A tip submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) could lead to the discovery of a woman who was abducted 51 years ago when she was one year and nine months old.
The office reported Thursday that one person reported seeing Melissa Highsmith in the Daniel Island area in South Carolina.
Investigators examine the track.
Highsmith was kidnapped on August 23, 1971, in Fort Worth, Texas., by a woman who posed as a “babysitter.”
The girl’s mother posted an ad indicating that she was looking for a caregiver for the child. At that moment, the woman was separated from her father and worked as a waitress in a restaurant.
The suspect initially arranged to meet the mother at a restaurant but never showed up.
A month later, the same female contacted Highsmith’s mother and begged him to give him the job because he had experience caring for children and a large patio at home. The woman decided to hire her. The kidnapper took Highsmith while the girl was with her mother’s roommate. Her mother’s roommate said the woman was well dressed and had white gloves. After taking the minor, the criminal never returned.
If you have information to help establish Highsmith’s whereabouts or think you may have seen her, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 800-THE-LOST.
NCMEC released a digitally created image showing what Highsmith would look like today at age 52.