Build a last-contact timeline

A useful timeline shows what happened and how you know it happened. It does not need to be a polished account of someone's entire day. Start with the last contact you can actually explain, then work outward as information arrives.

Give every entry a source

For each event, record the event time, the place, the information, and the person who supplied it. Add a separate time for when you received the information. A message received this morning might describe something seen yesterday.

Use three plain labels: confirmed contact, reported sighting, and unverified information. These are working labels for your notes, not official findings. Let the responsible authority determine the significance of evidence.

Keep uncertainty visible

Write “between 4 and 5 pm” when that is all the witness remembers. Do not silently convert it to 4:30 pm. If two accounts conflict, keep both with their sources instead of choosing whichever makes the timeline look neater.

• Event date and approximate time.
• Location as described by the source.
• What was directly seen, heard, or received.
• Source and a private way to contact them.
• Time recorded and any later clarification.

Produce a short handoff

When speaking to a caseworker, lead with the latest confirmed contact and any new urgent information. Offer the detailed timeline as a supporting record. Keep witness contact details out of public versions.

Review the timeline when a correction arrives. Add a dated clarification rather than making the earlier uncertainty disappear. That lets another helper understand why your current account differs from yesterday's.