Bringing superior investigative thinking to Missing Person cases

​Footprints in the Wilderness (FITW) is the partnership of Valentine Smith and Samantha Kiss, dedicated to the field of Missing Persons with a special interest and a unique understanding in cases within a bush/wilderness setting.

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The primary objective of FITW is to learn how all of us, can better investigate the cases of those amongst us that become lost or missing in the wilderness. We can gain this knowledge by understanding ‘What we are looking at’ and ‘what we are looking for’, which is achieved from a thorough analysis of all the entities within the environment that contribute to each case. From humans to the weather, flora and fauna, we will examine it all.

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​To understand those that become lost or missing in the wilderness, we first need to know what motivates them to venture along an outdoor track or ‘go bush’. Often, this helps us get to the root causes and influences of missing person cases. However, through our research we are beginning to recognise that there is a deeper influence than just a need to ‘go bush’.  There is a conflict between an increasing population, its need to experience a nature fix, and diminishing natural environments where humans can re-connect with nature.