Missing southern Missouri girl’s case receives national attention

This has Unlimited Access. Please support our commitment to public service journalism. Subscribe now.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has joined the search for a missing south-central Missouri girl.

This afternoonit said it is urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing 17-year-old, Abigail Lawless.

On Aug. 17, Abigail went missing from her home in West Plains in the middle of the night after her family fell asleep. Abigail’s family fears that she may have traveled to Virgina with an unknown individual she met online. Abigail is described as 5’9″, weighs 160 pounds and has brown eyes with brown hair.

Abigail’s mom, Leah Lawless, shared that earlier that night, the whole family had a nice dinner outing and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She wants to emphasize that Abigail has never left home before and has not tried to contact any family or friends since she vanished, which is extremely unlike her. She hopes this message will reach her daughter, “We all love and miss you so much, please come home. We just need to know that you are okay and safe.”

In an effort to bring more attention to Abigail’s case, her poster is being featured on the Ring’s Neighbors app (https://vimeo.com/1001248039/4a58170f5e?share=copy ) as a part of a partnership between NCMEC and Ring. This feature reaches millions of users, providing real-time assistance in locating missing children.

If you have any information about Abigail or her disappearance, contact NCMEC at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) or the Howell County Sheriff’s Department at 417-256-2544.

The post Missing southern Missouri girl’s case receives national attention appeared first on Houston Herald .