94. Missing: Enci 'Aubrey' Wu

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to Method and Madness. This is Missing NC Aubrey Wu.
I'm your host Dawn. Today we're discussing the ongoing investigation
into the disappearance of a missing child from Palmer Township, Pennsylvania.

(00:30):
N See Wu, who goes by Aubrey, is a fourteen
year old girl who went missing in January twenty twenty five.
Aubrey left her home through a bedroom window on the
evening of Friday, January tenth. The last confirmed sighting of
her was at the wah wah on MacArthur Road in
Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. This was on Saturday, January eleventh, around

(00:53):
nine thirty pm. Her family is desperately trying to find her,
So today we'll walk through the timeline of this case,
including what you should do if you think you spot Aubrey.
But first let's review her physical characteristics and a call
to action. Aubrey is of Chinese, Mexican and German descent.

(01:16):
She's fourteen years old, five feet tall, and weighs one
hundred and forty five pounds. She has hazel eyes and
long black hair that falls past her shoulders. Aubrey has
two tattoos, two blue stars on the outside of her
left thumb and a small black heart on her upper
left wrist. She also has multiple piercings in both ears.

(01:41):
There's a possibility that Aubrey has altered her appearance by
cutting or dyeing her hair. She was last seen wearing
a black jacket with red sleeves, black yoga pants, and
her favorite pair of shoes, her Nike Air Force one
Billie Eilish Sneakers have classified her as a runaway, but

(02:02):
her parents aren't sure she left willingly. They fear she
may be the victim of human trafficking. Aubrey's photo is
featured as the thumbnail of this episode, and her missing
purse and flyers are available via the link in the
show notes. There's a seven thousand dollar reward for information
leading to Aubrey's safe return. If you think you see Aubrey,

(02:27):
wu try to take a photo or video, jot down
a license plate number, if applicable, the make and model
and color of the vehicle, and contact the Palmer Police
Department immediately at six one zero seven five nine two
two zero zero. Alternatively, you can dial nine one one

(02:47):
and keep in mind Aubrey could be anywhere. By now.
I spoke with the lead investigator, Detective Strong, who emphasized
the best way to help is to call in any
sightings right away. Way every minute counts. Aubrey was born
on July twenty fourth, twenty ten, and has been primarily

(03:11):
raised by her mother, Jade Wu. The two lived in
the California Bay Area from twenty fourteen to twenty twenty
one before relocating east. Aubrey has never met her biological father.
In twenty twenty three, Jade married John German, and the
newly blended family of three settled in Palmer Township, Pennsylvania.

(03:34):
They've lived there ever since. This case was brought to
my attention by a local resident. Thank you, Michelle for
spreading the word. Palmer Township is home to around twenty
two thousand, three hundred people, according to the town's website.
Located in Northampton County on the eastern side of Pennsylvania,
it sits near the Delaware River and is about sixty

(03:56):
miles from both Philadelphia and New York City. Aubrey is
a freshman at Easton Area High School class of twenty
twenty eight. She's passionate about ballet, volleyball, reading, and listening
to artists like Billie Eilish Drake and The Weekend. Aubrey
also has a cat named Orangey, who she adores and

(04:18):
cares for. Her mother, Jade recently shared with Dayline NBC
that Aubrey is not only very intelligent and gifted, but
also has a bubbly personality. Quote. She loves dance, volleyball,
and art. She also participates in FBLA, Future Business Leaders
of America and mock Trial. Friday, January tenth, twenty twenty five,

(04:43):
was a mandated at home school day for students at
Easton Area High School due to the recent death of
a school administrator. Aubrey spent the day at the family's
kitchen table working on her school assignments, which is confirmed
by the video cameras the family only has set up
in their home. After finishing her schoolwork, Aubrey's parents, Jade

(05:06):
and John, decided to take a nap before dinner. Aubrey
retired to her bedroom around eight three p m. That evening,
Jade and John were startled by a knock at their door.
To their surprise, their visitors were from the Palmer Police Department.
Officers had been dispatched to the home after receiving a

(05:26):
call from a concerned citizen requesting a welfare check on Aubrey.
An anonymous woman had called in because her son was
worried about his friend. He hadn't heard from Aubrey in
the past twenty four hours, which was unusual since they
communicated almost every day. Jade and John were confused at first,

(05:47):
certain that Aubrey was in her bedroom, but when Jade
went upstairs to check, her daughter was nowhere to be found.
Footage from the family's outdoor cameras revealed that Aubrey had
left the house through a window at six forty one
pm local time. She climbed onto the roof, crossed over
to another roof, and then scaled a fence before making

(06:10):
her way to a neighbor's stairs. Finally, Aubrey was seen
leaving the property, walking down a grassy alley toward neighboring
John Street. It's estimated that as Aubrey was leaving her home,
the call for the welfare check had just come in
to the police department. When Jade and John realized that

(06:31):
Aubrey wasn't in her room, they provided the police with
information to help locate her and immediately set out to
search the area. They drove up and down the streets
of Palmer Township and neighboring Easton, knowing that Aubrey didn't
have her phone with her, as they'd recently taken it away.
This explains why Aubrey's friend hadn't heard from her in

