The Disappearance of Elizabeth Breck

Elizabeth Breck vanished from the Sierra Tucson rehabilitation center in Tucson, Arizona on January 13th, 2019. The 46-year-old checked into the facility three days earlier to complete a 30-day treatment for trauma. After being evaluated by the staff, it was determined that Elizabeth was not a threat to herself or others. As a result, she was admitted to the general living quarters - an area in the facility that is not locked down. Just hours later, Elizabeth vanished. She has never been seen or heard from again. 

Elizabeth was reportedly seen for the last time around 3:00 PM. At some point later that afternoon, staff discovered that she was missing. Elizabeth's medical bracelet and personal belongings were found in her assigned room. The only items missing were her ID card and some cash. Elizabeth's car remained in the facility's parking lot. However, Elizabeth herself was nowhere to be found. 

Since her disappearance, there has not been any activity on Elizabeth's credit cards. She also has not been in contact with any family members- including her 2 daughters - which is uncharacteristic of her. The rehabilitation facility reportedly told local investigators that Elizabeth left the building on her own volition and was not in crisis at the time of her disappearance. 

However, her family disagrees. Elizabeth's parents believe she was having a mental breakdown that played a role in her disappearance from the facility. The family has since filed a complaint against the facility. Her parents also claim that the facility has not provided any information about their daughter's disappearance and there is reportedly no known surveillance footage of Elizabeth exiting the building. 

Elizabeth's family members hired private investigators to help search for Elizabeth. A five-mile radius around the facility was thoroughly searched, but unfortunately nothing was found. The private investigators also received a few reported sightings, but none of them have panned out. Since then, very few clues have turned up.

Elizabeth's family members have set up a GoFundMe page to help them continue to pay for their private investigator. If you'd like to donate, please go here.  If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please call (520)-882-7463 to submit an anonymous tip. 

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Sources:
Arizona Daily Star
Charley Project
KGUN 9
News 4 Tucson

The Disappearance of Ilsy Puac-Alvarado

Ilsy Puac-Alvarado was only 15 years old when she vanished from her family's Newport News, Virginia home on September 25th, 2014. The teen girl was last seen by her mother, who reportedly left their home around 12:00 PM to run errands. When Ilsy's mother returned shortly before 4:00 PM, Ilsy was gone. 

Ilsy was approximately 8 months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Investigators later learned that Ilsy gave birth at a hospital in Harris County, Texas on October 28th, 2014 - over a month after she vanished. Said location is over 1,300 miles away from Ilsy's home in Virginia. It's unclear how Ilsy ended up there, and there are very few other details available about her case. 

Ilsy was classified as a runaway, and it is very likely that someone helped her travel to Texas. For years, there was not any additional information about Ilsy's case since investigators learned that she had given birth. Both Ilsy and her child remained missing for 10 years.

On November 30th, 2024, Missing People in America posted that Ilsy had been found. Ilsy's case was also removed from NAMUS and Charley Project. According to the MPIA post, "per PD she was found sometime over the last year." 

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Sources:
Charley Project
NamUs
Uncovered

List Series: Missing Person Cold Cases Classified as Runaways Vol. II

As stated in the original cold case runaway list, most runaway teenagers eventually return home. Statistics show that 77% percent return within one week, and approximately only 7% of teens are missing for longer than a month. (source) Therefore, concerns are always intensified for those teens who remain missing for prolonged periods of time. There are certain cases where authorities reclassify a case labeled as a runaway to an endangered missing person. However, there are still numerous cases in which the runaway classification is maintained--even if the person has been missing without a trace for a prolonged period of time. Below is a list of six more such cases that are still classified as runaways, despite the fact that they have been missing for years.

Nathaniel Holmes

Nathaniel Holmes has been missing since December 19th, 2017. The 17-year old was last seen at his high school in Westminster, Colorado. Nathaniel's mother dropped him off at school that morning, but he never attended his classes. Nathaniel instead went to the principal's office and asked to speak with a friend. The principal denied his request to call the friend out of class, and Nathaniel left the building after that. He called his mother and told her that he was going to a friend of his father's house and did not need to be picked up. Nathaniel has never been seen or heard from again.

