Last Updated on May 28, 2026 11:39 am
Sheriff B. Phil Howell is pleased to announce the safe return of a young woman from the Fleetwoodarea who went missing early Tuesday, May 26th, 2026. The 19-year-old woman, who is a person livingwith cognitive delays that impair decision-making abilities, is believed to have entered a vehicle andwas taken by persons she met online.
Family members later in the day became aware that the young woman was missing and alerted the AsheCounty Sheriff’s Office. Detective Brian Blanco was familiar with the young woman’s cognitive ability.The Sheriff’s Office immediately treated the case like a missing and endangered child case andactivated the entire Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office. Within minutes, six detectivesresponded from their homes and began working together to investigate the case.
Guided largely by information provided to our office by family members and friends of the youngwoman, this investigation included a review of camera footage from various cameras at and around thelocation where the young woman was last seen; a door-to-door canvas of the area, employing variousdigital technology investigation techniques; as well as interviews with family, friends, and witnesses.Through this investigation, it was determined that within minutes of the young woman entering thesubjects’ vehicle, she was driven out-of-state. Further investigation, including classified technologyinvestigative measures as well as good old-fashioned police work, led detectives to believe the youngwoman was several states away with subjects unknown to her and her family. Upon Ashe CountySheriff’s detectives discovering an exact address where the young woman was believed to be, our officeimmediately dispatched the local law enforcement agency in Ohio.
At 7:15 PM on Wednesday, May 27th, Sgt. Detective Milam & Special Victims Detective Blanco madecontact with the young woman and took her safely into their custody in Cincinnati, Ohio. Our office isrelieved to announce that in the very early hours this morning, Ashe County detectives returned theyoung woman to her family and to our community.
“From the moment our office became aware of the situation until the moment she was returned homeand walked into her bedroom, our detectives, deputies, and dispatchers worked constantly, through thenight, without yielding for a moment until her safe return. Several members of the community, whosenames we cannot reveal, were also instrumental in providing information that helped detectives quicklybring this young lady home, and we remain grateful for the help and prayers from our community insituations like this.” ~ Sheriff B. Phil Howell
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