After vanishing over a year ago from her home in Gwinnett County, 17-year-old Asata Amun has been found safe in Tennessee, as reported on Monday by FOX 5 Atlanta. Asata had been missing since February 1, 2024, a day after being disciplined by school administrators, sparking concerns about her sudden disappearance. Gwinnett County police disclosed that Asata had been living under an alias in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services for several months before being identified.
Investigators in Tennessee began to piece together the puzzle when a case manager noticed inconsistencies in Asata's story, subsequently checking the missing children records from Georgia. "That was definitely great work on behalf of the Department of Family, Children's Services of Tennessee. That they were willing to look into it further and see what they could find out, that was really, really great," Sgt. Jennifer Richter of the Gwinnett Police Department's Special Victim's Unit stated, as obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. The teen will soon be transferred into the care of the Georgia Department of Family & Children Services, although it remains unclear if she will be returned to her father or mother, living in Connecticut.
Details surrounding Asata's journey from Georgia to Tennessee came to light in an exclusive interview with her mother, Jasmine Dominique, with Channel 2's Tom Jones. Fighting back shock, Dominique recounted how she "dropped the phone when I heard it. I couldn’t believe it." She described her daughter’s ordeal, noting that Asata "was in Atlanta when she left and she slept in the street until someone kind of helped her and got her on a bus to go where she needed to go to feel safe."
Police had previously searched Asata's home for clues, and at one point, Georgia’s Department of Family and Children’s Services removed her two sisters amid allegations of physical abuse by their father, an accusation he denies. Dominique noted that Asata had reported abuse as well. "I guess she had it in her mind that where she is going will be safer for her," Dominique told Channel 2. Asata's father was unreachable for comment on the matter.
Asata's case brings attention to the broader issue of missing youth in the area. According to Sgt. Richter, Gwinnett County receives between 400 to 450 reports of missing children annually, with most found within a couple of days. However, she told FOX 5 Atlanta, "we have about 11 this year that we still have outstanding, which is fairly low, but it is only March. And then we have about 19 from last year that we're still looking for." The Gwinnett County Police Department continues to seek information on missing individuals and encourages anyone with knowledge to contact them at 770-513-5480.
