There are countless incidents of children going missing, and one of the shocking truths about these cases reveals relatives or friends as the culprits behind the abduction.
The motives may vary but it all boils down to one disappointing reality: that families can easily cause each other so much distress.
It’s not always easy to get to the bottom of these cases, either. No matter how relentless the authorities are with the search or how thoroughly they question and investigate suspects, certain details always seem to evade them.
But there are always links that connect, eventually bringing families together again.
In this particular case, the missing link that helped piece everything together was an online gamer who lived miles away.
Four-year-old Yvette Henley had gone missing after a court hearing granted custody to her grandparents.
The alarmed grandparents exhausted all channels trying to locate the little girl. This went on for months.
Part of their efforts included using Facebook to reach certain people like Harry Brown of Staines, Middlesex. The grandfather was keeping track of a Facebook account under a different name – Mark Johnson, a name associated with the missing child’s father. They saw Harry Brown among the contacts of the said account.
After receiving a detailed message about the situation, the gamer was ready to help out.
One of his plans of action was to befriend Yvette’s dad and gain his trust. This meant making small talk and occasionally attempting to obtain information on his whereabouts.
The online gamer who was 5,000 miles away tried everything, including subtly trying to get the man to screenshot certain apps on his phone, or reveal information that would hint at his location.
While none of these proved successful, it was the simplest trick that worked in the end: an offer to buy pizza.
Harry was able to get Henley to accept the pizza, and the latter immediately gave his address.
Shocked at the development, Harry immediately notified the grandparents.
“I almost dropped my phone cause I started shaking instantly I was like I can’t believe I actually did it!”
The unsuspecting father, on the other hand, was just waiting in a motel room for the pizza. He didn’t know what was about to go down. Because he was expecting food delivery, Henley did not hesitate to open the door when he heard knocking.
But to his surprise, he saw police officers instead of a delivery guy.
The quick-thinking gamer was able to lead the authorities to the missing little girl and her father. Thanks to him and how closely he worked with Yvette’s grandparents, Yvette is now living happily in California.
“I spend my life on the internet but little did I know that talking to random people would lead to me finding this little girl. She is loving where she is now. I cried so much when I saw the photos of her with her grandparents.”
Harry didn’t realize he would end up solving the case right from his bedroom. His efforts, which took two days, ended the months-long search and made it possible for the child to safely reunite with her grandparents again.
The grateful grandparents didn’t delay extending their gratitude either.
“They had two grand in reward money and they sent that over straight away and they paid for my flight here, flight back, everything.”
The young gamer’s quick response proves that acts of kindness and bravery can come from the most unexpected, such as strangers who live miles away. It’s best to keep an open mind because you never really know who’ll be able to help you.
Watch the video below to hear more about the online gamer’s unconventional rescue tactics.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
