Runaway, request for help and an idea.

[KD5NRH]

Amber Mussey left Stephenville High School on the morning of December 5th, and has not been heard from by her family since.

Her mom dropped her off at the high school at 8AM on the 5th, and she apparently left right after that. Mom had no idea she was gone until school let out. She had a bag packed at home, (nothing that caused any suspicion; they were planning to move to Comanche on the 9th, so a lot of stuff was already packed) went home to get it, left her cell phone there, and was seen about 2 hours later on the other side of town. Two days later she was seen here in a car with an older girl. The car was registered to an address in Comanche, and she's known to have friends there and in two small towns each about 15mi from there, (Blanket and Gustine) as well as several here.

We've been giving out photos to the local restaurants, gas stations and churches, and I've been watching likely hangouts. Radio stations and newspapers won't run anything without police approval, and for some reason they're not getting it.

Her mother is taking it particularly hard. As a divorced (10 years ago) mother of two teenage girls, Army veteran and full time nursing student with a full time job, she often feels like she isn't doing enough. I've been trying to take as much of the load off of her as I can and reminding her that we have dozens of people handing out flyers and looking for Amber, and that she needs to let the rest of us handle as much as we can so she can focus on her other daughter, but she's still stressed out and missing a lot of sleep. With all the leads spread out over a roughly 70 mile stretch of highway, gas prices aren't helping either.

Chuck Foreman of CFSI has taken the case as a private investigator, and is asking that we get the newest flyers out all over the area.

If anyone wants to keep up with this case, see Log In | Facebook

If any members here are also members of any state-or-nationwide civic, religious and/or social organizations with branches in Erath, Comanche, Brown or surrounding counties of Texas, please ask that those branches join us in posting and distributing the flyers linked on that Facebook group.

I have already emailed flyers to the Masonic Lodges of Erath County, Elks Lodge of Stephenville, Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, Stephenville Boy Scout Troop 39, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs of Stephenville, Erath County Republican and Democrat Parties, and most of the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, and Episcopal churches in Stephenville with this request, but it can't hurt to branch out more and to have support from inside their organizations.

We are hoping and praying to have the family back together for Christmas, but we'll take whatever we can get.

What makes this one particularly personal for me (in addition to the mother being a friend) is that I was going to do some family photos for them as a Christmas present. I don't normally do portraits, but since she was looking at spending a good chunk of the Christmas budget on a WalMart package, I figured I could do better than that with a couple of off-camera strobes and a reflector or two, eat the cost of SmugMug prints and leave her the money for other presents. Since we never got it scheduled, though, pretty much all the recent photos of Amber are cell-phone self-portraits, instead of a few good shots and the pile of not-quite-aesthetically-perfect high-res rejects I'd have had if we'd done the shoot.

That got me to thinking; how much cost would it add for the typical portrait photographer to add a little bonus to every package involving children? A simple white or light background, good lighting to bring out the features should already be set up, and do a front and 3/4 view from each side. No PP other than possibly making an enhanced contrast BW version for easy photocopying, and add a CD with full-res of these shots to the package at cost. This would be perfect for missing child flyers, and shouldn't add any significant effort for the photographer.

[KD5NRH]

Amber has been found and safely returned to her grandmother this afternoon. Thank you to all who helped in the search and prayed for her return.

I don't have a lot of details yet, and I'm not giving any that I haven't confirmed directly with Amber's mother or her grandmother, and they've got a lot to talk about among themselves right now, but it appears that she is unharmed and has been hiding with her friends the whole time.

[snydersnapshots]

I am SO glad she was found safe and sound. So many of these situations turn out badly and it's nice to hear about one that turned out well. I hope the family can get things worked out soon. I also hope you have to opportunity to make the portraits you were talking about. I think your idea of "childfinder" photos was excellent and I hope you can start with photos of this young lady. Hopefully they'll never be needed again.

