Sophie Reeder, then 15, was seen on camera in the middle of the night after leaving home in 2017
Credit: NamUs
NEED TO KNOW
- Sophie Reeder had not been seen since May 20, 2017 after she left home in Florida
- Almost 10 years following her disappearance, Fort Lauderdale police sought the help of psychics in the cold case
- While open to the move, Sophie’s family told news outlets that there are other methods the police could have used in finding their loved one
Florida authorities have taken an unusual step in their efforts to find a girl who vanished nine years ago, while her family recently launched a nonprofit.
Sophie Reeder, then 15, was last seen leaving her home in Fort Lauderdale on May 20, 2017, according to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
In an interview marking the ninth anniversary of her disappearance, Sophie’s father, Patrick Reeder, told NBC’s Dateline that he saw his daughter hours earlier, on the evening of May 19, before she retreated to her bedroom around 11 p.m. local time.
“She was pacing up and down the house. From the front to the back, front to the back,” Patrick said. “And I said, ‘Sophie, go to bed…it’s getting late.’ ”
A security camera later recorded Sophie walking along Fort Lauderdale’s Davie Boulevard at approximately 2:52 a.m. the following morning.
According to a 2017 police affidavit and application for a search warrant shared with PEOPLE, Sophie’s phone records and Gmail account showed that her last known location was at a residence about two miles away.
The affidavit stated Leonard Jennings, a convicted felon, was listed as living there.
According to the affidavit, Sophie made a phone call to Jennings at approximately 3:07 a.m., as she arrived at the residence. Google location service on Sophie’s phone remained active until 9:13 a.m., after which the device ceased having cellular connection. That indicated that the phone was either turned off or its location services were disabled or destroyed.
Speaking with CNN for a story published earlier this month, a police spokesperson said that Sophie may have had contact with Jennings on the night she vanished.
In a statement to PEOPLE, police said that detectives have spoken with Jennings and members of his family who were living at the residence around the time Sophie disappeared and that searches were also conducted.
“Leonard Jennings is not currently a suspect in Sophie’s case,” police said, “however, he remains a person of interest as detectives question his involvement in her disappearance.”
At the time of her disappearance, a reward of $25,000 for information was offered by authorities, a number that has not changed in the years since.
Almost a decade later, police are now turning to psychic profilers for help.
“Traditionally, FLPD does not consult anyone outside of law enforcement on ongoing criminal cases,” a police spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement. “However, in Sophie’s case, our department is willing to try new and unique approaches for any chance at uncovering new information regarding her disappearance.”
When asked by PEOPLE about whether the consultations had yielded any results, police said, “if there was any new information regarding the investigation into Sophie’s disappearance, it would be shared with the family first.”
“Detectives are actively evaluating the information provided during a recent conversation with a psychic to determine if there’s anything that may assist the investigation,” police added, noting that they spoke with Sophie’s family members about the case as recently as last week.
As for the family’s reaction about the police’s use of psychics, it’s mixed at best.
Sophie’s aunt, Kirsten Milhorn, called the move a “misallocation of resources,” according to CNN, while Sophie’s dad said “there’s a lot of other things they could do” instead, including offering a larger reward for information.
“It’s encouraging that they want to do something, but I would like to see a track record or success stories,” he said while speaking with the Miami Herald last month, when news that the police were consulting psychics was first announced.
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Milhorn told PEOPLE in a statement that police “dropped the ball on Sophie’s case 9 years ago. It is time for them to do their jobs and get our family some answers.”
“We deserve transparency, consistent communication, and real investigative work,” she added. “Most importantly, Sophie deserves answers.”
In response to her comments, police told PEOPLE they’re “sad to hear this feedback from Sophie’s family and encourage them to contact us anytime to address their questions and concerns.”
As the family’s quest for answers continues, they used the 9th anniversary to launch a nonprofit in Sophie’s honor.
Searching her room after she vanished, authorities found a single candle burning and a bag containing $300, according to Dateline. Patrick said he had no idea where the money came from since Sophie never received a large allowance or had a job.
“To our family, those details make it clear that Sophie intended to come back home and wasn’t a runaway as reported,” Milhorn told PEOPLE.
The family used the $300 to start Sophie’s Light, a non-profit foundation to develop a digital safety curriculum for schools. Milhorn, an elementary school teacher, said she has seen how much of children’s lives take place online and feels they should know how to protect themselves.
Over the course of their investigation, authorities discovered evidence that Sophie had visited sugar daddy websites and had been talking to someone who had possible links to sex trafficking, Dateline reported. But officials cannot confirm whether the teen had met anyone from those websites or if the person with the alleged trafficking connection had something to do with her disappearance.
“Sophie was talking with people online the night she went missing,” Milhorn said. “I am creating an online safety curriculum for schools that will help children recognize risks, feel safe, informed and empowered online. Sophie’s Light Foundation is my way of honoring Sophie and helping create a safer future for the next generation.”
Those with information that could help authorities find Sophie can call 954-828-6677 or email sophietips@fortlauderdale.gov.
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