Authorities believe Nathaniel left on his own accord. Still, Nathaniel's family members say that his disappearance is completely out of character. He left behind many personal items, including his iPad. It is unclear where Nathaniel was actually headed after he left his school. Investigators said that there is no evidence of foul play, but clues about what actually did happen have been far and few in between. [read more]

Kathy Pereira

Kathy Pereira was only 15 years-old when she vanished from her family's Gaithersburg, Maryland home on August 16th, 2015. Kathy had spent most of that summer visiting her grandparents in Portugal. She returned to her hometown in Maryland shortly before she vanished. On the morning of August 17th, 2015, Kathy's mother and brothers awoke to find that Kathy was missing. She has never been seen or heard from again. 

Kathy's family members are calling her disappearance completely out-of-character. The family had spent the day before her disappearance at the beach. After returning home, the family watched movies together before going to bed. According to Kathy's mother, there was nothing unusual about Kathy's behavior before her disappearance. Kathy did not do or say anything to indicate that she was planning to run away. In fact, Kathy was reportedly talking about her future plans to go to college before she went to bed on the night before her disappearance. Kathy's loved ones were left confused and worried when they awoke the following morning and noticed that Kathy was gone. 

Years have passed since Kathy's disappearance and she remains missing and classified as a runaway today. [read more]

Jamekia Sabb

Jamekia Sabb was 17 years-old when she vanished from her family's Charlotte, North Carolina home on November 22nd, 2013. It is believed that Jamekia left her family's Charlotte, North Carolina home on her own accord. As a result, she was labeled as a runaway by investigators, and all search efforts for the young girl were minimal at best. Additionally, there has been very little information about Jamekia's case in the media. Jamekia's loved ones initially had hope that she would return home safely. However, as the months turned into years without any sign of her, Jamekia's loved ones began to believe that she might have come to harm. 

Years have passed since Jamekia was last seen, yet she still maintains the runaway status. Her case remains unsolved. [read more] 

Shemika Cosey

Shemika Cosey has been missing since December 29th, 2008. The 16 year-old girl was spending the night at her aunt's house in Berkeley, Missouri prior to her disappearance. She was last seen at the house around 1:30am. Her aunt and cousins awoke the next morning around 8:30am to discover that Shemika was gone. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Police were called shortly after Shemika's family noticed that she was missing. When the police showed up at her aunt's house, they reportedly did not find any signs of a break-in--but they did notice that there was a door left unlocked. Police quickly came to the belief that Shemika left on her own accord--and as a result, they reportedly did not search for her. Shemika's mother has acknowledged that it is likely that Shemika did leave the house voluntarily--but she believes that she intended to return. Shemika left behind her overnight bag and many other personal belongings. Her family members do not believe that she would voluntarily leave home and drop out-of-touch. 

Over a decade has passed since Shemika's disappearance, yet she still remains classified as a runaway. Her family fears she may have been lured into sex trafficking. [read more]

Tiffany Reid

Tiffany Reid vanished at the age of 16 on May 17th, 2004. She was last seen while walking to her school in Shiprock, New Mexico. Tiffany never arrived at school and has never been seen or heard from again. 

After she vanished, a make-up bag and a number of clothing items were found scattered around the base of the Carrizo Mountains in Sweetwater, Arizona. At the time, that area was well-known as a place where teenagers would go to party. The make-up bag was eventually positively identified as Tiffany's, however investigators could not positively link the clothing to her.

Investigators have classified Tiffany as a runaway. They initially stated that she might still be in the Sweetwater area, or that she might have traveled to Mexico. However, over 15 years have passed without any trace of Tiffany--there have been no reported sightings of her since her disappearance. She remains missing today. [read more]

Laroya Bray

Laroya Bray was only 15 years old when she vanished on March 26th, 2003. She was last seen standing outside of the apartment building where she lived with her mother and her mother's fiancé in Los Angeles, California. Laroya never went back inside the apartment and has never been seen or heard from again.

Laroya's mother reported her missing to police on the evening she was discovered to be missing. Once police began investigating, they quickly announced that they believed that Laroya left on her own accord. She was subsequently classified as a runaway. Ever since, there has been very little news or information available about Laroya's case. 

