Nearly 10 Years After a Florida Teen Vanished, Detectives Turn to a Psychic for Answers

Nearly a decade after 15-year-old Sophie Reeder disappeared from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, detectives are trying an unusual approach in hopes of finally learning what happened to her.

Sophie disappeared in May 2017 and has never been found. Now 24, she has been missing for more than nine years, and Fort Lauderdale police have brought in a psychic profiler and medium to review the case and potentially provide new leads.

Police reportedly paid the psychic $1,500 for a 90-day consulting period. The department says it is evaluating the information provided to determine whether anything could assist the investigation.

For Sophie’s family, the unconventional move is less important than the possibility of finally getting answers.

“Of course it’s unusual, but you know we are open to anything,” Sophie’s aunt, Kirsten Milhorn, told Local 10.

The Night Sophie Disappeared

Sophie was 15 when she vanished from her Fort Lauderdale home on May 19, 2017. Her father reported her missing after she left the house late that night.

Investigators later obtained surveillance footage showing Sophie walking along Davie Boulevard during the early morning hours of May 20. In the footage, she was wearing a brown fur coat, a black dress, red Converse sneakers and headphones.

Then, she disappeared.

According to investigators and reporting on the case, the last known location of Sophie’s phone was connected to an apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale. Her communications with a man named Leonard “Jay” Jennings, a convicted felon who was staying at the complex, became part of the investigation.

Police have described Jennings as a person of interest, but he has never been arrested or charged in connection with Sophie’s disappearance. He has denied knowing her.

A Mysterious Calendar Date

One of the details that has continued to haunt Sophie’s family is a date marked on her bedroom calendar.

May 19, 2017 — the day she disappeared — had been marked on the calendar.

Her family has also said that there were indications Sophie intended to return home. Among the items reportedly left behind were cash and a candle that was still burning.

Those details have contributed to the family’s belief that Sophie did not simply decide to run away.

Could a Psychic Help Solve the Case?

The decision to consult a psychic is certainly unconventional.

Fort Lauderdale police previously received assistance from another psychic who offered to work on Sophie’s case without payment. According to the department, information from that psychic prompted detectives to conduct a search of a canal and surrounding area. The search ultimately produced no results.

This time, investigators are working with Alejandra Taborn, described as a psychic profiler and medium who specializes in working with law enforcement.

Police have emphasized that they are not treating psychic claims as proof. Instead, they are evaluating the information to determine whether it could generate investigative leads.

That distinction matters in a case where nearly 10 years have passed without a resolution.

A Family Still Waiting

Sophie’s father, Patrick Reeder, has spent years trying to find out what happened to his daughter.

The case has received national attention, including coverage on Dateline: Missing in America, while Sophie’s family has continued to keep her disappearance in the public eye.

Her aunt also created the Sophie’s Light Foundation, an organization focused on helping children stay safe online.

Police continue to consider Sophie’s disappearance an active investigation, and a reward of up to $25,000 remains available for credible information leading to her recovery.

For the Reeder family, the hope is simple: after all these years, someone knows what happened to Sophie.

Whether the latest psychic consultation produces anything useful remains to be seen. But after nearly a decade without answers, investigators and Sophie’s loved ones are willing to pursue another lead if it could bring them one step closer to finding her.

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