PA PA - Lauren Steele, 36, human trafficking survivor, Carlisle, 5 Aug 2024

[truthfinder2019]

Lauren Steele is a survivor of human trafficking and told friends and family she was going to an unknown facility or treatment center for victims/survivors of human trafficking based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is originally from New York but has previously resided in Virginia. She moved to Pennsylvania within the last year. Steele suffers from various mental health issues and is known to abuse drugs and alcohol.
Steele was last known to be living in a hotel located in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in August 2024.

Her last contact with family was on 08/05/2024.

MISSING Lauren Steele
Location: Carlisle, PA
Last Seen: August 5, 2024
Age: 36

If you have any information, please contact the PA State Police at (570) 589-5427

Lauren Steele Database Entry: Have you seen Lauren Steele?

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0puZoXp6ig4e2MjmCExjuoztANBcH8UtoeKVMPcq7BcEvD9Zdn3WeYLvoJ64YYrzNl&id=100064369042472

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02CYpwVH2HMdW7HZsCxWxn9nhNPWUzzVj2q3KhH31z8X9UTo1PVhm3riEYeu2mMBshl&id=100080837468268

Her FB profile

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[GraceG]

There is more than one treatment center in Las Vegas for victims of sex trafficking. Which one she would have sought treatment at would likely be based on her age when it occurred as some centers specialize in child cases. Does anyone know how old she was when she was trafficked and where that information came from? She's 36 now and a many sex trafficking victims are in their early teens so it could have been quite a while ago.

Was she employed in PA? The treatment centers take most insurance, the cost of an individual session being more than some could afford to pay out of pocket. It's a long shot, but tracking what center she might have gone to might be useful in finding her.

Her picture looks familiar. Perhaps I simply saw the poster on FB, but has she been reported missing elsewhere? Or at another date?

 

[jillolantern]

Lauren Steele is a survivor of human trafficking and told friends and family she was going to an unknown facility or treatment center for victims/survivors of human trafficking based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is originally from New York but has previously resided in Virginia. She moved to Pennsylvania within the last year. Steele suffers from various mental health issues and is known to abuse drugs and alcohol.

SBM
I am often critical about how the histories of missing persons are sanitized, hidden, covered up, and outright lied about when those persons are reported missing so I feel its my duty to acknowledge that is NOT happening here. Good job to the people doing the work on this case. If the public is going to help it probably takes more than a pretty picture and pretty story. IMO

 

[truthfinder2019]

Lauren M. Steele, originally from East Hampton, NY. Dob 08/30/1988
She then moved to VA (Norfolk, Carrollton, virginia Beach).

"United States, Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJRD-T56W : 23 July 2020), Lauren M Steele, 2007-2009.

"United States, Public Records, 1970-2009", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJRD-T56Q : 23 July 2020), Lauren M Steele, 2007.

"United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024", database, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6Y82-X8GW : 20 June 2024), Lauren Steele, 2007.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Seems to have family in both NY and VA , which may explain why she moved in the latter.
The mive to PA must be extremely recent as there is no public record yet.
JMO

https://www.whitepages.com/name/Lauren-M-Steele/East-Hampton-NY/PLyZ1baDex9

 

[Caring1]

Lauren’s case was added to NamUs today.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[truthfinder2019]

Zero news…

 

[Richrd]

.

Lauren Mary Steele - Missing - Google Search

PA Check-Back:

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch

.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Bumping for Lauren, still missing

May be in the Las Vegas area

Missing Person / NamUs #MP135190

View NamUs missing persons case MP135190, for Lauren Mary Steele, missing from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Date of last contact: Aug 02, 2024. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

 

[truthfinder2019]

Lauren is still missing

Missing Person / NamUs #MP135190

View NamUs missing persons case MP135190, for Lauren Mary Steele, missing from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Date of last contact: Aug 02, 2024. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

 

[TwinkieDefense]

June 17, 2025 article

https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/lauren-steele/?utm_campaign=NewsNation-trending-now&utm_source=ozarksfirst.com&utm_medium=newsnation-cross-brand

[…]

On Aug. 5, 2024, Steele was scheduled to fly from Pennsylvania to Las Vegas to get the help she needed. However, her flight was delayed due to weather conditions, and the airline accommodated her by putting her up in a hotel.

“She said that she was at a hotel and there was a man outside to help make sure she got to the airport, make sure she got on the plane,” Field said. “We don’t know who the man was, where the man came from, anything.”

[…]

 

[truthfinder2019]

What they do know is that Steele’s phone took a flight from Pennsylvania to Chicago to Las Vegas.

But authorities say they have no proof that Steele had her phone on those flights.

Missing persons cases are common in Las Vegas. Three hundred adults go missing there every month.

“I just want Las Vegas police to go there. But they’re not going to do anything, I guess, because we can’t prove that she landed,” Susan Steele said. “Does anybody have proof that she physically landed there, besides her phone?”

https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/lauren-steele/?utm_campaign=NewsNation-trending-now&utm_source=ozarksfirst.com&utm_medium=newsnation-cross-brand

Her brother believes she’s still alive but being trafficked somewhere. Lauren Steele’s family says that if someone spotted her, she could be identified by the tattoos on her forearm, thigh and torso.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Bravo to Newsnation for keeping the story up, too many victims are forgotten.

 

[GraceG]

She's 36. She likely would have been trafficked much younger (that's more than double the age of the average victim). Was she a minor at the time? There's no record of her being a crime victim which is likely due to her identify being redacted if it was a sex crime. But a timeline might be helpful (i.e., was it recent enough she might consider the parties involved a threat?) As to "proof she landed". That involve review of video feed at the destination which the police would have to get a subpeana for, something they would not likely do if there is no evidence that she is a (current) crime victim. They say her phone was on the flight (out of Chicago) but was her ticket used? That's something a littler easier to LE to check.

