The father of an Alabama teen who vanished late last month says he believes his daughter is being held captive.
Speaking with WIAT on Tuesday, Elijah Blanchard said he believes Aniah Blanchard, 19, is being held against her will somewhere and pleaded for her safe return. Aniah Blanchard, who lives in Auburn, was last seen on October 23 at a local convenience store.
Aniah Blanchard had reportedly talked to a friend prior to her disappearance. She was said to have also sent Snapchat messages to her roommate indicating that she was with a man she had recently met.
Days after her disappearance, Aniah Blanchard’s vehicle—a black 2017 Honda CR-V with an Alabama tag number 49BS356—was found with damage to its front panel roughly 50 miles away from her home, at an apartment complex in Montgomery. However, the college student was nowhere to be found.
On Tuesday, Texas Equusearch joined the ongoing search for Aniah Blanchard. The nonprofit group’s founder, Tim Miller, told WBMA that they expect to comb through 50 miles of terrain from Auburn to Montgomery using horse and rider teams in addition to crews on-foot and on ATVs.
According to the news outlet, Texas Equusearch’s first course of action involved surveying areas of interest and implementing a search and rescue plan.
Aniah Blanchard was described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing approximately 125 pounds, and having brown eyes and brown hair. She was reportedly last seen wearing a black dress, tan duck boots, and black stockings.
Anyone with information regarding Aniah Blanchard’s whereabouts, or an accident involving her vehicle, is urged to contact the Auburn Police Division Detective Section at 334-501-3140 or the anonymous their tip line at 334-246-1391.
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[Featured image: Aniah Blanchard/Facebook]
