A 17-year-old girl reported missing from Garden City, Utah, in May 2025 was safely recovered in Oregon on November 1, the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office said.
Authorities found her with a 39-year-old man, who was taken into custody without incident, according to the FBI. The agency did not identify the man, announce charges or explain the circumstances that brought them together.
Oregon law enforcement recovered the girl while working with FBI Salt Lake City and the Rich County Sheriff’s Office. The two agencies had investigated her disappearance for more than a year, following leads from across the United States and other countries, the FBI said.
FBI Director Kash Patel thanked the officers involved and spoke broadly about the agency’s efforts against groups that target and exploit children. The FBI did not publicly describe how, or whether, such a group relates to this girl’s case. The investigation remains active, and the agency said it would not release further details at this time.
Her safe recovery is the confirmed development. Questions about where she was during the missing period and the man’s role remain unanswered in the public account.
Image: Portrait supplied to Wick Worldwide. Original photographer not identified.
Sources
- FBI Salt Lake City: Missing Teen from Garden City Safely Recovered in Oregon, November 1, 2026.