It's unclear why investigators were so certain that Laroya left on her own accord. She remains at the runaway status today--despite the fact that nearly two decades have passed without any sign of her. [read more]

The Disappearance and Presumed Murder of Candice Shields

Candice Shields was last seen by her loved ones on the evening of December 10th, 2011. At the time, the 20-year-old woman was at her grandparents' home in Graham, Texas. The following morning, Candice's personal belongings were still at the house - but Candice herself was nowhere to be found. 

Candice was due to start a new job that day, but she never showed up. This worried Candice's family members, especially as days continued to pass without any word from her. She left behind a one-year-old son, which was uncharacteristic of her, and she was also pregnant with her second child. Candice's family finally reported her missing on December 15th, 2011.

Throughout the investigation, detectives learned that Candice had been in contact with her boyfriend, Jeremy Thornburg, shortly before her disappearance.

Candice with Jeremy Thornburg

Jeremy was the father of Candice's unborn child. The two had a rocky relationship--Jeremy reportedly believed that Candice was seeing other men - and Jeremy himself was seeing another woman named Lajuana Long. Lajuana was reportedly jealous of Candice and threatened her in the past. Both Jeremy and Lajuana became persons of interest early into the investigation, but both denied involvement in Candice's disappearance.

Lajuana Long

In February 2013 - over a year after Candice's disappearance - Jeremy was finally arrested and charged with Candice's murder. Just days later, Lajuana was arrested and charged with murder as well. The arrests came after forensic testing matched Candice's DNA to a blood stain found on a gun that detectives had seized from Jeremy. Additionally, cell phone records from Candice, Jeremy, and Lajuana confirmed that the three had been in contact and/or in close proximity to each other around the time of Candice's disappearance.

Lajuana eventually pleaded guilty to the murder charges and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. As part of her plea deal, Lajuana agreed to testify against Jeremy at his trial. During her testimony, she stated that Jeremy had asked Candice to meet up with him on the evening of her disappearance. The two then went to a field located between Graham and Breckenridge, where Jeremy shot Candice to death. 

Lajuana then testified that she had helped Jeremy pour bleach over Candice's body to destroy evidence. A detective who testified stated he believed that, after Jeremy shot Candice, he then called her cell phone so he could find it on her body. After finding it, he wiped the phone clean of certain messages and then returned it to Candice's grandparents' house. 

A jury convicted Jeremy of murder in October 2014. He was subsequently sent to life in prison. Though there have been several searches, Candice's body has still not been found. 

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Sources:
Charley Project
Find Case Law
News Channel 6, (2) (3) (4)

Fundraising Friday

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone celebrating today has a happy and healthy holiday.

This is the first post of a new installment I am adding to my blog. Each Friday, I will be posting 3-5 missing persons/murder cases that have currently active GoFundMe pages or other online fundraisers. Please consider supporting the families of missing persons by donating and/or sharing these stories! Also feel free to request cases to be added. 

The holidays can be a very tough time for the families of missing persons. Though these families may still gather to celebrate, they are constantly reminded that there is a loved one missing from the celebration--and that loved one's whereabouts are unknown. A special time of year often becomes devastating for these families--especially after years pass without any answers. We can support these families by donating to their causes.

Links to the fundraisers and full case write-ups are provided as well.

Mayushi Bhagat.

24 year-old student at the New York Institute of Technology who has been missing since May 2019. [fundraiser for family search efforts] [full case write up]

Jermain Charlo

23 year-old woman who vanished during the early-morning hours of June 16th, 2018 in Missoula, Missouri. [fundraiser for reward money] [full case write-up]

Chelsea Cobo

22 year-old young mother who vanished in Brooklyn, New York on May 7th, 2016. [fundraiser for investigative fees] [full case write-up]

Najah Ferrell

Young woman who vanished without a trace in Avon, Indiana during March 2019. In April 2019, her severed foot was found in a pond located over 100 miles away. [fundraiser to support her 2 sons] [full case write-up]

Katelin Akens

19 year-old who vanished while visiting family in Northern Virginia. She was due to fly back to Arizona on December 5th, 2015, but she disappeared beforehand. Ex-stepfather is the prime suspect. [fundraiser for investigative fees] [full case write-up]

Stay tuned for the next set of cases with active fundraisers, which will be posted next Friday! Please consider sharing these stories and/or donating. 

