Schenectady County DA now investigating missing girl case
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The Schenectady County District Attorney is now involved with the police investigation of 14-year-old Samantha Humphrey, who hasn’t been seen since Nov. 25.
Ever since she vanished from Riverside Park, it’s been agony for the family, and an ongoing mystery for police.
Police are taking this case very seriously and that they are putting a lot of resources into it.
NewsChannel 13 asked Schenectady County District Attorney Bob Carney if it’s unusual for his office to get involved in a missing person’s case. He said it’s not.
One of the reasons is because his office has subpoena power. The police department does not. He wouldn’t elaborate on that. However, it may signal that detectives are beginning to pivot from a missing person’s investigation to a criminal probe. According to Samantha’s mother, Jaclyn Humphrey, her daughter came to Riverside Park late last Friday night to meet up with an old boyfriend. She says the two got involved in a physical altercation.
One week later, Humphrey says she has plenty of reason to be concerned.
“Something bad may have happened to her. She does not have a phone with her. She’s obsessed with her phone,” said Humprey. “That is her main thing, as is like a lot of teenagers now. Like she cannot be away from her phone, and she would let somebody know. Like, I don’t know where she would have gone with no money. No means of getting any money when she left. There were no altercations here. She’s been happy.”
Humphrey also confirmed on Thursday a jacket found near the river did belong to her daughter.
Meantime, it’s also been about three weeks since Hajile Howard, another girl from Schenectady, went missing. The two girls were close friends. Police say they’ve found no evidence that indicates their disappearances are connected. They also say while Hajile is missing, she has been in contact with other people, and they don’t think she is in danger.