Found Alive UT - Madelyn Allen, 19, seen leaving Snow College dorm, Ephraim, 13 Dec 2021

[minneolo]

Wanted to say...young adults brains aren't fully developed and they can do things that seem completely out of character or really impulsive.

I'm thinking of the case of V.B, a 19-year-old college student who disappeared from Sacramento in Oct. 2020. Similar to this case, she was in college, attended church regularly, and was close to her family.

I also thought of the VB case. I was SO thrilled when VB contacted her family (after… at least 30 days away, as I recall).

I hope Madelyn also returns to her family so this case can also be one of WS’s happy endings threads.

A few thoughts (all my own opinions, of course):
+ My best guess at the items in her bag were: dinner, book / study materials, sweatshirt. I think she was headed somewhere she believed to be very temporary
+ I agree it appears she was looking to the right in the security video (perhaps towards a waiting vehicle)
+ It seems that Snow College provides a rather sheltered / insular experience. I wonder if Madelyn utilized her phone and web connections as a way to explore life outside (e.g., Kik, TikTok, discord, etc)?
+ Given that her family is reporting they believe she is experiencing a mental health crisis, I wonder what initiated it. Grades / school stress? Questioning her faith / LDS culture (there is a LOT of “ex-mo” / “ex-vangelical” / “deconstructing faith” content on TikTok these days…)? Something else?


I hope she is found today!

 

[chihuahua]

I've been following and sharing.
Hoping she's found safe very soon.
Chi

 

[GraceG]

The local police have already brought in the FBI and it's only been 3 days. Not sure if I've seen that happen on a case like this before.

The police may call the FBI in quite early if they have evidence that they do not have the means to process or analyze quickly and/or locally. Sometimes the FBI is just there to offer such resources as opposed to assuming a major role in the investigation. An FBI lab can get results WAY quicker than local LE in the majority of cases.

 

[Greenbouncyball]

The police may call the FBI in quite early if they have evidence that they do not have the means to process pr analyze quickly and/or locally. Sometimes the FBI is just there to offer such resources as opposed to assuming a major role in the investigation. An FBI lab can get results WAY quicker than local LE in the majority of cases.

The college's campus police department is not large, and the city police / county sheriff's offices are not much larger. For context, a year or two ago the main ambulance in town was hit by a drunk driver. (Who's going to rescue you if you hit the ambulance? Not a thinker, that driver.) There was an amused discussion in the community about whether they would just use the Search and Rescue Bronco (like OJ's) until it got fixed. (I think ultimately the nearby towns all pooled their ambulances, and the issue was quickly resolved.)

I'm glad that the Snow College police didn't try to take this all on themselves, and hopefully the FBI can provide this case with the support necessary to find Madelyn.

 

[kjsemerald]

The comments she made on quora about additional piercings being against the LDS teachings made me wonder if she is struggling with her faith. If you look up exmormon on tik tok or reddit you will find many young (and old) people who have been deconstructing, and read about how difficult it is in Utah, especially when the family is devout. This is not meant as a criticism of the faith or the family who obviously love their daughter very much. Just a possibility of what may be troubling Madelyn.

 

[MinnyPin]

The comments she made on quora about additional piercings being against the LDS teachings made me wonder if she is struggling with her faith. If you look up exmormon on tik tok or reddit you will find many young (and old) people who have been deconstructing, and read about how difficult it is in Utah, especially when the family is devout. This is not meant as a criticism of the faith or the family who obviously love their daughter very much. Just a possibility of what may be troubling Madelyn.

My thoughts exactly. There is an in person group about this that meets in Payson, UT. I think that’s close?

https://www.mormonspectrum.org/msip-map-directory

 

[RememberingRyan]

As someone who was born and raised in the covenant and eventually left the church (which I fill heartedly now recognize to be a mainstreamed cult), I sincerely hope she finally found a way out and just needs time to sort her thoughts before notifying others that she is safe. But the unfortunate reality is that there are legitimate threats people raised in Mormonism face, including severe depression resulting in suicide attempts and being victimized by people who prey on naivety and compliant personalities. All of this is MOO but there are so many directions this could go as a result of the religious culture alone. Add in the possibilities of a car accident or running away to be with someone or a medical event and it’s really difficult to even know where to start on this one. Being LDS doesn’t automatically mean that her disappearance has anything at all to do with religion or the harms it does, but I also think it is very difficult to rule it out without knowing if she confided in someone or had profiles in our exmo communities. I’ve been reading through the last few months of posts in several of my groups on different platforms but I don’t see anything that stands out as being from an account that could be hers or allude to her situation.

