Found Safe VA - Linda Thigpen, 19, Hampton, Jan 2008

[hoppyfrog]

26 Jan 08

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local...,3167726.story

Hampton police continued to search Friday for a 19-year-old woman with the cognitive abilities of a 6- or 7-year-old. She has been missing for more than three days.

Linda Thigpen disappeared from Hampton High School on Tuesday morning.

"It's very critical that we find her," said Thigpen's aunt, Teresa Thigpen.

and

Teresa Thigpen put her niece on a school bus Tuesday morning for the high school, where she attends a special education class. She called police after her niece didn't get off the school bus that afternoon at her Victoria Boulevard home.

School security cameras show Linda Thigpen leaving the school, alone, at 10 a.m., said police spokeswoman Allison Good.

and

Linda Thigpen is 5-foot-6 and 155 pounds. When she left for school Tuesday, she was wearing a beige sweater, blue jeans, brown furry boots and a brown jacket.

more at link

no pic at link

[olympicprincess]

Why don't they have a photo posted? *sigh*

[stealthy]

Pic here:
http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=7767495

Linda Thigpen was last seen on foot in the 1400 block of West Queen Street at 10:00 am on January 22nd.

[Spazkat9696]

http://www.wvec.com/news/hampton/sto....535f6e11.html

Here is a link with a picture. It's not a very good one though. I have only seen this on the local news once.

[Spazkat9696]

I saw on the news they found her staying in the home of a stranger in Newport News and no chargers were going to be filed. I will look for a link.
http://www.wvec.com/news/hampton/sto....535f6e11.html

[philamena]

I can't believe no charges will be filed.
Linda has the mental compacity of a first grader and was imo preyed upon. tsk tsk tsk

[Spazkat9696]

I hadn't heard she was on a first grade level. I work in VA Beach for SECEP and all of the Special Ed students on that sort of level must be escorted onto their buses or to a waiting parent or guardian. I don't understand how she slipped out if she was that low functioning. IMO someone at the school needs to be charged with negligence if she was on that level for not fulfilling their duties with respect to her care. As for who she was with I don't know. Maybe an elderly person found her wandering and took her in. It's possible nothing bad happened to her and she was cared for. First grade mental capacity means she knew her name, age, address and most likely she was not where she should be. Not that it's her fault. I totally hold the school responsible for this if she is on a first grade level.

[Taximom]

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local...,5553589.story
UPDATE: Missing teen spent week with a stranger

BY JENNIFER LATSON | Daily Press 11:18 AM EST, January 28, 2008

[eachandevery]

I don't get why anyone, man or woman, would just pick up a total stranger. I mean, based on the article, it sounds like no harm was done to this girl - thank god. I think this guy has a lot of explaining to do, as do the school officials.