A mother named Stacey Wattenbarger, who appears in a TikTok video under the handle @staceywattenbarge8, said her daughter Annabelle, who goes by the name Hope at school, has been missing for about 24 hours. In the clip, Wattenbarger said Annabelle left on foot around 1:11 PM the previous day and has not returned. She said her daughter took no phone, no money, and nothing with her but the clothes on her back.
Wattenbarger said in the video that she is “posting this in hopes that it will reach someone with some information in regards to my daughter Annabelle.” She said the family has “no leads” and has “no idea where she went.” Wattenbarger said her daughter “is at risk” and “has been battling depression,” and she expressed fear that something bad could be happening to her.
In the video’s public caption, Wattenbarger wrote, “@hope Please come home. You aren’t in trouble. We just want you safe. You aren’t loved and adored and missed so much. If anyone has any information about my daughter please contact me no matter if you think it is big or small.” The caption also included a link to a missing child poster on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website, listed under the name Annabelle Wattenbarger.
Mother appeals to classmates and viewers to share information
Wattenbarger asked viewers to share the link to her daughter’s missing child poster, saying she hoped that wider visibility would lead to Annabelle being found and returned home safely. She specifically appealed to anyone who goes to school with her daughter to come forward with information, no matter how small it might seem.
“So if you can please share the link for her through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and hopefully if we get her face out there, someone will find her and she’ll be home safe,” Wattenbarger said in the video. She added, “If anyone sees this who goes to school with my daughter, please, please reach out if you have any information.”
Wattenbarger emphasized that even information that seems insignificant could matter. “Even if it’s something really, really small that you may think doesn’t matter, it could really matter. It could be life or death,” she said. “So please reach out to me. Thank you.”
The video shows Wattenbarger speaking directly to the camera in what appears to be an office or workshop setting. She is wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and glasses, and her face appears flushed and tearful as she speaks. Behind her, industrial-looking ventilation ducts and equipment are visible, along with a printer and a black electronic device.
Commenters offer support, and one says the child was found
In a follow-up comment on her own video, Wattenbarger wrote, “I made a typo in my caption. I’m a nervous wreck and I can’t edit it. She IS very loved and missed.” The original caption had read, “You aren’t loved and adored and missed so much,” which she said was a typo.
One commenter wrote, “she was found!” Another commenter shared the missing child poster link and wrote, “Have you seen this child? Annabelle Wattenbarger.” Other commenters offered support, with one writing, “praying for your baby to be found safe and return home safe to you” and another writing simply, “praying.” One commenter asked, “why didn’t you show us a picture.”
