Update: Jessica Shepherd, missing teen who texted "Call police," found safe

Update: All too often, stories about missing children or teens have unhappy endings. Thank goodness the story of Jessica Shepherd is an exception. A short time ago, the Johnstown Police Department revealed that Shepherd, sixteen, who was last seen Tuesday evening after sending messages urging a call to the cops,...

By Michael Roberts

January 24, 2013

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Update: All too often, stories about missing children or teens have unhappy endings. Thank goodness the story of Jessica Shepherd is an exception. A short time ago, the Johnstown Police Department revealed that Shepherd, sixteen, who was last seen Tuesday evening after sending messages urging a call to the cops, has been found safe. No details thus far beyond the most important one: She's no longer missing. Look below to see our previous coverage.

Original post, 5:57 a.m. January 24: As plenty of cynics have noticed, missing persons cases focused on attractive young women tend to get a lot more attention than ones involving people of any other description. But when it comes to Jessica Shepherd, a Johnstown teen last seen on Tuesday, there's a reason for urgency that goes beyond her photogenic nature. According to local authorities, her last message, sent via text and Facebook, read, "Call police."

Here's a flyer featuring two photos of Shepherd, age sixteen:

Shepherd's messages, sent around 8 p.m. on Tuesday from the 100 block of South Hayes in Johnstown, reportedly said she was with a man named "Dave" and she was frightened.

The listing for Shepherd on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website doesn't offer a description of "Dave," but it does mention that she may have been in the company of an "adult male."

A new Facebook page labeled Jessica Shepherd Missing Flyer Download notes that Johnstown police are currently following up on a couple of leads that came in last night. If you have any additional information about her whereabouts, you're encouraged to phone the department at 970-587-5555.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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