Follow the Phone: Morgan Crenshaw

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: On September 29, 2025, seventeen-year-old Morgan Crenshaw left her grandmother’s home in Antioch, California, telling her family she was heading to Oakland. Four days later, her phone was found abandoned on a curb outside an empty building, where wigs and women’s clothing were scattered across the floor. Police now fear she’s being held against her will, and an Ebony Alert has been issued. What happened to Morgan after that sudden stop, and who was behind the wheel? If you have any information about Morgan's whereabouts, email Detective Allen at [e-mail] or call the Antioch Police Department at 925-779-6926. 

This is the story of Morgan Crenshaw. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of The Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
highlighting a case that started in late September twenty twenty five.
A seventeen year old girl loved her grandmother's home in Antioch, California,

(00:24):
telling family she was heading to Oakland, but she hasn't
been heard from since. Four days later, her phone was
found on a curb in front of an abandoned building
after a location app indicated a hard break event in
a moving vehicle. Inside that building, family members discovered wigs

(00:48):
and women's clothing items scattered throughout. Police have characterized her
disappearance as suspicious, and an ebony alert has been issued.
Her sister fears she's being held against her will. This
is the story of Morgan Crenshaw. Morgan Crenshaw is seventeen

(01:15):
years old. She's described as being about five feet tall
and weighing approximately one hundred and ten pounds. She has
brown hair and brown eyes, and at the time she
was last seen, Morgan was wearing a pink wig, a
black jacket, black bottoms, and black slippers. Authorities have included

(01:37):
those details in public bulletins as they've continued their search
for her. Those who know Morgan describe her as uplifting,
someone whose presence brightens a room. Her sister, Jeannie Cannard said,
you can't sit around my sister and not feel like
you're uplifted. You can't sit around her and be sad.

(02:02):
The two were close, speaking at least every other day.
Morgan stay connected with her family, checking in regularly, making
what unfolded seem completely out of character. Sunday, September twenty ninth,
twenty twenty five, that's the last day a family member,

(02:25):
her grandmother, confirmed seeing Morgan in person. On that morning,
she stopped by her grandmother's home to pick up a jacket.
She told her family that she was heading to Oakland
to stay with her boyfriend. At that moment, nothing seemed unusual.
She appeared to be taking a normal trip. Her family

(02:49):
expected to hear from her soon, just like they usually did.
In the days after September twenty ninth, Morgan maintained some
contact with her boy boyfriend, at least up until October third,
when she sent her last known text. On Friday, October third,

(03:10):
twenty twenty five. Public records indicate a possible sighting around
five o'clock am near International Boulevard in Twelfth Street in Oakland.
Later that day, she sent her final known text message.
After that, no confirmed communication, no verified sightings, only silence.

(03:34):
When Morgan stopped responding, her boyfriend grew worried and used
the family location app Life three sixty to try to
find her phone. The GPS data from the app showed
the phone was in a moving vehicle and near International Boulevard.
It registered a hard break a sudden, forceful stop. According

(03:58):
to Morgan's sister. The sister of Morgan's boyfriend had driven
to the general area where the app indicated the stop
had taken place. That's where they found Morgan's phone lying
on the curb. Morgan herself was not there. The phone
was reportedly located in front of an old, abandoned building

(04:22):
in Oakland. Morgan's family had searched that building several times,
and that's where they had discovered the wigs and the
women's clothing. The location of the phone, the app data
showing a hard break, and the items found inside the
building together did raise serious questions and concerns. For her safety.

(04:45):
In local reporting and law enforcement discussion, portions of International
Boulevard have been associated with exploitation and trafficking activity, a
context authorities say is very relevant to this investigation. By Sunday,
October fifth, two days after her last known texts, Morgan's

(05:08):
family realized they had not heard from her and filed
a missing person report with the Antioch Police Department. Detectives
immediately treated the case as suspicious. Her sister Joannie had
been vocal about how out of character this was for Morgan.

(05:28):
This is not normal for her, not normal for her
to not reach out and speak to anyone, she says.
The Antioch Police Department advanced the investigation, interviewing multiple acquaintances
and following leeds into Oakland, especially around International Boulevard where

(05:49):
the phone was located. Antioch Police Detective Ashley Allen, who
was working the case, has spoken publicly about the urgency.
This is a child. She doesn't deserve any of this,
she said. She needs to come home to her family.
She's got her whole life ahead of her and this

(06:10):
is not the way it should go. In early October
twenty twenty five, the California Highway Police issued an ebony
alert from Morgan Crenshaw. An ebony alert is an emergency
notification used in California for missing black girls and women,
typically ages twelve to twenty five, when law enforcement believes

(06:33):
that the person is in danger or may be a
trafficking victim, and after local resources have been exhausted. Jeanni
has been clear about her fears. My fear is her
being held against her will. That is my fear. My
fear is her wanting to leave and she can't, whether

(06:54):
that's because she's getting physically harmed or whether she's getting threatened.
Given the circumstances of Morgan's disappearance, family and authorities say
these concerns are grounded in real risk. Authorities are asking
the public to be on the lookout for Morgan across Sacramento,
Contra Costa and Almida Counties, the region surrounding where she disappeared.

(07:20):
Her sister's message to her is simple. If she sees this,
whatever is going on, don't stop fighting, don't give up.
We're here, but they need help from the public. If
you have any information about Morgan's whereabouts, please email Detective

(07:41):
Alan or call the Antioch Police Investigations Bureau their contact
information can be found in the description below. As we
close out this episode, remember that sharing Morgan's story not
only brings awareness, but it could also generate new leads
to help bring her home to her family. Don't forget

(08:02):
to click the follow button to stay updated on Morgan's
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if you're watching on YouTube, share your thoughts on this
case and the comments below. Thank you so much for

(08:24):
joining us on another episode until next time. Hunting for
Answers is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network.

(08:45):
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