MI MI - Amber Arnett, 39, last seen on video at the Dollar Tree in Logan Square, Lansing, 25 Jun 2023

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LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — One year ago, Amber Arnett, then 39, was last seen on video at the Dollar Tree in Logan Square. Then she vanished without a trace.

Family and friends have worked to keep Arnett’s face in public awareness — from flyers to yard signs to social media posts. But the 5 foot 4 inch and 150-pound woman has not been found.

Lansing Police Department has an ongoing investigation, but officials are tightlipped.

Family and friends will hold a rally for Arnett on Tuesday in Logan Square at 6:30 p.m. Luminaries will be lit for her and a balloon release is scheduled for 7 pm.
amberarnett.png

 

Marty told Dateline she had expected her daughter to be home on June 25.

However, June 25th came and went, and there was no sign of Amber.

Marty told Dateline that in the months prior to her disappearance, Amber had gotten in trouble and lost her job. She had a court date in the matter scheduled for July 13, 2023.

According to Marty, Amber said she was coming home to Lansing for a few days in June because she did not feel safe where she was staying, but never elaborated on why.

Marty said the friend Amber had been staying with told her that Amber left Leslie to head home on June 22 and she hadn’t heard from her since.

Amber was last seen at a Dollar Tree on S. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Lansing, Michigan on June 25, 2023 around 2:00 p.m.

Marty told Dateline that she gained access to her daughter’s Facebook account, which indicates that Amber went to visit a friend that evening in a neighborhood just blocks away from Marty’s home.
 

Marty’s been working with Lansing Police for nearly a year, but said there has been no real leads. “They are working on things. Of course, I want things yesterday and they can’t do that.”

“They have a process they have to follow.”

She turned to social media and started a Facebook group called: Help us Find Amber.
 

Police traced Amber's last location to Logan square (Dollar Tree).

“This is the last place police can confirm,” Marty said. “We know she was elsewhere in the day, but police can’t confirm that.”
 
Hey, I'm in that story
“They are not alone, we provide support to families literally every day,” said Nina Innsted with Missing in Michigan, ❤️ an organization that serves as support for those WHO have missing loved ones.

“We are finally tracking missing persons,” Innsted said. “We have gotten so much better in recent years about filing police reports, getting information out to the public about missing persons and getting entered into NAMUS.
 
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Amber's mother stated she had "gotten into trouble and lost her job". Her LinkedIn page with her photo has her listed as a home health aide. https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-arnett-4636b9170 I wonder if it was this that she was referring to (you'll have to scroll down to the third page to see Amber's connection with the investigation).

The narrative in the investigative report indicates the person arrested (not named in any way other than "citizen 1" which is why I'm linking it) was NOT Amber but I can see why it might have led to her job termination.
 
“A year ago today, my life changed, and I didn’t even know it at this time of day.”

Signs are posted outside Marty’s home, and her vehicle, urging anyone with information about Amber’s whereabouts to contact Lansing Police. She said Amber was a loving daughter and friend.

The Everett High School graduate was known to her niece as Aunt Goofy.

“She’s funny. She’s smart. She’s giving. If you’re her person, she’d go to the wall to defend you.”

“They have a process they have to follow.”

She said, “There’s some guilt that I didn’t try to track her down on that day.”

“So, I’m angry. I’m frustrated that we don’t know anything more today than we did a year ago. There’s a whole gamut of emotions.”
 
Public FB group (family)


Amber is on NamUs
 
Marty told Dateline that she gained access to her daughter’s Facebook account, which indicates that Amber went to visit a friend that evening in a neighborhood just blocks away from Marty’s home. Marty said there was a message sent by Amber to the friend
“Her post was to one of the people that’s living there and said, ‘Hey, I’m at the gate. Come and let me in.’ And that was it,” Marty told Dateline. “That’s the last thing anybody’s heard from her.”

 
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There is a lot more to Amber's story. Its not clear to me that any of it is relevant to her disappearance, but I definitely recommend listening to the two episodes of The Vanished podcast linked above. FWIW
 
MPIA just did a video on this case and seem to be solely focused on the idea that the Lansing PD denied a missing person report and that cost the investigation into her disappearance to lose valuable information. I have looked at several articles, what is written here about Dateline and The Vanished. None of them reference this. From what I read the family (not victim blaming, just repeating what I read) did not consider contact LE until July 4 and the report was filed on the 28th. Was there an actual issue there and if so why is it just now coming up or did I miss something? I do know from comments MPIA has made on other MP cases (I will provide photos if required) that they are very anti LE, but would they push a family that far??(just questions for discussion, not an accusation). Just trying to get more info on how this seems to be playing out, and how this is helping or hurting the search for her.

As far as her history prior to going missing it does sound like she was having issues of some kind, but was it enough to cause her disappearance or is there something else contributing.
 
Yes, that’s the one, even the cover shot focuses on the denial of the missing person report. Is that a major factor here? What are the focus points?
 

