Kaelyn Philips: 16-year-old who went missing from Fort Yargo State Park found safe by police
Kaelyn Phillips
WINDER, Ga. - Kaelyn Phillips, a 16-year-old who went missing at Fort Yargo State Park, has been found safe, her family says.
The teen's mother, Misty Phillips, posted to a Facebook page dedicated to finding the missing girl that Kaelyn had been located by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
In the post, Misty Phillips, wrote that her daughter had been "transported over state lines" and is now "safe with police."
The family did not share any other details about how the teen was found, thanked the public for the love and prayers, and asked for privacy at this time.
The Winder Police Department confirmed that Phillips had been found safe in North Carolina and that no foul play is believed to be connected with her disappearance.
"We are thankful she is safe, and we would like to express gratitude for all of the support and help from the community along with the assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and Barrow County Sheriff's office as well as the Department of Natural Resources and Fort Yargo State park personnel," Winder Police Chief Jim Fullington wrote on Facebook.
The original story is below.
Kaelyn Phillips was last seen around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 29 at Fort Yargo State Park Campground 2.
According to her parents, none of Phillips' personal items were touched or taken, including her phone, identification, medication or clothing.
"When my husband woke up on Monday morning, he took the dogs out and realized the door to the back area, where the girls' bathroom is located, was ajar and items from the bathroom were on the ground outside," Phillips' mother wrote on the Facebook page.
"Kaelyn is one of the smartest, kindest, and most loving humans we all know," her mom said. "We are certain that even if she opened a door to look outside, she did not go anywhere willingly, and she is in imminent danger."
Phillips is 5-feet-4-inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. She may have double braids in her brown-colored hair, and may be wearing glasses and white Puma shoes.
On Tuesday, Fort Yargo State Park was temporarily closed to day-use visitors as the search for the Phillips continued.
Investigators say the closure was necessary to help the ground search using K-9s. Police officers did not want anyone crossing any scent trails.
In addition, officers have been using drones and helicopters to fly over the area.
More information about her disappearance can also be found on the Find Kaelyn Phillips Facebook page.
If you have any information regarding this individual, please contact Det. Manthe at 470-201-9914 or wayne.manthe@cityofwinder.com.
Why no "Amber Alert" in Kaelyn Phillips' disappearance?
A Levi's Call, Georgia's Amber Alert System for missing and abducted children, was named for 11-year-old Levi Frady, who was abducted in 1997 as he rode his bike back to his Forsyth County home.
The alert follows a strict set of guidelines, as prescribed by law, to prevent its overuse, which could make it ineffective.
The alert criteria is:
- Law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred.
- Law enforcement officials believe that the child is in imminent danger or serious bodily injury or death.
- Enough descriptive information exists about the victim and the abductor for law enforcement to issue a Levi's Call: Georgia's AMBER Alert.
- The victim of the abduction is a child age 17 years or younger.
- The child's name and other critical data elements - including the child abduction (CA) and AMBER Alert (AA) flags - have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.
Also, activation will not be granted for non-custodial abductions where no danger exists to the child and runaways.
Despite no alert being issued, police will still reach out to media partners, such as FOX 5 Atlanta, when there is a case which deserves broader attention.