'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On Tuesday, August 29, Paulding County teen Haley Lewis was reportedly seen leaving South Paulding High School in a vehicle voluntarily. After leaving the school building at approximately 12:30 pm, her vehicle was last seen by unidentified witnesses in the city of Atlanta.
Authorities have not determined the potential reason behind the disappearance, nor confirmed the possibility of foul play.
In response to the disappearance of Haley Lewis, Paulding County officials urged any witnesses to come forward with information.
As of now, it has not been disclosed whether Lewis had any friends or business in Atlanta. Her family stated that they are unaware as to why she chose to leave for the city.
The timeline of Haley Lewis' disappearance
According to deputies, on Tuesday afternoon, Haley Lewis was spotted driving away from South Paulding High School in her Black Ford Explorer.
The vehicle, which reportedly had the Georgia tag AVA 0754, was spotted just a few hours later in Atlanta.
In the wake of the disppearance, local authorities released an official statement, which read:
“(Haley Lewis') family is extremely concerned for her well-being and do not know why she would have been traveling to Atlanta."
Officials are still in the process of determining the circumstances behind the disappearance. The details of the victim's home life or potential motivations remain unknown.
Authorities stated that if anyone can shed light on the case, they should call 911.
Missing persons cases in Georgia
According to WALB, the State of Georgia has dealt with approximately 250 missing persons cases this year. According to Derrica Wilson, the co-founder and CEO of the Black and Missing Foundation, the missing persons include victims of all races.
However, Wilson said that authorities can take a more rigorous approach in all cases, especially those in which black Americans have gone missing.
Per Wilson, many times officials do not show a sense of urgency in missing persons cases in which the victim is suspected to be a runaway. However, as noted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, runaways are often vulnerable to issues such as drug use and gang activity.
Wilson said:
“One reason is because often times law enforcement classified those cases as runaways. Runaways are not receiving the Amber Alert. And really, there's no sense of urgency in finding them."
She contined:
"And when it comes to missing adults, they often try to associate their disappearance with some sort of criminal activity and it really dehumanizes and desensitizes the fact that these are valuable members of our community, their mothers and fathers, their sons, daughters, sisters and brothers. And they deserve to be found."
In a majority of cases, the Amber Alert is implemented once police decide that the victim may have been abducted. Otherwise, the alert is used for any case in which it appears someone is in grave danger.
In cases like that of Haley Lewis, it will only be used when authorities decide that her circumstances have changed.
