After an intense search that spanned into the morning, an 8-year-old Taylor girl who mysteriously vanished Wednesday night has been found safe, officials confirmed. The child, identified as Layken Stokes, had last been seen around 7:45 p.m. near the 5000 block of FM 973 in Taylor, leading authorities to believe she was in serious danger due to her remote location and challenging weather conditions.
Williamson County deputies were dispatched to quickly try to locate the missing girl shortly after she was reported missing at about 8:20 p.m., according to a report by FOX7 Austin. In the urgency of the moment, they called upon all available resources, including K9s and air support, in an effort to swiftly track her down. The search continued into the early hours of the following day with multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the painstaking operation.
By Thursday morning, still lacking concrete leads, the search for Stokes pressed on with renewed efforts, said officials. Air support was back on the scene, combing the vast swathes of land that the young girl could potentially be wandering lost.
Relief swept through Williamson County at just past 11 a.m. when deputies announced that Stokes had been located and was safe. Details surrounding the circumstances of her disappearance and how she was found have yet to be released by law enforcement. As information unfolds, the community holds its breath, hopeful to soon understand what led to such a troubling incident as reported by KVUE.
