By Mayukh B
Copyright inquisitr
Seeing a family member vanish suddenly can be one of the most devastating nightmares one can come across, and similar is the situation of a Georgia family. Their 14-year-old daughter went missing, out of nowhere, and what’s more striking is that it seemed just like a regular shopping day.
Amy Reidling is the name of the girl who was last seen at her family home in Decatur, outside Atlanta, on Sunday afternoon. Reports say that morning, she went shopping for a homecoming dress with her stepmother; she was very happy about it. However, by evening, she vanished without a trace.
And as per her family, who is already devastated, fears that she may have been lured by an online predator. “I opened the door and she was gone. I tore the house apart,” her stepmother, Ginny Rutledge, told 11Alive, while recalling the severe moment she came to know that Amy had disappeared.
Mike Reidling, who is Amy’s father, stated that no warning signs came beforehand regarding this, and he is of the view that their daughter was manipulated by someone on the internet who might have trained her to run away from home.
What’s even harder for the family is the timing of the disappearance because a few hours before her disappearance, Amy had been in good spirits, showing high enthusiasm in shopping by picking up clothes for her first big school dance. “Amy, we love you, we miss you, we want you here,” Rutledge pleaded. “Please let us know you’re okay if you can. Be safe. Fight hard. Fight hard.”
Her family is also of the view that Amy may now be in danger and that she has stepped into something, held against her will. Authorities say that she hasn’t been active on social media since she vanished, and on top of that, every call on her phone goes to voicemail. Not to mention that she also has almost no money on her, which reflects on the fact that she hasn’t left alone, according to the New York Post.
“There’s a lot she doesn’t know, and especially in a big city like Atlanta,” Rutledge said, her voice breaking. “It’s a cliche and everything, but you never think it’ll happen. But here we are.”
With this unfortunate scene, the Reidlings are now urging other parents to be highly cautious and also saying that even if their respective kids seem happy and in a healthy mood, their lives can still be at stake concerning the online predators in this digital era.
Police in Decatur are already in search of the teen girl, investigating the neighbours to check if anyone has seen Amy or has any sort of slight information about her whereabouts which can be a lead to find her. Besides, the victim’s family’s neighbours have also come together to search for the girl as the community is posting flyers around the area.
Amy is described as a kind and bubbly teen who was very keen on her dance and was also looking forward to the homecoming dance this weekend. Her sudden disappearance has not only left his family but also his classmates and friends speechless, with every single person in hope that she might be found, and are jointly contributing on social media by putting up her pictures to see if anyone has the slightest of information.
Her father, Mike, is trying to find his daughter and is directly engaging through the news outlets, begging her to reach out if she can. “Amy, we just want you home,” he said. “Nothing else matters right now.”
Investigators are trying to dig deep into this case and are also taking note of the online activities of the girl, and are also considering the terrifying possibility that she may have been targeted by a stranger who groomed her into leaving home. Until she is found, her parents say they will definitely not rest. “She’s our baby,” Ginny said. “And we just need her home.”