Law enforcement in Texas have issued a statewide Amber Alert for a teenager from Van Zandt County.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Willow Sirmans, 14, was last seen around 10 p.m. Monday, May 11th, in the 3000 block of Van Zandt County Road 1712 in Grand Saline.
She is described as a white female, 3 feet tall, weighing 75 pounds, and having strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes and has braces on her teeth.
Officials believe she is with 21-year-old Austen Walker. Walker is described as standing 5’9″ and weighing 140 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes. He also has tattoos on both arms and a scar on his right arm.
According to Facebook users, Austen was friends with Willows older brother in the past and that’s how they know each other.
Willow’s profile can be viewed here.
And Austen’s joint profile that he shares with his wife can be viewed here.
Around 1 a.m. Thursday, Van Zandt County Sheriff’s officials named a second “person of interest” and vehicle description in a Facebook update.
The post said officials are now looking for, “a white 2012 Toyota Camry, displaying Texas License Plate LGH 9294.”
VZCS named “Courtney Odum,” the owner of the white sedan, as a second “person of interest” in the case. Officials did not release how she may be connected to Walker or Sirmans.
According to someone who knows Courtney she is naive and immature. She believes that Courtney could have been manipulated into helping.
Courtney’s profile can be viewed here.
Willows’s public Facebook profile and TikTok have raised questions about her online usage and who monitors it.
In several TikTok videos she is seen laying with a sleeping boy in bed. Her TikTok can be viewed here.
Details on the abduction have also not been released, however, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office said Sirmans was initially reported as possibly having left her home with a friend.
“Information obtained at the time of the report did not meet the criteria to issue an Amber Alert,” a news release stated.
“Additional information has been obtained pursuant to the Investigation which led to the eventual issuance of the Amber Alert.”
“Van Zandt County Deputies also enlisted assistance from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office who checked residences in Henderson County in an attempt to locate Sirmans.”
The sheriff’s office said they received support from the Grand Saline Police Department, Van Zandt County Constable Pct. 1, Smith County Constables Office, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
A report and intake was also completed with the National Institute for Missing and Exploited Children, so as that Federal Assistance could be obtained from US Law Enforcement Agencies should the need arise.
Anyone with information related to the whereabouts of Sirmans, Walker or Odum is asked to contact the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office at (903) 567-4133.
Austen’s wife has since spoken up on their joint account.
A little before 11pm EST, police and the FBI held a press conference to announce the safe recovery of Willow Sirmans in the Louisville, KY area.
Austen Lewis was taken into custody for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution for kidnapping.
The events that led to the recovery included Courtney Odum being located and taken into custody in Missouri.
While being questioned by police and the FBI, Courtney confirmed that Austen and Willow were staying at a house near Louisville. This information led to the recovery of Willow.
Austen and Courtney had warrants issued today, May 14th, out of Van Zandt County for kidnapping. Any other charges they face will be added here as they are announced.