Colorado teenager Chloe Campbell has been found alive at a home in the state after disappearing 10 days ago, police have said.
The 14-year-old was discovered at a home in the state, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold announced on Monday evening.
The teenager was last seen on 30 September near Boulder High School where she attended a football game with two older men who her family have described as “sketchy.”
Officials say that she was found at a home in Thornton, Colorado, at around 5pm, and she was taken to hospital for evaluation, police told reporters.
Investigators say it appears she ran away from home and was not abducted.
Here's everything we know.
Who is Chloe Campbell?
Chloe attends Boulder High School. Before her discovery on Monday she was last seen on 30 September at one of the school's football games and then later on a walking trail.
According to her parents, she went for a walk on the Boulder Creek Trail shortly after the game.
Her father, David Campbell, said she was seen walking on the trail with two older men.
"She was described by eyewitnesses as being with two men. Older men. Too old to be in high school. One of whom was Asian and the other who had a beard," he said.
Her parents began searching for her as soon as she failed to return home. They began hanging fliers around their town and asking for her whereabouts. After a week Boulder police began searching, but they have not issued an Amber Alert for her yet.
Police said her disappearance “does not meet the criteria for the issuance of an Amber Alert” yet but that they are growing "increasingly concerned" because she has "no access to money or her medication." They noted that "she may be with an adult male."
Photo sent anonymously
At some point after she went missing, Chloe's parents received a disturbing photo of their daughter from an anonymous sender.
According to her parents, the photo shows Chloe looking "injured and unwell." They did not elaborate further on the contents of the photo.
The photo was not the only strange message Chloe's parents and investigators received after her disappearance.
Investigators searching for her said friends told them she had reached out and revealed she was safe with a "family" in Arizona and was not interested in returning to Boulder. According to Chloe's parents none of the accounts making those claims belonged to their daughter.
"The communications that we've received through third parties that purport to be from Chloe originate in a Snapchat handle that we're not familiar with," her father told CBS News. "It could be anybody."
Police were not able to verify the authenticity of the messages.
Chloe's parents said they feared that she had been abducted and trafficked for sex.
Her parents made an emotional plea for her to return home if she could.
“Chloe, honey... we love you so much. You are not in trouble,” her mother said. “If you can come home please do and if you can’t, we will not stop until we find you.”
On Monday morning – hours before Chloe was discovered – the family said in a statement, via a Google doc they keep regularly updated: “After 10 days, our beloved 14 year old daughter, Chloe Campbell, is still missing. While we are grateful that the Boulder Police Department and news sources are finally taking this case seriously, broadening the call for help and legitimizing the situation, we remain gravely concerned that she may be under the influence of dangerous persons who are preventing her from voluntarily coming home.
“We have no credible communication from Chloe herself in 10 full days, and we believe there are still friends who know more than they have shared with law enforcement. We are working closely with law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to bring Chloe home.”
Chloe found alive at home in state
“There’s an ongoing investigation about where she was and what occurred when she was separated from her family,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said on 10 October.
Authorities say there is “no evidence” that an abduction took place.
“We have no reason to believe at this time that she was held against her will,” said Deputy Chief Stephen Redfearn.
Officials said that no more information would be released because of Chloe’s age and privacy concerns.
