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TBI: 18-year-old girl missing from Chattanooga since 2019 found safe in Alabama

Daphne Westbrook, who is 18, was found safe in Samson, Alabama, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Update (5/28)

A teen, who has been missing from Chattanooga since October 2019, was located earlier this week in Alabama.

Daphne Westbrook, who is 18, was found safe in Samson, Alabama, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.

Westbrook, the subject of an Endangered Child Alert issued under the Holly Bobo Act earlier this week, has been missing since Oct. 7, 2019, TBI said.

TBI previously said Daphne Westbrook might have been with John Westbrook, 42. 

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office wants him for aggravated kidnapping and custodial interference. 

TBI did not comment on John Westbrook's whereabouts.

Update (5/23):

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued an Endangered Child Alert on behalf of the Hamilton Co District Attorney General‘s Office, for Daphne Westbrook under the Holly Bobo Act. 

Daphne, now 18, has been missing since Oct. 7, 2019. She may be with John Westbrook, 42, who is her non-custodial father. He is wanted by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office for aggravated kidnapping and custodial interference.

If you know where Daphne might be, call 423-209-7415, or 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Update (3/30):

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released a new photo of Daphne Westbrook's non-custodial father John Westbrook and a photo of a car, he may be driving.

Both photos were taken in October in Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can see John wearing a tie-die bandana in the photo below.

According to the TBI, the most recent information in the search for Daphne and John, likely places them in Florida a few weeks ago.

If you have any information or think you see them or the car, please call 1-800-TBI-FIND.  

Original Story (3/10): 

The search for a Chattanooga girl missing since 2019 has a new focus in Florida.

The TBI said new information places Daphne Westbrook and her non-custodial father, John Westbrook, in Florida a week ago.

TBI the pair may be driving a 1971 orange Volkswagen Beetle. The car has no plate or windshield.

Investigators have intensified their efforts to find Daphne in the last few days because they received new information that made them concerned for her wellbeing.

If you have any information or think you see them or the car, please call 1-800-TBI-FIND.  

Original story: 3/10/21

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an AMBER Alert for a missing 17-year-old girl from Chattanooga on Wednesday. She was last seen in October 2019 in the city. She did not return from a weekend visit with her non-custodial father, John Westbrook, officials said.

Daphne Westbrook is 5'3", 110 pounds and has brown hair with brown eyes, according to a release from TBI. Authorities said they believed John may have traveled to the western U.S. with Daphne and that he has contacts in Colorado, New Mexico, California and Washington.

Officials said that Daphne and John could be anywhere. In recent weeks, officials said that they found evidence that made authorities become concerned for Daphne's wellbeing.

Information about that evidence was not immediately available.

In June 2020, Hamilton County authorities got a warrant and charged John with custodial interference. On Feb. 23, 2021, John was charged with aggravated kidnapping due to Daphne's disappearance, officials said.

In October, Daphne was placed on TBI's missing children website. 

TBI said that they are issuing an AMBER Alert because a warrant has been issued for a crime in Tennessee. They said they hope that if evidence points to John and Daphne being in another state, that state will be able to issue an AMBER Alert faster.

They said that since Daphne is not currently in Tennessee, TBI did not request alerts to be sent to phones and asked the Tennessee Department of Transportation not to use instate signs alerting drivers of her disappearance.

John is 6'4", 200 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information about Daphne or John's location should call (423) 209-7415 or 1-800-TBI-FIND. Tips can also be emails to tipstotbi@tn.gov or findingdaphne@hcdatn.org.

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