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| source: WTXL |
Lori Paige vanished on 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 did not return home.
Unlike most preteens and teens, Lori had a very small digital footprint. 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 in that 2024 report that that Lori's case was the only case she's worked involving a missing juvenile "who has been missing this long without any contact." As such, there were 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 (February 2024), Lori's family had 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."
In 2025, a major break was made in the case. Digital footprints from Lori's father, Andrew Wiley, led investigators to Merrily Plantation in Thomas County, Georgia. While searching the area, investigators found the remains of Lori Paige. Shortly after the discovery, Wiley was arrested and charged with his daughter's murder.
This case is currently unfolding, and updates are expected.
Rest in peace, Lori.
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Sources:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Tallahassee Democrat
Tallahassee-Thomasville WCTV
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