A 16-year-old girl has been missing since Tuesday evening after she was last seen in the small Jackson County town of Lone Jack, climbing into what witnesses described as a light-colored truck, possibly a Nissan Frontier. Mylee Kranz stands 5 feet 2 inches tall, has brown hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, black shorts, and flip-flops. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward.
According to the Kansas City Star, Kranz was last seen at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Lone Jack area of southeast Jackson County. The sheriff's office reported her missing and is urging anyone with information to call 816-541-8017. Lone Jack had 1,492 residents in the 2020 census, according to Citizen Portal, and sits directly along U.S. Highway 50 — a corridor that connects the Kansas City metro area directly to Warrensburg and central Missouri.
A Vehicle Description in the Search
The vehicle was described as a light-colored truck, possibly a Nissan Frontier — a mid-size pickup built in two-door King Cab and four-door Crew Cab versions with a distinctive front grille, according to Nissan USA. Investigators have not said whether Kranz knew the driver or how the truck connects to her disappearance. That detail, along with the driver's identity, remains an open question in the case.
The area around Lone Jack includes significant public land that could factor into search efforts, including the Lone Jack Lake Conservation Area, a 295-acre stretch of woodlands, fields, and a 35-acre fishing lake, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Live traffic cameras are available on or near some regional roadways, including U.S. Highway 50, I-470, and Route 291.
How Missouri Handles Missing Juvenile Cases
Under Missouri Revised Statutes Section 43.401, law enforcement agencies that receive a missing child report are required to immediately enter the record into both the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System and the National Crime Information Center, according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Whether an Endangered Person Advisory or an AMBER Alert will be issued in Kranz's case remains unresolved.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is identified in Jackson County Government's online information. The office was also mentioned in Hoodline's earlier report on a body found in the county.
Kranz's Case Fits a Larger Pattern, With Room for Hope
Missouri law enforcement agencies record missing juvenile reports statewide, and missing children are eventually located safely. Statewide, the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Missing Persons Clearinghouse tracks open missing-person cases, including cases involving juveniles.
For now, investigators are relying on the public to help fill in the gaps in Kranz's case. Anyone with information on her whereabouts or the truck she was last seen in is asked to call the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.
