Mom and child who vanished in 2016 are found safe in North Carolina, officials say
A mother and child missing for more than five years were found safe in North Carolina, officials said.
Miracle Smith was 1 year old when police said she and her mom Amber Weber vanished in December 2016. The two were last seen in Fayetteville, according to the city’s police department.
The night of her disappearance, Weber left with her daughter and didn’t come back home, her dad, Monty Weber, told WNCN.
Officers searched for clues about the disappearance and eventually turned to the U.S. Marshals Service for help.
The case took a turn on Jan. 25, when officials tracked the young daughter to a North Carolina home. The mother reportedly was found in the same area, in Bunnlevel and roughly 35 miles southwest of Raleigh.
The U.S. Marshals Service said both the girl and her mom were safe. The daughter and another child were taken to the Harnett County Department of Social Services, federal officials said a Jan. 25 news release.
“The culmination of years of following leads and tips resulted in the outcome that we had all hoped for today; the successful recovery of a child who had been missing since December 2016,” Michael East, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina, said in the release. “The U.S. Marshals Service and our investigative partners will not quit, nor be deterred until these children are rescued.”
Multiple agencies were involved in the case, including the Fayetteville Police Department, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Harnett County Department of Social Services. Those agencies were also investigating, East told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
Officials said a 59-year-old at the house where the child was found was taken into custody and faced a firearms charge.
This story was originally published January 27, 2022 at 12:10 PM with the headline "Mom and child who vanished in 2016 are found safe in North Carolina, officials say."
