State officials are taking a hard look at a Midtown Memphis treatment facility after nine teenagers walked away from the site in separate incidents this month. Seven of the youths were found after they left without permission on a recent Saturday, while two others had already been reported missing the prior Sunday.
State agencies have launched a review of how the facility operates, according to LocalMemphis. That outlet reports the teens left in two separate episodes, but all nine were tied to the same address.
Police Release Photos, 2 Teens Still Missing
Memphis police put out photos of the group and asked the public to help track them down, as reported by Action News 5. Authorities identified the two teens who are still unaccounted for as 15-year-old Emma Mustion and 17-year-old Mikeria Rutledge.
Seven of the nine were located on Sunday, and officers are still asking for tips from anyone who might know where the remaining two are. People with information are urged to call the MPD Missing Persons unit at 901-636-4479 or the department’s nonemergency line at 901-545-2677, according to WSMV. Investigators say all nine teens left from a facility in the 1100 block of Vance Avenue in Midtown.
Families Demand Answers After Repeat Escapes
This is not the first time someone has gone missing from that address. The escapes came on the heels of a disappearance reported the week before from the same facility, a pattern that has rattled relatives and neighbors and left them pressing for answers, Action News 5 reported.
Parents reached by local media described a tense stretch of waiting as police and state agencies worked to track the teenagers and confirm who was safe and who was still missing. For families who trusted the facility to keep their kids secure, it has been a nerve-racking test of patience and faith.
State Review Underway, Details Still Sparse
State officials told LocalMemphis that the review of the facility is ongoing. For now, agencies have not publicly spelled out how broad that probe will be or what consequences the facility could face.
Memphis police, meanwhile, are keeping the focus on finding the remaining teens. The department is again asking anyone with information to contact its Missing Persons unit or use the nonemergency line to share tips.
