sister Carmen, was motivated by the initial casualness of authorities in responding to their plea for help. “After three days of not getting a response to our calls, my husband went to the police station and was told that Corey’s case didn’t qualify as a critical missing.” Not until the family was interview by media, eight days after his father filed a missing person’s report, was Corey qualified as a critical missing person by Milwaukee police.
The family including Corey’s sons Chevon and Cordae has been devastated by this tragedy, and still, have countless unanswered questions. But it has also reinforced their bond and commitment to each other.
Currently, there are no criteria or policy for responding to reports of missing veterans. Police response is at best discretionary. “I feel there should be a law directing specific actions by the police in these cases, said Gwen.”
Governor Scott Walker is expected to sign LRB 4027/P4 — the Green Alert for Veterans and Corey Adams Searchlight Act — into law. It is anticipated that this legislation may also be enacted as a federal law. This pending legislation is supported by the Military Order of The Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other advocates of veteran’s rights.
He actually retired because they wanted him to go back, to be deployed again. I spent a lot of time with my son and I could just tell he had changed. Corey told me, ‘Mama don’t ask me about anything that happened over there. I don’t want to talk about it.’”
The Adams campaign for justice, largely coordinated by Corey’s sister Carmen, was motivated by the initial casualness of authorities in responding to their plea for help. “After three days of not getting a response to our calls, my husband went to the police station and was told that Corey’s case didn’t qualify as a critical missing.” Not until the family was interview by media, eight days after his father filed a missing person’s report, was Corey qualified as a critical missing person by Milwaukee police.
The family including Corey’s sons Chevon and Cordae has been devastated by this tragedy, and still, have countless unanswered questions. But it has also reinforced their bond and commitment to each other.
Currently, there are no criteria or policy for responding to reports of missing veterans. Police response is at best discretionary. “I feel there should be a law directing specific actions by the police in these cases, said Gwen.”
Governor Scott Walker is expected to sign LRB 4027/P4 — the Green Alert for Veterans and Corey Adams Searchlight Act — into law. It is anticipated that this legislation may also be enacted as a federal law. This pending legislation is supported by the Military Order of The Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other advocates of veteran’s rights.
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