LOCATE INTERNATIONAL
Who We Are
We deploy teams of trained community volunteers and university students to review and investigate unsolved missing person and unidentified remains cases.
These teams are supported by our Patron, Trustees, Executive Team, Strategic Advisors, and our Operational Advisory Board.
Here, you can read their profiles and find out more about how they are supporting our work.
Our Patron
Professor Dame Sue Black
Patron
Professor Dame Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome was appointed as Locate International’s charity patron in 2023. She is a renowned forensic anthropologist and academic. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Anatomy from the University of Aberdeen in 1982, she completed a PhD in Human Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology in 1987. Her research interests include skeletal trauma, human identification, and the application of forensic anthropology to human rights investigations.
She has held various academic positions, including Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee, and Director of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID). Dame Sue has also been involved in a number of high-profile forensic investigations, including the identification of victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 and war crimes investigations in Kosovo.
In recognition of her contributions to science and academia, Baroness Black was awarded a Damehood in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to forensic anthropology. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Royal Society of Biology.
Our Trustees
Charlie Hedges
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Charlie is acknowledged as one of the UK’s foremost experts on missing persons, particularly children & those who are abducted and trafficked. His career spans 36 years with the police and some of the UK’s leading public bodies.
Dr Cheryl Allsop
Trustee
Cheryl obtained her ESRC-funded PhD, entitled ‘DNA, Detective Work and Cold Case Major Crime Reviews’, which focused on how the police seek to solve long term unsolved murders and stranger rapes, from Cardiff University.
Tanja Conway-Grim
Trustee
Tanja first went missing in 1966 as a toddler and has had missing episodes throughout her life. She regularly presents sessions on autism and neurodiversity for the NHS, Health Education England, charities and the probation service.
Justine Carter
Trustee
Justine became a part of Unseen on
May 1st 2016 after a 28.5 year career in the
civil service. She has held various operational and policy positions in multiple UK Government departments
throughout her tenure.
Deborah Peach
Trustee
Deborah worked alongside senior investigating police officers on major crime including kidnap, extortion & murder investigations for 25 years. Most notably, her case saw the capture of serial killer Christopher Halliwell.
Our Executive Team
Dave Grimstead
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Dave has worked extensively in the field of international and serious organised crime with the UK National Crime Squad (now NCA). He has utilised his expertise in covert operations, leading successful investigations to tackle trafficking of drugs and people.
Neil Smith
Founder & Deputy Chief Executive Officer
After serving over 10 years as a police officer in a UK police force, Neil has spent the majority of the last 15 years as a full-time investigative researcher for a mixture of clients from insurance companies, to law enforcement agencies and journalists.
Dr Maureen Taylor
Chief Operating Officer
Maureen has an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice and a PhD in Criminology, where she explored the networks involved in child sexual exploitation. She is a researcher in many fields, including child sexual & criminal exploitation, human trafficking, and missing persons
Our Operational Advisory Board
Geoff Corre
Geoff is a trainer and consultant in countering trafficking and modern slavery and is an accredited serious case review author. He has extensive experience in child protection as a provider, commissioner, and regulator.
Dr Chung Pham
Chung is a UK & Vietnam-based educator & researcher who grew up in the regions of Vietnam most affected by human trafficking. Her academic credentials span reputable universities in Vietnam, Australia, & the UK.
Martin ‘Lionel’ Blair
Lionel is a former British Police Officer with over 30 years of law enforcement & management. He has worked in risk management and operational security, as well as directing investigations into organised criminal groups.
Ray Parker
Ray has over 30 years in UK law enforcement as an intelligence development manager. He played an integral role in the development of covert police tactics & intelligence management within serious & organised crime.
Emma Tilley
Emma has been volunteering for Locate since2020, and is a PhD Researcher at Staffordshire University. She is critically reviewing the cross-matching of unidentified bodies and missing persons reports in England and Wales.