The search continues for a New York girl who has disappeared after reportedly meeting up with an ex the day after Thanksgiving.
Samantha Humphrey, 14, was last seen around 11:30 p.m. November 25 near Riverside Park in the Stockade neighborhood of Schenectady. Her mother, Jaclyn Humphrey, said that Samantha went to the park to meet an ex-boyfriend but never returned home.
She met up with the ex “on or near an old railroad bridge at the south end of the park,” NewsChannel 13 reports. Samantha’s mother said the teen’s jacket was later found in the area. Sources told the outlet that Samantha and the ex argued before the meeting.
Jaclyn said Samantha told her and several others, including friends and school counselors, that the ex had been abusive toward her. Police have reportedly been in contact with the ex, also described as a teen, but no one has been named a suspect in the disappearance.
Jaclyn added that according to cellphone records, the last person Samantha spoke to was the ex-boyfriend, who she reportedly warned to stay away from.
Samantha’s grandmother, Dianne Matarazzo, told The Daily Gazette earlier this month that she’s confident that police are doing their best to find her.
“We want her back so much,” Matarazzo said. “You see people go through this and you feel bad for them, but you don’t think that someday it will be you.”
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Matarazzo, who said she’s the paternal grandmother, added that Samantha lives with her and her husband, John.
“Her father is devastated, as of course, we are. Sam and her brother lived with us for a few years while her father was getting his nursing degree. So we’re very close. We’re just as much parents to them. We do everything for them. If they call us, we come running. So she would just not do this to us.”
New York State Police Underwater Recovery team was spotted scouring the river last week while police continued to search for Samantha. The New York State Police Aviation Unit, its dive team, and the Schenectady police drone unit have also been utilized in the search.
Samantha was last seen wearing the recovered black and pink puffy jacket, along with bell-bottom jeans and tan Timberland boots. She stands 4-feet-11-inches tall and weighs around 95 pounds.
Anyone with information is urged to call Schenectady police at 518-630-0911
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[Featured image: Police Handout]