The Disappearance of Irma Mkrtchyan

Irma Mkrtchyan has been missing since January 19th, 2014. The 45 year-old woman was last seen near south Durango Drive and the West Desert Inn in Las Vegas. Prior to her disappearance, Irma was living in Vegas and working as a broker for Farmers Insurance. On the day she vanished, Irma met with a client at a local apartment complex called Allanza. Irma texted her boss after the meeting to say she had to miss work the next few days to attend her ex-husband’s aunt’s funeral in California. The ex-husband’s family later confirmed that was false—there was no family funeral in California.

Around the same time, Irma also texted her loved ones to say that she was going to California for a business trip (no mention of a funeral) and would return in a few days. She also said that she left her car at the Allanza apartment complex with the keys left in the gas tank cap and that she would return in a few days. Irma also mentioned that her phone was going to die since she left her phone charger at home. Her loved ones found this quite bizarre—it was very uncharacteristic for Irma to leave both her phone charger and her car behind. Ever since those messages, Irma has not been seen or heard from again.

The Allanza apartment complex 

According to her family, Irma was not romantically involved with anyone at the time of her disappearance—but she was still living with her ex-husband Ara Marutyan. The former couple had two children together: a daughter who was attending school in a separate state, and a son who was living with them and attending a local university. Irma and Ara divorced in 2007 after sixteen years of marriage, but Ara claims the split was amicable. However, Irma’s friends said that Irma had been brutally beaten by her ex-husband. Irma also told numerous people, including her own daughter, that she was afraid that Ara might try to kill her. When police questioned Ara and their son, Arthur, they claimed that Irma been talking to another man online, and they believed she had run off to the Baja California region of Mexico to be with him. Irma’s loved ones do not believe this is true. According to her brother, Irma would not leave her family behind—especially her mother, who had recently suffered a heart attack.

Ara Marutyan and Arthur

Officials investigating Irma’s case have suspicions about Ara as well. Police said they believe that Ara lied to them. He also failed a lie detector test issued after Irma’s disappearance. A private investigator believes that Armenian organized crime may have played a role in Irma’s disappearance, with identity theft being the main motive. Despite all of this, there have still not been any arrests in Irma’s case and she remains missing today. 

Both authorities and Irma’s family believe that foul play is involved in her disappearance. There is a $12,000 reward for information about Irma’s whereabouts—if you have a tip, please report it by calling 702-758-4727.

The Disappearance of Melissa Bohm

Melissa Bohm has reportedly been missing since February 2018. The 38-year-old woman last spoke to her family members on November 24th, 2017--but she continued to be active on Facebook up until February 9th, 2018. Melissa's final Facebook post occurred at 7:11pm that evening. The post included a picture of her dog, Lola, and an announcement that she had been approved for an apartment. After this post, Melissa seemingly vanished and has never been seen or heard from again.

Various reports state that Melissa had been living a transient lifestyle in the years leading up to her disappearance. Shortly before she vanished, though, Melissa had reportedly been living in an apartment in Portland, Oregon. However, Melissa's final Facebook post about getting approved for another apartment was believed to be in reference to an apartment in Seattle, Washington. It is unclear if Melissa actually traveled to Seattle after the Facebook post was made. There are very few details about the circumstances around Melissa's disappearance and very little information has been spread in the media.

Melissa's case is riddled with more questions than answers. It's unclear when, exactly, she vanished--but it appears that Melissa might have dropped out of sight shortly after her final Facebook post was made. She never replied to any of the comments on the post. Then, weeks after the post was made, a man claiming to be Melissa's ex-boyfriend commented. The comments from the ex-boyfriend appear to be positive on a surface level, but the subsequent replies to his comments suggest that there is much more to the story.

-Continued from Tumblr:

-- Her ex-boyfriend commented, "I miss you biskets please hit me up I live in tacoma off 66th and ferdinand I would love to see you." Just minutes later, he wrote another comment, stating, "I hope everything is going good for you and you found yourself again. I've never stopped loving you and am here for you if you need me. I opened my tile business again and things are lookin up. Give Lola a hug and kiss from her dad and please get a hold of me i miss love you two very much." 

