Hi all, I joined WS about a month ago, but have never posted. I have read all the TOS & help boards, but please let me know if I'm doing anything wrong
Anyway, I'm not sure how helpful this is, but I was born & raised in Morgantown, WV (of which Star City is part) and I went to the same high school as the missing girl. The town is the home of WVU which is a very well known "party school." I was in the "popular" crowd at University High, and while drinking and marijuana were very widely used, it was never a school with a large number of students using heavy drugs. High school students in Morgantown regularly go to college night clubs and party in wooded areas on small roads on the outskirts of town.
At first, I had the same question as No Stone Unturned, "why only an hour?" However, given what she was wearing, it doesn't sound like she was going to a party or a club or to meet a boy. Flip flops are not a good choice for a party in the woods, and they aren't allowed in a lot of the clubs/bars in town. Also, if she was meeting a boy, I assume it's someone she liked but wasn't in a relationship with (as no boyfriend was mentioned). If a 16y/o is going to go to the trouble of sneaking out to meet a boy, she's probably going to put more effort into an outfit.
From the posts on her Twitter feed, it sounds like she was going through something and maybe just wanted to talk with a friend, drive around, etc. Either way, I think the friend is the major key here. In one of the first articles it said the friends were not being helpful, which is very disconcerting.
Concerning the publicity of her disappearance, WVU is the major source of income for Morgantown (along with the liquid generics company Mylan Pharm.). Crime is not something that is widely publicized as the town likes to present a "clean & wholesome" image to prospective students. Unfortunately, I am not surprised by the lack of coverage. There are no TV stations in Morgantown, and the town newspaper the Dominion Post is not the type of hard hitting journalism you see in other cities.
As always, you guys are amazing, and I hope we can get some information soon. I know this is a cliche, but things like this just don't happen at my old high school, and I hope the family gets Skyler back safe.