The case of Penelope "Penny" Wise, the 17-year-old Cedar Springs teen who had been missing since May 31, reached a new chapter on Sunday when she was found safe in Rockford. The Kent County Sheriff's Office received a tip from a community member who spotted Wise riding a bike, which led deputies to locate her at a residence in Rockford, as FOX 17 reported. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Wise had voluntarily left her family home after being seen on multiple local surveillance cameras.
Investigators subsequently discovered that Wise had been living with a 44-year-old man since the early hours of June 1. A statement obtained by WZZM 13 noted that the man was, initially, a stranger to Wise. Further details revealed by the investigation indicated the pair were engaged, a development that has added a complicated dimension to the case.
The search for Wise was an extensive collaboration between local authorities and federal agencies including the FBI and US Marshals. Over the course of the nearly two-month search, turns were taken through downtown Rockford and near locations Wise was last recorded by surveillance, like the Corner Bar, as detailed by WWMT.
Penny's parents, Mishael and David Wise, expressed their mix of relief and ongoing concern in a statement to WZZM 13. “It's surreal knowing that she's been found," Mishael Wise said, the parents have yet to lay eyes on their daughter post-discovery. David Wise shared that the family is "still processing the difficult weeks of not knowing where she was." While the discovery brings closure to her disappearance, the circumstances around Wise’s living situation and engagement have prompted further investigation, and she remains in the custody of authorities at this time.
