Melissa Highland, woman who went missing 51 years ago as a baby, reported seen

Melissa Highland vanished from Fort Price Texas when she was a child in 1973.
Nationwide Middle for Lacking & Exploited Youngsters

A tipster contacted the Nationwide Middle for Lacking and Exploited Youngsters (NCMEC) earlier this week to report the potential sighting of a girl who could have gone lacking as a child 51 years in the past.

The reported sighting occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, in keeping with the group devoted to discovering lacking kids.

“Receiving ideas for instances which might be a long time outdated is a uncommon incidence, but it surely’s not exceptional,” John Bischoff, head of NCMEC’s Lacking Youngsters Division, informed Fox Information Digital. “At NCMEC, we'll always remember a few lacking little one, and we're joyful to see a lot of the neighborhood has not forgotten about Melissa both.”

Melissa Highsmith disappeared from Fort Price, Texas, Aug. 23, 1971, when she was simply 21 months outdated, in keeping with NCMEC.

Bischoff mentioned the truth that the tipster checked out NCMEC’s pictures of Highsmith and acknowledged and reported a possible sighting “is excellent.”

Highsmith’s mom, a lately separated mom who had simply moved to Fort Price and was working as a waitress on the time, had positioned an commercial within the native newspaper for a babysitter to observe over her daughter. A lady responded to the advert and agreed to fulfill Highsmith’s mom on the restaurant the place she labored, however the respondent by no means confirmed up.

In a while, the possible babysitter referred to as Highsmith’s mom and expressed her curiosity within the job, saying she had a giant yard and cared for different kids. Highsmith’s mom employed the babysitter, in keeping with NCMEC.

The babysitter picked up the 21-month-old toddler whereas she was within the care of her mom’s roommate and her mom was at work. Her mom’s roommate mentioned the girl who picked Highsmith up on the time appeared “good” and “dressed to impress, sporting white gloves,” NCMEC mentioned in a Thursday tweet.

Highsmith hadn’t been seen since her mom referred to as legislation enforcement the day she disappeared in 1971.

“All it takes is one particular person to see the appropriate factor and do one thing about it,” Bischoff mentioned. “We're not sure if this tip will go wherever, but it surely’s clear the general public has not forgotten about Melissa. Regulation enforcement hasn’t and neither have we.”

NCMEC is asking anybody with info to contact 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).