Age 14 Daughter Vanishes, Never To Be Heard from Again -- Until Letter Arrives 5 Years Later
What do you do when someone you love just disappears? If they leave no trace, no forwarding address, and no reason for their departure, how do you deal with their absence?
And what if that person was your 14-year-old daughter? Most 14 year olds are nowhere near mature enough to be on their own, and one disappearing out of nowhere usually points to trafficking or kidnapping, and not an act of free will.
When Emily Paul was 14, five years ago, she disappeared from her home in Southport, Florida. For five years her family wondered where she was, and never found out if she was even still alive — until just recently.
A letter arrived in the mail, and it was allegedly from Emily. She said she was alive and well, but that she didn’t want to see her parents.
This raised a lot of questions. From the outside looking in, and without knowing the situation personally, it looks a little shady.
Had there been a falling out with her family? Was there some reason that Emily felt uncomfortable being around her mom or dad again?
Was the letter some sort of evil joke from someone who knew about the case and just wanted to stir up the family’s emotions?
Was Emily writing the letter of her own volition, or was she being told to write it by a captor to try to close a case and get the cops off their trail once and for all?
Captain Jason Daffin decided to send a message out on social media to get some more information from Emily. He reassured her that he wouldn’t reveal her location to her parents, and that he just wanted to make sure she wasn’t under duress.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page posted the video, asking people to share it so that it might eventually get to Emily.
“Emily Paul, age 14, went missing five years ago from her home in Bay County,” the caption on the video read.
“Recently her family received a letter they believe may have come from her. BCSO investigators wish to confirm that Emily, now an adult, sent that letter and is in a safe place.”
“BCSO CID Captain Jason Daffin sent a message to Emily Paul today. Please share in the hopes this message gets to Emily.”
Tuesday, a woman claiming to be Emily showed up at a police department to prove that she was free and not in need of help. After calling in, Emily had decided to set the issue to rest.
“At that time, we requested photographs be taken and asked that they collect other proof of her identity,” a post from the BSCO Criminal Investigations Division reported.
“An investigator with that agency spoke with Emily, one on one, for a period of time. Emily stated that she was safe, she had a support system and she was happy where she was.”
“She appeared to be in good health and she had arrived at the police station by herself and left by herself.”
While her mother is still uneasy with the whole thing and doesn’t know what it will take to get her daughter to visit, at least friends and family can rest assured that Emily is healthy, happy and alive.
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