In just 17 days, North Dakota has reported nearly a dozen children and teenagers missing; an unusually high number for a single state in such a short period of time.
According to the state Attorney General’s Office registry, 12 juveniles have been reported missing since late July, with nine still unaccounted for as of mid-August. The most recent cases were logged on August 17, PEOPLE reported.
While disappearances of young people sadly happen across the country, experts say it is rare for one state (particularly a smaller one like North Dakota) to see so many cases clustered together. Authorities believe the cases are unrelated but admit the surge is “concerning.”
A closer look by InForum revealed the missing include:
- Dashira Chapple, 14 – last seen in Fargo on July 29
- Camila Naara Juarez Perez, 9 – last seen in Williston on August 3
- Maddison Mickaila Finch, 16 – last seen in Grand Forks County on August 9
- Angel Marquece Peltier, 15 – last seen in Fargo on August 10
- Mariah Alexandria Gorneau, 19 – last seen in Mandan
- Adrian Skye Spies, 14 – last seen in Fargo on August 11
- Abbigail Louise Compeau, 16 – last seen in Grand Forks on August 12
- Anaiese Dachelle Weems, 3 – last seen in Minot on August 13
- Xiyan Oka, 16 – last seen in Ward County on August 13
- Xoey Iceman, 16 – last seen in Ward County on August 13
- Tayvin Fox, 15 – last seen in Ward County on August 13
“That feels like a lot when you say it out loud,” said Steven Harstad, chief agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He noted that investigators have not found links between the disappearances but acknowledged the sharp rise is troubling.
The actual figure could be higher. If a child is categorized as a runaway, their case does not appear on the state’s missing persons registry. Harstad explained that some families may not report repeat runaways, assuming the child will return.
“A lot of times, a runaway is not even reported to law enforcement because they have come back in the past,” he said. “But even if that child has run away 20 times, the 21st time might be the time they’ve gotten into a bad situation.”
So far in 2025, 30 people have been reported missing in North Dakota, 18 of them minors, InForum reported. Alarmingly, more than half of those missing youth are Indigenous, with tribal communities disproportionately affected.
“You’d think there was something happening with that many people missing in a small state like North Dakota,” said Prairie Rose Seminole, a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons advocate. “These are children, these are loved ones; they’re community members whose absence I’m sure is deeply felt by families and communities.”
She added that young people labeled as “runaways” should not be dismissed as safe. “Just because a young person ran away doesn’t mean they’re safe.”