What is a Kasey Alarm?

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma – A 29-year-old Cherokee man was reported missing in 2016, but no alerts were sent to citizens or authorities at the time of his disappearance.

Six years later, Kasey Russell’s body was discovered just a quarter mile from his last known whereabouts.

Today, if an adult between the ages of 18 and 59 disappears under “suspicious circumstances” – possibly due to abduction – a Kasey Alert is issued.

The purpose of the alert is to notify authorities and the public when an adult is reported seriously missing in Oklahoma, similar to an Amber Alert.

According to an Oklahoman report, previous attempts to create an alert for adults were unsuccessful due to fears of overuse, but “advocates see the alerts as an important way to protect adult victims in a state where domestic violence kills an average of two people a week.”

According to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, House Bill 1077, authored by Rep. Ken Luttrell, authorized the establishment of the Kasey Alert System in April 2023.

Luttrell hopes the Kasey Alert will help coordinate communications between law enforcement and the public.

This nationwide initiative not only remembers Kasey, but also remembers him as a man who loved his family very much.

“His mother was his best friend,” his obituary read.

You can read the full bill establishing the Kasey Alert Here.

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