The Disappearance of Lori Paige

source: WTXL

Lori Paige has been missing since June 3rd, 2023. The then-12-year-old girl was last seen in Tallahassee, Florida, on Continental Court near Ocala Road. Lori never returned home and has not been seen or heard from again. 

When Lori was first reported missing, investigators initially did not suspect foul play because, according to reports, "all signs pointed to a voluntary runaway." Lori had run away before, about a month prior to her June 2023 disappearance. It appears that she was only missing for a short amount of time after her first time running away. This time around, though, Lori has not returned home, and police have yet to find any sign of the young girl. 

Unlike most preteens and teens, Lori does not have any social media accounts - which makes it impossible for investigators to track down a digital footprint. Still, investigators believe that Lori was in contact with someone prior to her disappearance who might have helped her run away. A report on Lori's case from February 2024 states that friends helped her during her previous runaway. However, it does not appear that investigators have been able to identify anyone who helped Lori run away in June 2023. 

The Tallahassee Police Department investigated over 1,200 missing juvenile cases between the years of 2021 and 2023. As of February 2024, only seven of those cases are still open - Lori's being one of them. Tallahassee Police Detective Anna Lee Drake told reporters that Lori's case is the only case she's worked involving a missing juvenile "who has been missing this long without any contact." As such, there are increased concerns for Lori's safety and wellbeing.

There is very little information available about Lori's disappearance. The events on the day she left home are unknown. At the time of this posting, Lori's family has not publicly spoken about her disappearance. In fact, it appears that the only person who has spoken out is Margaret Summers - a teaching assistant from Lori's middle school. 

Summers has spread awareness about Lori's disappearance on social media and has spoken to reporters about the case. She also expressed that she does not believe Lori has stayed away for this long on her own. In February 2024, Summers told reporters, "I do not believe for a second that she’s sustaining herself. There’s adults who can’t even make it on their own."

The FBI is now involved in the search for Lori. Detectives from both the FBI and the Tallahassee Police Department have appealed to the public for anyone with information about Lori's disappearance to come forward. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip.

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Sources:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Tallahassee Democrat
Tallahassee-Thomasville WCTV