 

[GraceG]

I'm beginning to question whether she was trafficked as stated. The only report that she was trafficked came from Lauren herself. She didn't tell anyone what "trafficking treatment center" she was going to (at least that's been disclosed). A report was allegedly made to the FBI when she was staying at a hotel in VA prior to making her trip to Nevada but the family stated "nothing came of it. Did nothing come out of it because they found no evidence? Were they indeed notified? I can't believe they'd just not investigate but communications CAN breakdown and a case isn't assigned. Almost every FBI field office in the country has a Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force within their office. The ultimate goal of these task forces is to recover victims and investigate traffickers at the state and federal level. Human Trafficking/Involuntary Servitude | Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Pennsylvania State police issued a statement that she is classified as endangered because of "medical and mental health problems". But I haven't found any public info to support why they are stating such (court records, arrest, etc). https://www.newsnationnow.com/missi...e=wgntv.com&utm_medium=newsnation-cross-brand

Trafficking in the mid/late thirties has happened, but it's usually for labor, rather than sexual purposes. A person with close family is usually not a target for trafficking but it can occur. I just initially assumed due to her age, the trafficking event occurred long ago, and she was just now seeking treatment for the after effects.

Just my thoughts, but whatever the case, she is missing, she still needs assistance, and I hope people will continue to look for her. It's been almost a year, let's not forget her!

 

[chiaracelli]

I'm beginning to question whether she was trafficked as stated. The only report that she was trafficked came from Lauren herself. She didn't tell anyone what "trafficking treatment center" she was going to (at least that's been disclosed). A report was allegedly made to the FBI when she was staying at a hotel in VA prior to making her trip to Nevada but the family stated "nothing came of it. Did nothing come out of it because they found no evidence? Were they indeed notified? I can't believe they'd just not investigate but communications CAN breakdown and a case isn't assigned. Almost every FBI field office in the country has a Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force within their office. The ultimate goal of these task forces is to recover victims and investigate traffickers at the state and federal level. Human Trafficking/Involuntary Servitude | Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Pennsylvania State police issued a statement that she is classified as endangered because of "medical and mental health problems". But I haven't found any public info to support why they are stating such (court records, arrest, etc). https://www.newsnationnow.com/missi...e=wgntv.com&utm_medium=newsnation-cross-brand

Trafficking in the mid/late thirties has happened, but it's usually for labor, rather than sexual purposes. A person with close family is usually not a target for trafficking but it can occur. I just initially assumed due to her age, the trafficking event occurred long ago, and she was just now seeking treatment for the after effects.

Just my thoughts, but whatever the case, she is missing, she still needs assistance, and I hope people will continue to look for her. It's been almost a year, let's not forget her!

My friend Lauren Willhoit went missing from a hotel outside of O'Hare airport too. Friends and family believe her to be trafficked.. at least in the early part of her disappearance.. I hope she is still alive.

 

[GraceG]

My friend Lauren Willhoit went missing from a hotel outside of O'Hare airport too. Friends and family believe her to be trafficked.. at least in the early part of her disappearance.. I hope she is still alive.

There is a thread for Lauren up here. IL - IL - Lauren Willhoit, 30, left home, no contact with family, Leyden Twp, Cook Co., 30 Dec 2022

 

[adot0902]

Has Lauren been ruled out here? It fits. Human remains revealed not to be Kortne Stouffer; police seek help to identify in York Co.

 

[GraceG]

Has Lauren been ruled out here? It fits. Human remains revealed not to be Kortne Stouffer; police seek help to identify in York Co.

The timeline doesn't fit as well as other reasons, so I don't think it's her.

(1) The remains were of someone who died between 2018 and 2023. It was 2024 when Lauren went missing.
(2) It was said the "remains had been there a while" which affirms the 2018-2023 death timeline. Just looking at the close up photos of the clothing/ jewelry found with the remains - that's been in the ground or out in the open for much longer than four months (Lauren last contact August, remains found Dec.)

Even if the timeline matched Laurens missing date: there are still other disparities in my opinion:
(3) The decedent was wearing multiple layers of clothing, including a cold weather type jacket. Not something one would be wearing in the heat of summer.
(4) There were eyeglasses with the remains. There are no photos of Lauren, even going back several years where she wore glasses. The glasses do not appear to be "reading" glasses" nor a common frame for sunglasses.
(5) Lauren was originally from New York but hadn't been there in many years, and she was last heard from in Chicago IL.

 

[adot0902]

The timeline doesn't fit as well as other reasons, so I don't think it's her.

(1) The remains were of someone who died between 2018 and 2023. It was 2024 when Lauren went missing.
(2) It was said the "remains had been there a while" which affirms the 2018-2023 death timeline. Just looking at the close up photos of the clothing/ jewelry found with the remains - that's been in the ground or out in the open for much longer than four months (Lauren last contact August, remains found Dec.)

Even if the timeline matched Laurens missing date: there are still other disparities in my opinion:
(3) The decedent was wearing multiple layers of clothing, including a cold weather type jacket. Not something one would be wearing in the heat of summer.
(4) There were eyeglasses with the remains. There are no photos of Lauren, even going back several years where she wore glasses. The glasses do not appear to be "reading" glasses" nor a common frame for sunglasses.
(5) Lauren was originally from New York but hadn't been there in many years, and she was last heard from in Chicago IL.

DBM person suggested already ruled out