The search for 23-year-old Ashanti Allen, an eight-months-pregnant Houston woman whose disappearance gripped her family and volunteers for days, ended in heartbreak on Thursday when searchers found her body in a southwest Houston park.
Volunteer teams and organized crews had spent multiple days combing nearby greenways and wooded areas before discovering Allen, bringing a grim conclusion to an effort that had rapidly grown into a community-wide concern.
According to Click2Houston, Allen had been missing since April 8 and was officially reported missing on April 10, when relatives realized they could not reach her. She was last seen leaving an apartment complex in the 8700 block of Main Street. Investigators ultimately tracked her down using her cellphone, which was found with her body on Chimney Rock, the outlet reported.
Search Teams And Community Response
As concern grew with each passing day, volunteers with Texas EquuSearch established a command post near Buffalo Speedway and Airport Boulevard and widened their search to parks, brush, and surrounding green space, according to Us Weekly. The nonprofit put up a $5,000 reward for information, while crews and family members continued to push for any lead that might bring Allen home.
Family’s Plea And Items Left Behind
Allen’s mother, Trisa Gaines Colbert, told investigators she received a troubling text from her daughter’s phone that read, “I’m leaving and never coming back,” according to Click2Houston. That message only deepened fears when family members later found baby clothes and a hospital bag still inside Allen’s apartment.
Relatives said Allen had recently been relying on a wheelchair after fainting during her pregnancy. They also reported that a white Lincoln SUV was missing at the time she vanished.
What Investigators Say And How To Help
Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller told Us Weekly that there was “no evidence of foul play and no evidence [she] left on her own,” though investigators have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding Allen’s death.
Authorities are still asking for the public’s help. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Houston Police Department at (832) 394-1840 or Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500.