When a person replied to question if the ex was still seeing Melissa, he replied, "No she yold (sic) everyone we broke up when I was in jail and she lost everything I owned including my car and I just came to realize she didnt love me at all. She just used me."

Another person replied to the ex-boyfriend's second comment, stating "I thought you were engaged to someone else you dork." The ex replied, "I am but I still care about Taylor I need to know if shes ok I've been hear some disturbing shit brother." There is no further elaboration on the "disturbing shit" that the ex reportedly heard and it's unclear if this information has ever been investigated by authorities. 

If the comments posted are true, it also appears that Melissa's reported ex-boyfriend got engaged to another person very shortly after their reported break-up-which raises questions about a potential love triangle. Additionally, the ex initially made these comments under the guise of being concerned about Melissa (who he seemingly refers to as Taylor in the above comment)--but the subsequent comments suggest that he might have more information about her disappearance. 

Months later, on September 22nd, 2018, Melissa's sister commented on the post to ask any of the previous commenters if they had seen or heard from Melissa. The comment did not receive any replies. In March 2019, Melissa's sister commented on a post made by the reported ex-boyfriend, asking him to reach out to her. Two months later, Melissa's stepmother made a similar comment. Neither woman received a reply to their comments. It's unclear if they were ever able to get in touch with him. 

Since then, there has seemingly been very little information about Melissa's disappearance in the mainstream media or on social media. Although Melissa was living in Oregon or Washington around the time of her disappearance, her page on the Charley Project states that authorities in Taunton, Massachusetts are investigating her disappearance. It's possible that Melissa has ties to that area through family or work, but there are no other reports that mention Taunton in regards to her disappearance. 

Melissa remains missing today. Her family continues to search for her. If you have any information about Melissa's whereabouts, please contact 508-824-7522.

[List Series: Unsolved Mysteries with Haunting Social Media Posts]

The Disappearance and Murder of Mike Williams

Mike Williams with his wife Denise Williams on their wedding day in 1994

Denise Merrell Williams (pictured right) had been married to her husband Mike Williams (pictured left) for 6 years when Mike disappeared on December 16th, 2000. According to Denise, Mike left their Tallahassee, Florida home that morning to go duck hunting on Lake Seminole. When he still was not home around 12pm, Denise and her father drove over to the lake to look for him. There, they found Mike’s car parked near a remote boat landing on the lake, but Mike was nowhere to be found. Authorities were alerted and a search and rescue team began their search shortly thereafter. During that search, Mike’s boat was found abandoned around a cove not far from the boat landing. After this discovery, it was believed that Mike had fallen off his boat and drowned.

However, as time went on and Mike’s body never surfaced, people began to question that theory. There had previously been around 80 known drowning deaths at Lake Seminole, and each person’s body had eventually been found after they floated to the surface. Mike’s body never surfaced, so it was theorized that he might have possibly been dismembered and hidden by alligators. Although there was no concrete evidence of this, Mike was declared dead 6 months after his disappearance. Denise collected her deceased husband’s insurance policy, for which she received $1.5 million. She later went on to marry her husband’s best friend, Brian Winchester (pictured below).

Brian Winchester

Brian and Denise eventually separated in 2012. Denise filed for divorce in 2015. Brian objected, but was ordered by the court to comply. On August 5th, 2016, as Denise went to drive to her job at a university, she noticed that Brian had snuck into the backseat of her car. He held her at gunpoint and ordered her to drive around. He eventually told her that he had no intentions of killing her, however he threatened to kill himself if she went through with the divorce. After he calmed down, Denise drove him back to where his own car was parked and dropped him off. She promised him that she would not tell the police, but did so anyways immediately after dropping him off. 

Denise reporting the kidnapping to detectives

Police arrested Brian and interviewed various people known to him. One friend in particular told the police that Brian was concerned that Denise might tell the police the truth about “a guy who had died 15 or so years ago.” Eventually, though, Brian revealed the truth himself.

