Missing Cedar Springs teen found safe in Rockford

ROCKFORD, Mich. (WOOD) — A teenager from Cedar Springs who left her home at the end of May has been found safe in Rockford.

Penelope “Penny” Wise, a 17-year-old, had been missing for more than seven weeks. Around 11 a.m. on Sunday, someone contacted police after seeing Penelope leaving a Rockford home on a bicycle.

Deputies were able to find Penny. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office said she had been living with a 44-year-old man at a Rockford home. They had met around 2 a.m. on June 1 and have since become engaged.

Penelope walked away from her family home, located near Morley Park in Cedar Springs, on the evening of May 31, according to the sheriff’s office. Around 6 p.m. that day, she was spotted on surveillance video on Rockford Park Drive near Northland Drive.

On June 1, she was captured on camera walking alone by the Corner Bar in Rockford, deputies said.

Deputies had considered Penelope a runaway, and Silent Observer had offered up to $1,000 for information that helped to find her.

As weeks went by with no word on where her daughter was, Penelope Wise’s mother said she had given up hope.

“I struggled with keeping hope she was gonna be found safe and alive just because as time went on … she didn’t reach out to anybody and that didn’t seem like her,” Mishael Wise told News 8 Sunday. “Your mind starts going through the worst-case scenarios. So I was preparing myself in a way in case something bad had happened.”

Mishael Wise said it was “very heartbreaking” to go more than seven weeks wondering whether her daughter was alive.

“It was tough to live through,” Wise said. “It was like living a dream. It was very surreal.”

David Wise, Penelope’s father, said it was like having a terrible nightmare over and over again.

“This can’t possibly be true,” Wise said. “Then it hits you, this is actually happening to us.”

Penelope’s parents handed out fliers and posted frequently on social media, hoping someone knew where she was.

“The biggest thing was just trying to get the word out because especially at first we didn’t know which way she had gone or anything, she had completely disappeared,” David Wise said.

Her parents said they hadn’t yet been reunited with her as of Sunday afternoon as she remains in the juvenile facility. Although they’re grateful Penelope is okay, there’s so much more they want to know.

“Was she being held against her will?” Mishael Wise said. “Was she there voluntarily, where she knew the guy, or was this just somebody that picked her up? Just what she’s been doing for the last seven weeks.”

During their investigation, deputies knocked on doors in downtown Rockford. Undersheriff Bryan Muir told News 8 the man she was staying with had never been on their radar.

Police aren’t sure if Penelope was staying with him for the entire time or at multiple places. Deputies have questioned the man, and they’re still trying to piece everything together.

“It’s probably gonna be a few days before we have a clear understanding as to his involvement in Penny’s disappearance or how long he had contact with her,” Muir said.

Penelope Wise is staying at the juvenile facility because police are still trying to figure out where she’s been. Muir said she hasn’t cooperated with the investigation as much as they hoped. He said Penelope Wise is physically OK, but his team is connecting her with emotional support resources.

“We’re hoping in the coming days as Penny gets reacclimated she’ll be able to communicate better with our detectives and fill in the gaps,” Muir said.

Muir said the sheriff’s office invested thousands of hours working with local, state and federal law enforcement to help find Penelope Wise. The sheriff’s office used drones, dive teams, marine patrol, search and rescue teams and K9s over the last several weeks.

“While we’re doing that, there are other cases that aren’t actively being worked as much as they could be,” Muir said.

Muir said they tried to strike a balance between providing closure for Penelope’s family while still investing enough time in other cases. Now that Penelope has been found, it will free up resources for many others.

“Having her found at least now physically safe will allow us to work and pay attention to those other cases coming into the sheriff’s office,” Muir said.

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