(06:52):
twenty four hours and grew concerned. Around four thirty am
on Saturday, John sent a group text to all of
the contacts in Aubrey's phone. John introduced himself and explained
that Aubrey was missing. Both her parents and the police
were searching for her, and he asked that anyone with
information contact him or the Palmer Police Department. By that afternoon,

(07:19):
Jade and John sent another group text to the same people,
once again begging for help or any information that could
lead to finding Aubrey. They began receiving responses both in
the group thread and privately. Some of these responses led
Jade and John to believe that Aubrey might have a
burner phone. That evening, at eight thirty four PM, Jade

(07:43):
and John received what they describe as the biggest breakthrough
in their search. Just over twenty four hours since they
realized Aubrey had disappeared. They connected with Aubrey's friend, the
boy whose mom had called in the welfare check the
night prior. The boy revealed to Jade and John that
he just had seen Aubrey at his house. She stopped

(08:07):
by there with an older woman, but they had since left.
The details at the time were fuzzy and still are
as there were many unanswered questions about these specific events.
Jade and John did not know this woman, but they
obtained her phone number and immediately called her. There were
several attempts, but each call went to voicemail, and the

(08:29):
frantic parents left messages urging the woman to pull over
and to call nine one one. They sent her text
messages and added Detective Strong to the texts. After adding
the detective to the chain, Jade and John continued sending
texts to the unknown woman, pleading for help and stating
that this woman had kidnapped their daughter. It was a

(08:52):
confusing time, to say the least, and the woman never
answered the calls or responded to the messages. A little
more than two hours later, at ten forty seven p m.
Jade and John received a call from the Palmer Police.
They had found the woman's residence in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and
spoke with her. She told the officers that Aubrey was

(09:16):
there but had just run out of her home through
the back door twenty minutes earlier. Now, if you're thinking
this all sounds very strange, you're not alone. The police,
who are also working with the FBI and Homeland Security,
were able to trace Aubrey's whereabouts on the weekend that
she went missing. On that Saturday, the eleventh, Aubrey was

(09:41):
in the company of the woman in Allentown, Pennsylvania, about
twenty two miles from Palmer Township, but it's unclear how
the two came in contact. Nothing credible has been released publicly.
It's possible that after Aubrey left her house Friday night,
she hedgehiked, but somehow she did end up twenty two

(10:03):
miles from home at this woman's house. The next day,
Saturday afternoon, the woman took Aubrey to a dog show
or to a dog expo in New Jersey. Authorities have
not officially stated what expo or in what town, but Allentown,
Pennsylvania and the western part of New Jersey are about

(10:24):
twenty three miles apart. Apparently, Aubrey was helping out at
this event and was spotted on camera. Through interviews with
witnesses at the dog show, it doesn't appear that Aubrey
was in any kind of distress. She was there until
about five thirty PM. Later that evening, around eight thirty,
Aubrey was brought to her friend's home, the boy that

(10:47):
had his mother call in the welfare check. Details released
by Aubrey's family indicate that this boy and his mother
had a conversation with the missing child, but ultimately turned
her away. Aubrey may have returned to the woman's home
in Allentown. Now. It was around that time that Jade
and John, connected with the boy, got the woman's phone

(11:09):
number and relayed this information to the police. When officers
arrived at the woman's house, she was questioned extensively, and
that's when she said Aubrey had run out the back
door twenty minutes earlier. The final confirmed sighting of Aubrey
was that Saturday night at about nine thirty, an hour
after she left the boy's house. It was confirmed by

(11:32):
surveillance's camera footage that Aubrey was inside the wah Wah
in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania about twenty miles from Aubrey's home
and three and a half miles from the woman's home.
It has not been confirmed how Aubrey arrived at the
wah Wah. While at the store, Aubrey bought a drink

(11:53):
using cash, and then was spotted in the vicinity asking
for transportation or money from strangers. Investigators state that they
searched the area with the help of a federal agency
in their canine unit, but found nothing useful. As of
this recording, there are no charges against the woman Aubrey
was with for about twenty four hours, and sources state

(12:16):
she may be in Colorado. This has caused outrage by
some members of the community. How is a stranger an
adult not being charged with kidnapping or harboring a juvenal?
But the Pennsylvania law states a person is guilty of
kidnapping of a miner if he unlawfully removes a person

(12:37):
under eighteen years of age a substantial distance under the
circumstance from the place where he is found, or if
he unlawfully confines a person under eighteen years of age
for a substantial period in a place of isolation, with
any of the following intentions. One to hold for ransom
or reward, or as a shield or hostage, two to

(13:00):
facilitate commission of any felony or flight thereafter, Three to
inflict bodily injury on or to terrorize the victim or another,
And four to interfere with the performance by public officials
of any governmental or political function. Given that the police
did speak with this woman, it's entirely possible that she

(13:23):
was simply trying to help a child and nothing nefarious
was intended. We just do not have more details confirmed
at this time. Since the last sighting at wah Wah,
tips have come in with people claiming to see Aubrey.
According to Detective Strong, some of these calls came in
hours after the sighting, making it difficult to follow up on.

