EPHRAIM, Utah, Jan. 9, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A young woman who was rescued by law enforcement officers five days after she went missing from her Snow College dorm has issued a video thanking everyone who contributed to her safe return and who have supported her in recovering from her ordeal.
Madelyn “Maddie” Allen, 19, was seen on surveillance video leaving her student residence in Snow Hall at 9:22 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13.
She was located on Saturday, Dec. 18, in a house in Wayne County.
Her parents had become concerned when they received a text message from their daughter on Tuesday, Dec. 14, saying she loved them. The text came from Loa, in Wayne County, 87 miles from Snow College in Ephraim, and the teen had no access to a vehicle.
On Dec. 18, after more cellphone pings from a Loa location, police began a focused ground search in the area and came upon a residence where they saw a light-haired woman peeking out a basement window.
A man who came to the door of the residence told police he was alone, and he declined to allow them inside. Officers obtained a warrant to search the premises and found Maddie’s student ID card and a weapon. A further search of the home located Maddie who was found hidden in a basement coal bin.
Suspect Brent Brown, 39, was subsequently arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including aggravated kidnapping.
Allen’s disappearance led to an intensive search effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.