In October 2017, Mike’s remains were found buried six feet under mud and waste near the boat landing. Authorities did not immediately comment on how exactly he died, but they said he did not drown or get eaten by alligators–he was murdered. At that time, they did not announce any suspects or persons of interest in the case. In December 2017, Brian was sentenced to 20 years for kidnapping Denise. Then, five months later, on May 8th, 2018, Denise was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and accessory after the fact. Brian, who was already in jail for the kidnapping, had apparently confessed to their involvement in Mike’s case.

After Denise's arrest, more information about Mike's disappearance and death came to light. After being offered immunity in the case, Brian confessed to his involvement in Mike’s murder and implicated Denise in the process. Brian told investigators that he and Denise had been having an affair since 1997. Both were cheating on their respective spouses, but claimed they had fallen in love for one another and wanted to be together. Denise, however, refused to get a divorce due to appearances. She didn’t want anyone to think she didn’t have a perfect life and marriage. According to Brian, the two decided that the only way they could be together was if Mike died. Mike’s death would benefit the two financially as well; Brian had recently convinced Mike to buy a hefty life insurance policy that Denise could collect following his death. Brian and Denise came up with the plan for Brian to take Mike duck hunting. Brian would push Mike into the water while Mike was wearing waders that would cause him to sink and subsequently drown. They decided this would take place on December 16th, 2000.

Things did not go according to plan. Brian told investigators: “I got him to stand up and I pushed him into the water – he, he got his jacket off and his waders off and he was in a panic, obviously. I was in a panic. I was driving the boat –and I didn’t know what to do – and I ended up shooting him.” Brian then retrieved Mike’s body from the water and later buried him in the waste near the boat landing.

Brian apparently never told Denise the truth about what really happened to Mike, and Denise never wanted to know. After Brian and Denise’s marriage fell apart, Denise still promised that she would never reveal their involvement in Mike’s death. Even after Brian was charged with kidnapping her, Denise still kept that promise. Brian, however, did not. While in custody for the kidnapping, Brian was questioned about Mike’s disappearance and ultimately offered immunity for the truth about what really happened to him. Brian confessed, which subsequently led to Denise’s arrest. 

Denise went to trial in December 2018. Almost 18 years to the day of Mike’s murder, Denise was found guilty for her role in his death. A Florida jury deliberated for around 8 hours before reaching a verdict, however they all unanimously convicted Denise for plotting to kill her husband with Brian Winchester. She was sentenced to life in prison.

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UPDATE: In November 2020, the appeals court overturned Denise's first-degree murder conviction. The court ruled that "the state did not produce "competent" and "substantial" evidence to prove that Denise Williams was a principal to murder under state law." However, Denise still remains behind bars on a 30 year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder. 

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Lists including this case:
[Accomplice Confessions]

[Dangerous Duos]

[Friendships Turned Fatal]

[Initial Theories Gone Wrong]

The Disappearance of Jamekia Sabb

The last known image of Jamekia Sabb.

The 17 year-old girl posted the above image to her Facebook page on November 20th, 2013. Two days later, Jamekia vanished. She has never been seen or heard from again.

It is believed that Jamekia left her family's Charlotte, North Carolina home on her own accord. She was labeled as a runaway by investigators, and all search efforts for the young girl were minimal at best. Additionally, there has been very little information about Jamekia's case in the media. Jamekia's loved ones initially had hope that she would return home safely. However, as the months turned into years without any sign of her, Jamekia's loved ones began to believe that she might have come to harm. 

In 2019, a petition related to Jamekia's case was created on Change.org. The petition's purpose is to bring more attention to her disappearance and to appeal to investigators to take a fresh look at the case. The petition's creator also appealed to friends of Jamekia, writing "[Jamekia's] friends were just teenagers at the time of her disappearance, 6 years is enough time to mature and realize the importance of giving even the smallest piece of information to the investigators. Requestioning the same individuals as well as new individuals is vital. Someone knows something or seen something. She did not just vanish." 

Jamekia remains missing today. If you'd like to sign the petition to bring more attention to her case, please go here.  Additionally, if you have any information that could lead to Jamekia's whereabouts, please go here to submit an anonymous tip.

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[Missing Person Cold Cases Classified as Runaways Vol. II]