Found Safe TN - Daphne Westbrook, 16, & dog, Chattanooga, kidnapped, 6 Oct 2019 *endangered*

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MAY 28, updated MAY 29, 2021
Florida Amber Alert canceled after Tennessee teen missing since 2019 found safe (news4jax.com)
[...]

... She had her dog and several cellphones, including one registered to an address outside of Kansas City, the DA said.

The DA said she was not cooperative with investigators after she was pulled over. She has hired an attorney and showed no interest in talking with her mother on the phone.

[...]

“She was very careful not to say she was with him,” said Kerry Clewell, special projects investigators for Hamilton County. “She did say when she turned 18, ‘I went to my dad and said I need money, I need a car and I want to get out of here,’”

[...]

In the video below, Clewell says she was pulled over because she didn't have a tag light and said she was coming from New Mexico.

 
Daphne has posted on her Facebook page:

Daphne Westbrook

Text: Hello everyone thanks for your concern but I am and have been a-okay! My dog's name is Frank btw and he must be contained or he'll chew the hotel couch so don't feel bad for him!!

Video: "Hello it's Daphne and in case you wanted evidence that it's me to anyone who doesn't believe...'cause I saw people responding on the post I just put up not thinking it was me...so, don't know what that's about but as you can see I am in a <unintelligible>."
 
modesty blaise said:
Makes sense, the keeping her drugged up claims sounded quite bizzare.
Click to expand...

Bizarre, yes, but it did get nationwide coverage and Nancy Grace even picked up the story.

It may have something to do with the 'investigator' the Hamilton County DA assigned to Daphne Westbrook's case.
Kerry Clewell (the 'investigator') is the recently hired brother-in-law of the Hamilton County DA.
Clewell has no training as an investigator and little to no experience in criminal investigation.
He is listed as a secretary in personnel records but the DA's office calls him an investigator.
MOO
Hamilton County DA's brother-in-law acted as investigator on high profile case
 
rkendmar said:
Daphne has posted on her Facebook page:

Daphne Westbrook

Text: Hello everyone thanks for your concern but I am and have been a-okay! My dog's name is Frank btw and he must be contained or he'll chew the hotel couch so don't feel bad for him!!

Video: "Hello it's Daphne and in case you wanted evidence that it's me to anyone who doesn't believe...'cause I saw people responding on the post I just put up not thinking it was me...so, don't know what that's about but as you can see I am in a <unintelligible>."
Click to expand...

pretty much all of her Facebook friends are Westbrook’s. I really feel like there is so much more to this story and that there’s a lot we don’t know about her relationship with her mom. Jmo
 
bears10 said:
pretty much all of her Facebook friends are Westbrook’s. I really feel like there is so much more to this story and that there’s a lot we don’t know about her relationship with her mom. Jmo
Click to expand...

IMO Daphne's decision to leave had to do with her relationship with her mother and new stepfather as well as the fact that her father was going to be moving out of state in the near future.
MOO
 
bykerladi said:
But even so, the answer wasnt to take her and run away. The answer was to go back to court or at least let LE know where she was.
Click to expand...

Perhaps she insisted she didn't want to go back. Some parents will do anything for their children. Now that she is speaking out, some truths are coming to light and from Daphne's standpoint, sounds just like troublesome relations with mom's home. Family matters that need to be worked out.
Most important thing is that she's been found safe and IMO, probably has been well taken care of.

She's 18 and can now venture out on her own without legally having to go back home... IMO, this was her dad's role.
 
Interesting case. If a mom disappeared with a child to "keep them safe" from dad, they would be hailed a hero. I don't like running away, but sometimes the legal route is tough - especially for dads. The mom knew Daphne was alive, just didn't want her with dad. We don't know the specifics, but there is definitely two sides to every story - and sometimes three! I don't agree with a father that allows underage drinking, but letting her drink and smoke pot is much different than drugging her up. I can tell you that kids are hard in a divorce situation. I know that they often play the parents against each other. I wish the parents could just talk and work something out that is in the best interest of the child. No alienating behavior, talk through things and figure out a schedule/situation that works best for the child.
 
My suspicion has always been parental alienation. If one parent allows a child to drop out of school and the other doesn't, that is the perfect storm. That is such a core child rearing issue that there is no in between.

If she didn't feel safe or comfortable around stepdad, then that is a huge issue also. That is Mom's responsibility to resolve with communication, including family therapy as necessary, to make her child feel safe and comfortable. Not saying this is an issue but it has been alluded to.

Totally agree this young lady is immature and ignorant. But that's what happens when you think school isn't cool. Some people only learn by failure.
 
JUN 3, 2021
Formerly missing Tennessee teenager found in Alabama: 'I was not kidnapped' | WBMA (abc3340.com)
[...]

Daphne took to Facebook on Saturday and denied she was ever kidnapped.

“I was not kidnapped!!!! I just ran away from home, chill out people and leave my family alone!” Daphne appeared to write in the Facebook post.

She later posted a video of herself, with her dog, saying “in case you wanted evidence that it’s me,” after some people questioned whether the initial post had been made by the 18-year-old.

[...]
 
pizzaman12 said:
How did this case just go away? I get she's allowed to go about her life now but JW is still a wanted fugitive? I haven't seen any updates. Did I miss anything?
Click to expand...
I guess the case "went away" when she was found safe. It's not clear that JW is still a wanted fugitive. However, the state of California considers him as missing so you could perhaps start a new thread on just him. John Oliver Westbrook
 
Curious_in_NC said:
I guess the case "went away" when she was found safe. It's not clear that JW is still a wanted fugitive. However, the state of California considers him as missing so you could perhaps start a new thread on just him. John Oliver Westbrook
Click to expand...

I wasn't referring to a WS case. It was literally a nationwide manhunt. She shows up and they stop looking for him? Like robbing a bank, having them search for you and give up when you decide to just return the money. Not how it works.
 
pizzaman12 said:
I wasn't referring to a WS case. It was literally a nationwide manhunt. She shows up and they stop looking for him? Like robbing a bank, having them search for you and give up when you decide to just return the money. Not how it works.
Click to expand...

The allegations were that he kidnapped her and drugged her. If LE located her and she said that was false, she wasn't kidnapped and drugged, I think LE might file this away as one of the many, many nasty custody disputes that happen every day in this country. If there's no evidence of a crime it is not going to be a top priority for LE. Finding and evaluating the victim would be the reason for the nationwide manhunt.
 
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