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The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has joined the search for a missing girl from south-central Missouri.

This afternoon it was announced that the public was urgently asked to help in the search for missing 17-year-old Abigail Lawless.

On August 17, Abigail disappeared from her West Plains home in the middle of the night after her family fell asleep. Abigail’s family fears she may have traveled to Virginia with an unknown person she met online. Abigail is described as 5’9″ tall, weighs 165 pounds, and has brown eyes and brown hair.

Abigail’s mother, Leah Lawless, said the whole family had a nice dinner earlier in the evening and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She wants to stress that Abigail has never left home before and has not tried to contact family or friends since her disappearance, which is not like her at all. She hopes this message reaches her daughter: “We all love and miss you so much, please come home. We just need to know that you are OK and safe.”

To raise awareness of Abigail’s case, her poster will be featured on the Ring Neighbors app (https://vimeo.com/1001248039/4a58170f5e?share=copy) as part of a partnership between NCMEC and Ring. This feature reaches millions of users and provides real-time assistance in locating missing children.

If you have any information about Abigail or her disappearance, contact NCMEC at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) or the Howell County Sheriff’s Department at 417-256-2544.

Lawless Poster