Is it a crime in New Hampshire not to report your missing spouse, according to A Private Matter?

No. Epsom Police Chief Brian Michael told reporter Jason Moon that the county attorney's office found no charge for simply not reporting someone missing, so Patty Hickey could not be charged for never reporting her husband Jay. New Hampshire's 2002 law against neglecting elderly, disabled or impaired adults requires proof that the neglect caused serious bodily injury, and without Jay's body that cannot be shown.

• The neglect law was written after police could not charge a son whose elderly mother was found with severe bed sores.
• Moon reports that only six people have been convicted under the law since it passed.
• Moon notes that Patty might have faced charges in some other states, though even there the outcome is uncertain.

▸In their words

“Unfortunately, it is not illegal to not report your husband or your wife missing.” Brian Michael · at 11:15 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Bear Brook (2026-11-04). Read the whole episode summary →

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