Have You Seen Me? ~Ivan Karapandzic~

I will be featuring 'Have You Seen Me?' as they arrive in my mailbox. They are indeed those small pictures on the back of junk mail that's often times thrown away, without even a second glance. If you googled Ivan Karapandzic because of the "Have You Seen Me?" picture, and that's how you wound up reading this, please take an extra moment, and drop me a line on the comment box.

IVAN KARAPANDZIC
DOB: May 29, 1997
Missing: Jul 24, 2007
Age Now: 11
Sex: Male
Race: White
Height: 4'5" (135 cm)
Weight: 90 lbs (41 kg)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Blonde
Missing From: DUNCAN, SC.

Circumstances
Ivan was last seen on July 24, 2007. He may be in the company of his non-custodial mother. He has scars across his back and shoulders.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678
(1-800-THE-LOST)
Duncan Police Department
(South Carolina) 1-864-949-6600

When I read "He has scars across his back and shoulders." on the NCMEC Poster, my 'inner voice' advised me to investigate this one a bit more before posting, because MAYBE mom was on the run for a reason...
To those who believe 'mom can do no wrong,' or that a mom would never abandon her children, think again!

By RACHEL E. LEONARD
rachel.leonard@shj.com
Published: April 8, 2008

Ivan Karapandzic's home life in Duncan was far from perfect, but at least his family knew he had a home. His mother, Donna Karapandzic, lost custody of her children in July 2007 and skipped town, Ivan and his now 14-year-old brother in tow.

She later abandoned the 14-year-old with a boyfriend in Georgia, police said, but she and Ivan have dropped off the map, leaving behind only worry and speculation for those who love him.

According to the article, the 14-year-old is NOT the only child that Donna has abandoned.

Family and acquaintances said Donna, 41, has seven children - two girls and five boys. One is an adult, five are teens, and Ivan is the youngest. Three of the teens live in foster care with the same family in Spartanburg County.

Details on the allegations against Donna are incomplete because the DSS case file on the family is confidential. But one of Ivan's older brothers, now 15, was placed in emergency protective custody by Spartanburg County sheriff's deputies in April 2007 after a Landrum woman said Donna abandoned him.

That woman told officers that the 15-year-old, her son's best friend, had been living with her for two months. The woman said every time she would call the family, Donna would refuse to talk and hang up the phone. Donna also refused to pick up her son. The woman took the boy to his mother's house several times, but she would not let him in.

The Rest of this Article can be found at:
Duncan mother skipped town with 10-year-old boy

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