The parents of missing Alabama college student Aniah Blanchard are pleading for information leading to their teen daughter’s safe return as her disappearance goes into its seventh day.
Blanchard’s mother and father, Angela Harris and UFC heavyweight fighter Walt Harris, spoke with CrimeOnline’s Nancy Grace for the latest episode of her podcast, “Crime Stories.” The couple described their 19-year-old daughter as a “homebody” who would FaceTime her mother every morning while attending school two hours away at Southern Union State Community College.
Blanchard, 19, who is from Homewood but lives in Auburn, last talked to a friend late Wednesday. Her mother said on the night of her disappearance, she sent Snapchat messages to her roommate indicating that she was with a man she had recently met.
Angela Harris said she believes Blanchard going out with a guy wasn’t in her plans. The teen told her brother that her phone was dying before dropping him off in Auburn on Wednesday night. The mother noted that her daughter did not have a car charger.
“When we got to Auburn we realized, ‘Wait, something is wrong,” Angela Harris said, adding that Blanchard left her dog behind and failed to take the children she babysits to school.
On Friday, Blanchard’s vehicle—a black 2017 Honda CR-V with an Alabama tag number 49BS356—was found with damage to its front panel roughly 50 miles away from her home, at an apartment complex in Montgomery. There was no sign of the missing college student.
On Monday, the Auburn Police Department released footage from the night of her disappearance, which appears to show her purchasing a pack of chips from a convenience store on South College Street in Auburn. Her parents said she looked tired in the video and that it was common for her to get a snack and go to bed.
Angela Harris told Grace that her daughter’s credit card was last used on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. at the convenience store. She recalled relaying this information to authorities, who ultimately acquired the convenience store footage.
She told Grace that she is frustrated by the lack of information about her daughter’s disappearance. She claimed police have not revealed the man’s identity or allowed them to view the full surveillance video, meaning they do not know whether the man was with Aniah at the time.
“We don’t know who he is. We have no idea who this person is. We don’t even know if it was Aniah making those Snapchat text messages to her roommate,” she said through tears. “This is why this is so hard—We have nothing to go on.”
Walt Harris revealed to Grace that police initially briefed them daily but updates have “slowed down” to the point that they have to call them for information.
“We’re still looking. We’re still searching. We need the public’s help,” he said.
Blanchard was described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing approximately 125 pounds, and having brown eyes and brown hair. She was reportedly last seen wearing a black dress, tan duck boots, and black stockings.
Anyone with information regarding Aniah Blanchard’s whereabouts, or an accident involving her vehicle, is urged to contact the Auburn Police Division Detective Section at 334-501-3140 or the anonymous their tip line at 334-246-1391.
[Featured image: Aniah Blanchard/Facebook]
