Monday, September 24, 2007

Have You Seen Me?



Update: Website - Bring Nailah Franklin Home

From CNN.com

Chicago woman missing since Tuesday

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Police stepped up their search for a missing drug sales representative after finding the 28-year-old woman's car near an abandoned building in Hammond, Indiana.


Nailah Franklin's family called police after she didn't show up for an important business meeting.

Nailah Franklin was last heard from Tuesday, when she sent an uncharacteristically vague text message to friends and family saying that she was having dinner and that she'd call later.

She never did.

Days earlier, Franklin had filed a police report saying she had been getting threatening phone calls.

Franklin's sister, Lehia Franklin Acox, said the family is trying to stay positive as police search the car for clues that could shed light on her disappearance.

Being positive "is our only option," Acox said before a weekend prayer vigil.

"We're all just trying to keep our spirits up, but it's a challenge," she said. "This is really taking a toll on us, with every day that passes. We're not sleeping well, we're not eating well."

When Franklin didn't turn up for an important meeting last Wednesday with her boss at Eli Lilly and Co., co-workers at the Indianapolis-based drug company called her family, and family called police.

Franklin's sales territory covered Chicago's suburbs, her sister said.

Acox said it's unusual for Franklin not to contact her friends or family, leading them all to fear that she didn't leave willingly. Franklin had recently filed a police report about threatening phone calls she had received, but she declined to file an order of protection against the alleged offender, a man she once dated.

Franklin's car, along with some personal items, was found Friday night near an abandoned building in suburban Hammond, said Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond. She said the car was being taken to Chicago for forensic and evidence processing.


Several jurisdictions, including Chicago, Hammond, and the Cook County Sheriff's Department, were searching for Franklin, Bond said. Divers have also been involved in the search.

Acox said the discovery of the car was heartening because it could yield some clue to Franklin's whereabouts, but "on the other hand, it's still maddening because we do not have (her) back with us." E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



Related Articles:
Family clings to hope for its missing star

Family Embraced In Prayer

Chicago Police step up search for missing Lilly drug rep

2 comments:

Brian said...

Keeping my fingers crossed hoping for a positive outcome, but this doesn't look particularly good.

There needs to be more focus on personal safety in this country, especially for women. We are seeing too many of these cases. It's almost too easy for predators in this Country.

There should be stronger consequences for domestic threats and stalking... not just a slap on the wrist.

Orders of Protection are too weak. CC laws for weapons should be an option for women, even in States that don't generally allow it.

And women should never give a boyfriend a key or any free access to their living space (unless it's a situation where she is going to marry him or they are engaged). It's not clear whether this had anything to do with this case, but this is still all too common.

People need to make better use of technology as well.

You can never be totally safe...that would require you to live in a bubble all your life...confined to your home. But more needs to be done in terms of safety education...

rikyrah said...

AI,

Hearing about the Order of Protection makes me go back to one of my complaints with the Bynum case - I simply don't think Black people take the violence threat against women seriously.

ICAM with you about women being too trusting. Until you have an engagement ring, why does he have a key to your home?