Arnett says she’s using a different tactic in hopes of finding her daughter, giving out coffee mugs sleeves with her daughter’s information to spread the word.

Along with coffee sleeves, from posters to yard signs, Arnett says she does whatever she can to bring her child back.

“I’ve ordered probably 250 yard signs altogether, and just handing them out to anyone that will take them,” said Arnett.

…..

“I have not heard anything from Lansing Police Department in a while. It’s exhausting,” said Arnett.
 
I'm posting this link to the state report again, as when I first posted it I had given Amber the benefit of the doubt that perhaps she just got involved with the wrong guy, which led to his arrest and her being fired from her job which her mother had indirectly referenced (from investigator's report: "Citizen 1, an unapproved household member and partner of direct care staff member Amber Arnett, was arrested at the AFC facility on September 29, 2022, by U.S. Marshals Task Force and Michigan State Police for abscondment and dealing illegal drugs."
https://adultfostercare.apps.lara.state.mi.us/Home/ViewReport/319598

But the meth involvement appears to go beyond this incident, and shortly after this report (you have to read the full report including the investigators statements to get a better idea of Amber's role in it) Amber was arrested on meth and weapons charges as well. The weapons charge is a felony - not just having one you aren't allowed to, but altering its identification or being in possession of one with altered or obliterated id which one doesn't do if the intended use for the firearm is a legal one. She failed to appear for her hearing, and a bench warrant was issued 7/13/2023. I personally don't think she went out of contact intentionally, I don't see her doing that with a mother she was close to, and that her involvement with the drugs and/or firearms had her in contact with some people who might be a threat to her well being.

Case ID 2022-22-03512-FY

Court Location 54A District Court - Lansing
STATE OF MICHIGAN V ARNETT
Date Filed 12/16/2022 Case Status OPEN

ARNETT/AMBER/MARIE DEFENDANT - 1
Age 41 (1984)
Offense Date 12/15/2022
Current Charge
CONT SUBS-POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE/ECSTASY (33374032B1)

Charge Level FELONY Attempted, Conspired, Solicited
Arraignment Date 06/04/2023
Current Charge
WEAPONS-FIREARMS-ALTERING ID MARKS (750230)
*

Charge Level FELONY Attempted, Conspired, Solicited
Arraignment Date 06/04/2023
Bonds (1) Bond Type
CASH OR SURETY Bond Amount
$2,500.00 Participant
D1-ARNETT/AMBER/MARIE
BOND SET 07/13/2023 $2,500.00

07/13/2023
Description
BENCH WARRANT ISSUED-FAILED TO APPEAR
Comment POSS METHAM Party/Count D1

* 750.230 Firearms; altering, removing, or obliterating marks of identity; presumption.
Sec. 230. A person who shall wilfully alter, remove, or obliterate the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's number, or other mark of identity of a pistol or other firearm, shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or fine of not more than $1,000.00. Possession of a firearm upon which the number shall have been altered, removed, or obliterated, other than an antique firearm as defined by section 231a(2)(a) or (b), shall be presumptive evidence that the possessor has altered, removed, or obliterated the same.
 
I would agree the involvement with meth and the dangers involved put her at risk for many situations that could have caused her harm. The goal to focus on is finding her, but looking at all aspects is important to do that.
Was she involved deeper with the boyfriend than was known? Or still involved?
Was it a drug deal gone bad?
Was it completely unrelated to drugs? Consider focusing on other reasons?
She was very close to her mom, but that could also lend itself to making decision to protector her as well, and that could have put her in a dangerous situation as well.
All aspects should be considered, but also keeping the focus on finding her and not on casting blame in any directions.
 
I would agree the involvement with meth and the dangers involved put her at risk for many situations that could have caused her harm. The goal to focus on is finding her, but looking at all aspects is important to do that.
Was she involved deeper with the boyfriend than was known? Or still involved?
Was it a drug deal gone bad?
Was it completely unrelated to drugs? Consider focusing on other reasons?
She was very close to her mom, but that could also lend itself to making decision to protector her as well, and that could have put her in a dangerous situation as well.
All aspects should be considered, but also keeping the focus on finding her and not on casting blame in any directions.

Thanks for understanding – it’s not always about “victim blaming” though sometimes that can be easy for any human to do. To me it’s looking at past behaviors that can identify individual factors that put people at risk for victimization and/or the perpetration of violence. It’s more than just past mistakes (we have ALL made those, some legal, some not so) but the victim’s relationships and interactions with their possible victimizers, the genesis of the crime that may have occurred as a result and their role or contribution (even unintentionally) in what may have happened. Individual-level factors include age, education level, income, mental health indicators, and past associations with known offenders in or outside the judicial system. It’s not always the kindest picture to paint of someone, but if examining those things can give us an idea of what happened to them, I for one, if I were missing, would want someone looking at me with that level of frank detail.
 

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