On September 30, 14-year-old Boulder High School student Chloe Campbell went to a school football game and hasn’t been seen since.
Her parents, Jessica Knape and David Campbell, have told police and media that witnesses have said their daughter was seen walking on the Boulder Creek Trail, possibly intoxicated. They have also said she was apparently last seen with two older men.
“She was described by eyewitnesses as being with two men. Older men. Too old to be in high school. One of whom was Asian and the other who had a beard,” David Campbell told CBS Colorado.
When Chloe didn’t return home from the football game, her parents began searching for her, including hanging fliers throughout town. After more than a week, Boulder police began asking the public for help finding Chloe.
Her father said that no one close to Chloe had had any confirmed contact with her since she disappeared, but added that they have received communications claiming to be from Chloe from a social media handle no one recognizes.
“The communications that we’ve received through third parties that purport to be from Chloe originate in a Snapchat handle that we’re not familiar with,” David said. “It could be anybody.”
David did say they have received a photo of Chloe since she disappeared, possibly proving she’s still alive but not making her parents feel any better.
“She looked injured and unwell,” David told CBS of the photo.
The photo led her parents to believe she’s being held against her will or possibly trafficked, but they aren’t giving up hope.
“Chloe, honey… we love you so much. You are not in trouble,” her mother told the outlet. “If you can come home please do and if you can’t, we will not stop until we find you.”
Complicating the case are rumors and misinformation claiming Chloe has been found or that she ran away and is living with a family in Arizona.
“We have gotten tips from various parties claiming that she is in Arizona and that she’s, quote, safe and that she has money and that she’s with a family in Arizona. We want to make it clear that we do not have family in Arizona, so this is very suspicious to us,” David told KDVR.
Boulder police reportedly labeled Chloe as a runaway initially, prompting outrage on social media, including from John Ramsey, whose half-sister JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in Boulder, Colorado, in 1996.
“Damnit @boulder police get off your *** and find this child! Have you ever met a 14yr old kid? Not usually trusted to make sound rational decisions,” Ramsey tweeted on October 7.
Damnit @boulderpolice get off your ass and find this child! Have you ever met a 14yr old kid? Not usually trusted to make sound rational decisions. #boulder #chloecampbell https://t.co/9spB96aJla
— John Andrew Ramsey (@JRamsey_Truth) October 8, 2022
Police are assisting in the search but have said Chloe’s disappearance “does not meet the criteria for the issuance of an Amber Alert.” They added, however, that “investigators are growing increasingly concerned about the teen’s safety as it is believed that she has no access to money or her medication.”
The Department of Justice lists five core criteria used to determine whether officials should issue an amber alert:
- There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.
- The law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
- There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.
- The abduction is of a child aged 17 years or younger.
- The child’s name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.
It is unclear how Chloe’s case doesn’t meet this criterion, given reports that she was seen with adult males and a photo of her looking “unwell” has been sent to her parents.