MISSING! Autistic girl vanishes; family desperate for answers

A missing Missouri girl who may be headed to Minnesota has not been seen nor heard from since July 19; she’s considered endangered missing.

Savannah Frances-Lee Leckie, 16, of Longrun, Missouri, was last seen around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19. Her mother, Rebecca Ruud, posted on Facebook that they had gotten into an argument because Savannah was “skipping homework again.” 

When Ruud woke up the next morning around 8 a.m., Savannah was gone.

[Photo: Family Handout]

She took a blanket, pillow, clothing and other personal items with her, leading authorities to believe she left in a vehicle rather than on foot.

 “She took her favorite pillow and blanket, and bag of coloring stuff… “  Ruud said.  

When Savannah is upset she “clings to her favorite things.”

Leckie, diagnosed with high-functioning autism, is home-schooled and does not have any friends or family in the immediate area, reported the Ozark County Times. She has family in Minnesota, and authorities believe she may be seeking relatives of her late father there.

Savannah also goes by the nicknames “Mouse” or “Andy” and is Caucasian, 5-feet-2 inches tall, and weighs about 115 pounds. She has long brown hair, blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

Due to her diagnosed autism, she may approach strangers without understanding possible dangers. However, it’s not apparent that she’s autistic, Ozark County Sheriff Darrin Read told the Ozark County Times.

If you see Savannah or have information in this case, please call 911 or the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office at (417) 679-4633.

[Feature Photo: Facebook]