A teen declared missing more than three weeks ago has still not been found.
Gabrielle McDonald-Willis was last seen on April 27 in the 1800 block of Commerce Street in downtown Dallas.
McDonald-Willis is described as a black female, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall, about 130 pounds, with brown eyes and shoulder-length hair.
The missing teen was last seen on foot wearing black pants, a black T-shirt, and black shoes.
McDonald-Willis’ mother, Brendetta McDonald, rallied other family members to search her daughter’s last known location, hoping to find something that could shed light on her disappearance.
McDonald told NBC 5 that she finds it increasingly difficult to go without answers. She said she finds it hard to sleep at night, thinking that her daughter is being held against her will and cannot get home.
The mother expressed pain at being helpless in her daughter’s situation.
“As a mother, I’m supposed to protect my child,” she said. “And it hurts me because it’s nothing that I can do. And I know my baby is trying to get home. I know she is. And it just hurts me that I can’t be there to get my baby.”
On May 12, Dallas Police declared McDonald-Willis “critically missing.”
However, her mother complained about how Dallas Police handled the case as she said the department should have classified her daughter as a “critically missing” person long before it did.
” What other reasons make it critical now when it should’ve already been critical?” she asked.
Other family members and Dallas activists share McDonald’s displeasure at the Dallas Police Department’s approach to the case. Community activist Shavondra Smith said that rallies are going to be held every week in an effort to find the missing young woman.
McDonald wants her daughter to know that she is not forgotten.
“We’re coming, and you do whatever you have to do to get home,” she said in a message to Gabrielle.
Information regarding McDonald-Willis’ whereabouts can be directed to 911 or 214-671-4268 with reference to case number 074030-2022.
In related news, I saw this reported in Star Telegram but nowhere else locally. Maybe I missed other reporting.
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article261353877.html
NYPost running with it today.
https://nypost.com/2022/05/21/teen-girl-trafficked-from-mavericks-game-found-10-days-later-in-oklahoma/