Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!
Missing Colorado Teenager Who Disappeared During Football Game Is Found Safe
Police said they believe Chloe Campbell ran away from her home after she was located in a local residence, but stated they will nonetheless investigate her disappearance.
A Colorado teenager who disappeared after leaving a high school football game more than a week ago has been found safe.
Boulder Police announced Monday that 14-year-old Chloe Campbell was located around 5 p.m. at a residence in Thornton, Colorado.
Campbell, who disappeared after leaving a Boulder High School football game on Sept. 30, was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation after she was discovered at the residence.
“While investigators continue to believe that Chloe ran away, there is an ongoing investigation about where she was and what occurred while she was separated from her family,” police said. “Some details are being withheld at this time to allow for a thorough investigation.”
The search effort to find the missing teen began Oct. 1 after Campbell’s father filed a missing persons report.
Boulder Police said at the time that although the teenager’s friends had reported having contact with her, they believed she “could be in danger” and might be in the company of an adult male.
Deputy Chief Stephen Redfearn said in a press briefing after the teen’s discovery that authorities did not issue an Amber Alert in the case because it did not meet the criteria and there was no evidence to suggest the 14-year-old had been abducted.
If she had not been found by Monday evening, Redfearn said the CBI was prepared to issue a missing and endangered person report to national media outlets.
“Our department diligently addressed this case from the time we first became aware of it. The investigation was consistent with known best practices for runaway children,” he said. “We are relieved that Chloe has been found.”
According to police, Campbell’s parents had been notified that she was found safe.
Police declined to release specifics about the case citing privacy concerns and her young age, CBS News reports.
In the days after her disappearance, her parents David Campbell and Jessica Knape had pleaded for the teenager’s safe return.
According to their account, her friends reported seeing Campbell with two men they didn’t recognize before she went missing.
“She’s never run away,” her father David told KMGH-TV. “She’s never stayed out all night, so it was extraordinary for her not to come home.”
He said the family became increasingly concerned after receiving a photo of Campbell looking unwell and injured from one of her friends.
“I’ll never stop loving you,” he said in a message to his daughter at the time. “You’re not in trouble. You’re not going to be punished. If you are physically capable of coming home, just come home.”
Police have said the teen and are family will receive “appropriate social services support” now that she is back home.
