A missing Waterford Township girl, Johannah “Jax” Woody has been found, according to Waterford Township Police and family members.
Tuesday afternoon, Waterford Police Chief Scott Underwood said the 13-year-old left her father’s home early Sunday, Jan. 14, after he had gone to work and while her stepmother was asleep. She was last seen at 7 p.m. Saturday. Her family reported her missing at 10:05 a.m. Sunday.
Waterford Township Police said she lives with mental illness and is diagnosed with autism but is considered high functioning.
She’s described as white, 5-feet, 6 inches tall weighing an estimated 125 pounds. She has brown eyes and shoulder length strawberry blond hair.
Detectives who interviewed the girl’s family, friends and acquaintances said her disappearance appears to be pre-planned. One person told police Woody has said she met a 21-year-old Jackson man online and planned to run away with him.
Johannah doesn’t have a cellphone but detectives believe she was able to get one that connects to the internet, though it doesn’t have cell service. Police found evidence that she’s been using the phone’s wifi to communicate with others on the Snapchat app.
Police worked with Snapchat with get data to analyze and are working with Michigan State
Police and the missing children’s clearinghouse and the FBI.
No neighborhood video has been found yet to help identify a suspect or suspect vehicle but police are asking anyone with RING Neighbors to check for information on that app and share any video that may help.
Detectives continue investigating potential leads and interviewing potential sources of
information. Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact Waterford
Police Detective Jason Randolph at (248) 618-6053 or the Waterford Police tip-line at (248) 674-COPS (2677).