Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

On Thursday, GRIID videotaped a statement read by Rebecca Craig about the two family members that have gone missing and how the local news media, the GRPD and other law enforcement agencies don’t provide them same effort or sense of urgency when Black people go missing as opposed to white people.

Below is the text of what Rebecca read while standing outside of WOODTV8, followed by the video version at the bottom.

Good afternoon,

My name is Rebecca Craig.  I am the younger cousin of Donald Hunnicutt, who has been missing since September 3, 2022. And, the older cousin of Cortez McConer Jr, missing since October 27, 2024.

I am here today to demand action against the inactions of the police & media when it comes to the black & brown communities across the US. But, particularly, this community w/ regards to police agencies & media outlets, such as GRPD, MSP & Woodtv8, the leading broadcasting station in W. MICHIGAN.

As stated previously, I have 2 loved ones who are currently missing.

Donnie Hunnicutt, a 6’2, 170 lb, 56 yr old (at time of disappearance) male of African American descent, who goes by the name of Don D and, Cortez McConer Jr, a 6’2, 155 lb, 16 yr old male of African American decent, who goes by Tez or Jr.

I have been on a constant mission to reach the masses about their disappearances.

My unforeseen mission started when my eldest cousin, Donald Hunnicutt, disappeared w/o a trace, September 3rd of 2022, from the Kentwood, MI area. To my understanding, Donnie was last seen leaving a cousin’s apt to go and smoke a cigarette and never came back.

Unexpectedly, my mission further evolved when my youngest cousin, Cortez McConer Jr went missing in the early hours of October 27, 2024.

Unprecedented events as such, leaves one to wonder if they walked off or has something happened. And, most importantly, what should I do? If I didn’t know anything, I knew I needed to garner attention.

For Donald, I shared his flyer throughout social media, made a missing fb page for him and recently did an interview w/ Woodtv8 after I had posted in several Facebook groups about my concerns on how his case never garnered the amount of attention it should have. I was called a race baiter & kicked out of groups that I was a member of for voicing my concerns on the disparities of the black & brown communities when it comes to the media attention we very well deserved also.

I didn’t deserve neither, especially since I,1. Am not a race baiter, and 2. I was stating what was evident. 

For Cortez, I shared & hung flyers, spoke with several students but immediately, made contact with reporter, Amanda Porter, a news anchor @ woodtv8, who previously had contacted me regarding the posts I posted in the groups about Donald’s case.

On October 29, 2024, 2 days after Cortez McConer Jr whereabouts were unknown, I asked her for help in reaching the masses. I sent over pertinent information about my cousin Cortez and she immediately submitted it all to the newsroom the same day. 2 days later, still no PSA about a 16 yr old kid missing in our community! So, I emailed into the station and complained.

Now, after I watched my interview about Donald, I had emailed into the station to voice my concern about pertinent information being omitted from the original script to an edited watered down version.

Now, this… 2 days of publicity lost due to Woodtv8 not wanting to set a precedent for ANY runaway kid to whom of which Cortez, a 16 yr old boy, was not a runaway but truly MISSING! BUT, let’s just say he was labeled as runaway.

According to Woodtv8’s own article on Penny Wise (glad she was found safe), “a 17 yr old teenager from Cedar Springs who willingly “walked away from her home” a runaway, brought the city and state out!

Or, the Romeo & Juliet teenage couple, of whom I am grateful were found safe.  Jayden Thomas, 13, of Clare, Mich., and Braxton Wood, 14, of Mt. Pleasant, Mich.,who had run away together and gardnered national attention. These are just a couple local cases in the news very recently.  But, I just want to know what are the differences?????

Woodtv8 aired a piece covering Cortez from the search the FAMILY had coordinated a week after he had become missing. Nothing further was aired from that point up until a couple days ago when members of the community started to send in complaints to the station & calling you all out.

Everyone knows the urgency regarding the timeframe of getting the word out, in which we loss due to Woodtv8 not covering Cortez’s story from when it was handed over October 29th. There was no urgency here, huh? Just another runaway black kid?

After submitting another complaint, I received a response from Ms. Holly Volkding, (If I pronounced her name wrong, my apologies) stating, ‘We have been airing his story and have been in contact with family members and attending events. We haven’t gotten any updates from GRPD regarding anything further of him. The difference of the two stories is that we reported updates we were given from police of sightings of her. We have no bias between one missing juvenile to another. If you have any frustrations with more information, you can direct you frustration to GRPD who is handling the case, as we too would like more information on Cortez’s whereabouts’.

Which furthers my frustrations because the level of audacity Ms. Holly has in her response is appalling! The nerve of me to question the differences in coverage amongst the cases!

So, now, it boils down to GRPD doing their reporting to the news agencies. You know, it is so much more easier to point the finger than to acknowledge the media bias that is so evident.

So, why is it that we don’t garner the same resources and attention that others do?

Now, only after a month has gone by, everyone is scrambling to bring true awareness to Cortez McConer Jr. case, still with no sense of urgency!!!

I want all the police agencies and media outlets to know, you all have an obligation to the community as a whole to thoroughly report & investigate, leaving no leads unturned, while providing info to the public NO MATTER WHAT RACE IS INVOLVED!!!  We all are the human race & deserve the same privileges when comes to investigating & reporting what goes on in our community despite any differences!

DO BETTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE!!!!

Thank you.