 

[LadyL]

I am local to the area, and this is really weird. Ephraim is a very small, one-stoplight town 40 minutes from the nearest freeway. There are no Ubers/Lyft type services here. There are no scooter rentals here. There are no bars in Ephraim, either. There is not a lot of crime here, besides normal student vandalism type things. The biggest tragedy this year was a student who died because he and friends were riding in an open car trunk and the student fell out onto the road. From what students are saying on the internal college app message board, she did not have a car. (That's pretty common for students who are from Utah, especially freshman.) It snowed on the night of the 14th, but the 13th was clear. I can provide other town context if people need it.

thank you for your local insight - what's the population there?

 

[LadyL]

If this is her Quora profile (includes questions about earrings and being LDS, which fits her 25 things video), it has some concerning recent activity.
https://www.quora.com/profile/Madelyn-Allen-5/log

omg!!!

 

[wnk]

Update on the college's website (LINK)

"December 17, 2021, (4:00 PM): Investigators continue to explore all leads in the Madelyn Allen case. Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies are meeting regularly to coordinate efforts. Police continue to ask the public for help and tips with finding Maddie. Finding Maddie remains the primary goal. Evidence suggests Madelyn has left the Ephraim area. She did not have access to a car nor does she have a driver’s license and would not be able to travel on her own. Madelyn’s current mental state, as shared by her family in the press conference on December 16, amplify the concern and urgency in finding Maddie."​

IMO, the "evidence" could likely be phone pings. I wish they'd state where they do think she might have gone or verify the rumors about the pings being in the Wayne County / Loa area.

 

[annpats]

She mentions in Quora about online abuse, and that strangers are posting photos of her on Kik.

Where are these people getting the photos of her to start with?

Are they photos she has secretly sent to people?

I don't think it can be anyone in the college, as that could be sorted out ASAP and by the college itself, via student disaplinaries.

I'm wondering if she has been in contact with people outside of her Mormon life, and has unfortunately been groomed online?

Or the photo abuse has turned into blackmail?

 

[annpats]

Update on the college's website (LINK)

Evidence suggests Madelyn has left the Ephraim area. She did not have access to a car​

Well, obviously she DID have access to a car!

Now to find out whose car!​

 

[Gobstopper]

It still bugs me as to what she had in that bag. UGH

It looks like she had her phone in her hand. MOO

 

[Turkeytrot]

Evidence suggests missing student Maddie Allen left Ephraim area, police say

It would be helpful to know if they have any idea where she may be now, or just that they know she's no longer local.

 

[Gobstopper]

If she was abducted I'm surprised LE could ping her phone. MOO

 

[MassGuy]

I just hope law enforcement has been able to obtain warrants for her cell phone, any bank accounts, social media, and any other devices.

We've seen them struggle with delays in past cases, as they need the proper legal authority in order to pursue these avenues.

 

[swanniee11]

It looks like she had her phone in her hand. MOO

Yes, I see now with the new pictures the bag had more in it then I thought. Phone in hand.

 

[Steve McQueen]

I'm hoping for a good outcome in this case. Maybe she is questioning the constraints of an LDS life and has taken up with a like minded young person. If so she is probably afraid to confront her parents and she and her friend are hiding out somewhere, trying to find their way. The fact that her phone is apparently still pinging is a good sign. I think she will eventually be found safe and sound. MOO

 

[whitelilac]

I just hope law enforcement has been able to obtain warrants for her cell phone, any bank accounts, social media, and any other devices.

We've seen them struggle with delays in past cases, as they need the proper legal authority in order to pursue these avenues.

I believe they have obtained cell phone records, quite quickly, possibly because the FBI was brought in on the 3rd day. At the PC, the sheriff stated that they are not disclosing the messages, so they have those. They have also investigated surveillance in a place called Loa. It was said, I can't remember where, that the last phone ping was in Wayne County.

 

[Greenbouncyball]

thank you for your local insight - what's the population there?

Ephraim is a rural college town. The student population is in the low-to-mid four digits, and to me the town feels like the population about doubles when the college is in session (but I don't know the exact numbers.) The college is the largest employer. When combined, other government agencies (Forest Service, City Gov, a jail and a prison) are probably the second largest employer, followed by healthcare. There are also a lot of ranchers, tradesmen, and seed distribution companies. The town has a Walmart and some other restaurants/coffee shops/etc. There's also some small manufacturing businesses and call centers. A new LDS temple and a new hospital are both in the works, as well. The majority of the town are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) but there are a couple of other denominations with churches in Ephraim and the nearby towns, and at least some of the college employees are pretty openly secular. Ephraim sits at the foot of the Manti LaSal Mountains, and there are a lot of outdoor activities (mountain biking, ATVs, backcountry skiing, fishing, etc.) Thanks to covid and remote-work, the town has grown a fair amount in the last two years. Everyone is Ephraim is rooting for Maddie. I hope that we as a community get the chance to welcome her back with open arms. It doesn't matter why she left (faith crisis, mental health, something entirely different) we all want her safe.