A missing persons case that began outside a Chicago movie theater more than four years ago has finally reached a resolution, though not a simple one. Janaya Walker, who was 15 years old when she disappeared in June 2022, has been found alive in Blacksburg, Virginia, roughly 730 miles from where she was last seen. She is now 19.
According to Milwaukee County authorities, Walker had taken an Uber from her home in Milwaukee to Chicago to meet a man she had been communicating with online for years. Investigators say that man, 37-year-old Owen Anderson, had spent a long time building a relationship with her before convincing her to meet him in person. Once she arrived, police allege, he took her phone and a burner phone he’d given her and threw them in a sidewalk trash can, cutting off any way for her family to trace her.
For Walker’s father, the first sign something was wrong was that her phone had gone straight to voicemail. That single detail set off years of searching, public appeals, and frustration for a family that felt like their concerns weren’t being taken seriously fast enough by Milwaukee police. Doorbell camera footage of Walker’s last known movements circulated widely as her family pushed for more urgency in the investigation.
Now, after four years, Anderson faces kidnapping and child abduction charges in Wisconsin, stated NBC Chicago. He remains in custody in Virginia and has not yet appeared in a Wisconsin courtroom. Police say Walker was held captive and abused throughout the time she was missing.
How the Case Unfolded
The relationship between Walker and Anderson reportedly started online well before she ever left Milwaukee. Investigators describe it as a lengthy grooming process that culminated in Anderson arranging the ride that brought her to Chicago.
From there, according to authorities, he moved to isolate her almost immediately by disposing of both phones tied to her.
Family Frustration With the Investigation
Walker’s family and friends were vocal for years about what they saw as a slow response from Milwaukee police. They pointed out that surveillance and doorbell cameras lined the block where she was last seen, and questioned why more of that footage wasn’t gathered early on.
Police have maintained that they checked databases used in human trafficking investigations and found no indication she had been trafficked, a distinction they’ve continued to draw even after the kidnapping charges were filed.
Where Things Stand Now
Anderson is expected to eventually be transferred to face charges in Wisconsin, though no court date in that state has been set.
Milwaukee police have largely declined to discuss specifics of the investigation publicly since the arrest.
Our Take
Stories like this one are hard to sit with. What stands out most is the gap between how quickly the family felt this needed to be treated and how long it actually took to reach an answer.
We’re glad Janaya Walker is alive and that the man accused is facing charges, and we hope her family gets whatever support and answers they still need going forward.