Missing teen believed to be in Washington found safe in Alabama

AUBURN, Wash. — A Tennessee teen who has been missing for nearly two years and was believed to be in the Seattle area has been found, investigators said.

The teen was the subject of an Endangered Child Alert.

On Friday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said she was found safe in Samson, Alabama.

In October 2019, John Oliver Westbrook of Tennessee was accused of kidnapping his 17-year-old daughter along with her two dogs, but failed to return home to Chattanooga from a weekend visit with her father.

Police believed the teen was being held against her will and was unable to communicate to the outside world.

Westbrook is an expert in IT specializing in security, block-chain technology and bitcoin. His methods of communication are nearly impossible to trace, making it extremely difficult for the police to generate any significant leads.

Police learned he spent the first weeks of this year in Santa Fe, New Mexico and only three weeks ago he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. This case was heavily publicized in the Denver area, and police believe he may attempt to seek shelter with a family member.

His sister, Krystalynn Westbrook Martin, lives in the Auburn area and works at Auburn Adventist Academy. Police confirm the sister is in frequent contact with her brother, but she refuses to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The U.S. Marshals Service says she has also repeatedly refused interview requests.

Cox Media Group