[KD5NRH]

Originally Posted by snydersnapshots

I am SO glad she was found safe and sound. So many of these situations turn out badly and it's nice to hear about one that turned out well. I hope the family can get things worked out soon. I also hope you have to opportunity to make the portraits you were talking about. I think your idea of "childfinder" photos was excellent and I hope you can start with photos of this young lady. Hopefully they'll never be needed again.

It's kinda hard to get all those thank you emails out to every church and civic/social organization that I'd contacted before while my contacts keep getting all blurry. I know Amber and her mom have a lot to talk about, and I think they're both going to need a few days before they can really open up to each other after this ordeal, but I'm praying that they can get it all settled and have a real family Christmas without the extra baggage in the way.

[groovyone]

Glad she is safe. Hopefully they can sort out whatever led to it.

[Nikonfan]

Originally Posted by KD5NRH

Amber has been found and safely returned to her grandmother this afternoon. Thank you to all who helped in the search and prayed for her return.

I don't have a lot of details yet, and I'm not giving any that I haven't confirmed directly with Amber's mother or her grandmother, and they've got a lot to talk about among themselves right now, but it appears that she is unharmed and has been hiding with her friends the whole time.

That's great news! As I was reading your first post I thought this wasn't going to turn out well. I'm so glad that it did!! Obviously there is still a lot to work on at home, but this could have been SO much worse. Out of curiosity, did the PI find her?

[KD5NRH]

Originally Posted by Nikonfan

That's great news! As I was reading your first post I thought this wasn't going to turn out well. I'm so glad that it did!! Obviously there is still a lot to work on at home, but this could have been SO much worse.

Well, she's currently with her grandma, and her mom hasn't gotten along with grandma for a long time, but at least everybody knows she is safe. The rest of us are praying that all three generations can get through their problems and have a real family Christmas together.

Out of curiosity, did the PI find her?

No, but only because the locals got a lucky break; she was spotted with a male who was already a person of interest, and that was enough for them to go out and get her. Not sure if it was the PI who made him a POI in the first place, but he found more in the three or four days he was on the case than the locals did in the two weeks she was gone.

[TxTowman]

WOW I have been out of town and missed this. I live near Sidney west of Comanche and north of Blanket, let me know if I can help in the future. This should have gotten on the amber alert signs on the highway. Wonder why they did not?

[Nikonfan]

Originally Posted by TxTowman

WOW I have been out of town and missed this. I live near Sidney west of Comanche and north of Blanket, let me know if I can help in the future. This should have gotten on the amber alert signs on the highway. Wonder why they did not?

I'm not familiar with this case so this is just speculation. Police are very cautious about issuing Amber Alerts so that it is not overused. If it were people would ignore them. I believe they reserve it for when they have strong evidence that someone was abducted and not simply a runaway.

[Nikonfan]

Originally Posted by KD5NRH

Not sure if it was the PI who made him a POI in the first place, but he found more in the three or four days he was on the case than the locals did in the two weeks she was gone.

Thank you for the follow up. I wouldn't have thought to hire a PI but that was a great idea. I hope I never have to be in this situation but if I am I would deffinately hire one.

[KD5NRH]

Originally Posted by TxTowman

WOW I have been out of town and missed this. I live near Sidney west of Comanche and north of Blanket, let me know if I can help in the future.

I knew that, and somehow forgot to check with you. We had suspected the area between Blanket and Brownwood from early in the search, and that's apparently where she was, but didn't have it narrowed down until the day she was found.

This should have gotten on the amber alert signs on the highway. Wonder why they did not?

They generally require a high-risk abduction for those, and all the evidence showed a voluntary, planned runaway.

[KD5NRH]

Originally Posted by Nikonfan

Thank you for the follow up. I wouldn't have thought to hire a PI but that was a great idea. I hope I never have to be in this situation but if I am I would deffinately hire one.

If anyone you know in Texas ever needs one for this, recommend Chuck Foreman of CFSI. He's in the Austin area, but specializes in runaways and abductions statewide.