(13:45):
To date, no additional sightings have been confirmed. District Attorney
Stephen Giberata released a statement that law enforcement believes Aubrey
was intent on leaving the Lehigh Valley area. He said quote,
we are cautiously optimistic that this matter will remain a
non criminal investigation, as there has been no evidence uncovered

(14:08):
that suggests otherwise. Before we move forward, I want to
take a moment to remind everyone, though, while social media
can be a valuable tool for spreading information, it's important
to be cautious about the details shared. Speculation can sometimes
do more harm than good. The focus right now is

(14:28):
on bringing Aubrey homes safely, and the most helpful thing
we can all do is stay vigilant, share verified information,
and support the efforts of the authorities working to find her.
Aubrey's parents have made the following plea to their daughter.
Jade says, quote, Aubrey, I want you to know I've

(14:49):
always been really proud of you, and I think you
are so smart and you are very brave. I know
it must be difficult time for you, just like us,
but we're always here for you and waiting for you.
I just want to know you are safe and we
will be home waiting for you until you're found. I
will never give up and I love you so much
and it will never change. John said, quote, kiddo, regardless

(15:14):
of what has happened, none of this is anything you
need to worry about any longer. Please pick up a phone,
call nine one one, call me, your mom, somebody you trust,
and we will take care of this. Any of the
things that have gone on. Anyone that has hurt you.
I promise you we have so many new friends and
supporters that are going to show you nothing but love

(15:35):
and the light of this world. John and Jade are
currently represented by attorney Alexandria Krathamo. On March sixth, a
statement was posted to the firm's Facebook page to summarize
Aubrey's army is urged to stay focused on the shared
mission of bringing Aubrey home despite growing frustrations. While certain

(15:58):
details of the ongoing investigation must remain confidential, patients and
trust in the professionals handling the case are essential to
avoid misinformation that could hinder progress. Unity, support and constructive
efforts are needed to keep moving things forward, ensuring the
investigation remains on track to bring Aubrey back safely. I

(16:22):
spoke with the attorney Ali recently and she informed me
that hundreds of subpoenas have been submitted to the area
in the vicinity of the Wah Wah for camera surveillance,
phone records, and anything else that may be useful in
locating Aubrey. Ali is also representing John German as he
is currently facing charges of criminal harassment due to posts

(16:44):
he allegedly made on social media. Aubrey, if you're listening,
there are a lot of people that want you to
be safe. To quote one of your favorite artists, it's lyrics.
So where did you go? I should know? But it's
cold and I don't want to be lonely, so tell

(17:07):
me you'll come home. Some users on Reddit put together
a list of resources for Aubrey herself, as well as
sweet messages letting her know she's not alone. We can
all remember the difficulty of being fourteen, not a little kid,
not an adult, feeling misunderstood and longing to fit in. Aubrey.

(17:30):
If you can, please call nine one one or call
Palmer Police at six one zero seven five nine two
two zero zero. But if you can't or don't want to,
you do have options. You can call your mom. You
can call your stepdad or another member of your family.
There's also the National Runaway Safe Line one eight hundred

(17:54):
Runaway or one eight hundred seven eight six two nine
two nine. You can also text Crisis text Line. Just
text hello to seven four one seven four one and
be connected to a trained crisis counselor reach out to
any trusted adult, your dance teacher, your FBLA teacher, just

(18:16):
let someone know you're safe. On March eleventh, twenty twenty five,
the Palmer Township Police and the Northampton County District Attorney's
Office released an official media statement. When I reached out
to the Palmer Township Police directly for comment, they referred
me to their Facebook page for the statement. The Palmer
Township Police Department's Facebook page has at the time of

(18:39):
this recording, three hundred and fifty six comments Underneath the
media release. There's concern within the community, particularly from people
who are parents themselves, questioning how Aubrey's case is not
considered a criminal matter. In the meantime, there are other
efforts under way to bring Aubrey to safety. A community

(19:00):
of people local to Aubrey's home and beyond have all
rallied together printing, sharing and posting flyers. On March twentieth,
a live video was recorded and shared on social media,
where Aubrey's parents expressed their gratitude for the support they've
received and asked people to continue sharing the information. In

(19:22):
this video, Aubrey's mom, Jade, concluded by urging the public
to keep sharing Aubrey's flyer, whether online, through printing, or
by posting it. In local areas. She urged someone might
see it, recognize Aubrey's photo and provide a tip. The
family has also set up a Facebook page Aubrey's Not Found,

(19:43):
where they post updates and photos. I've exchanged text messages
with Aubrey's stepfather, John, who advised me to contact the
family's lawyer for further information. The details in this episode
come from Aubrey's parents, the family's lawyer, the Palmer Police Department,
and several news articles. All sources are listed on the

(20:05):
Method of Madness podcast website. Thank you so much for listening.
Method and Madness is a completely independent podcast, written, produced
and hosted by me. To find out more about the show,
visit Methodandmadness podcast dot com. To support the show, consider
leaving a rating or a review. To connect, I'm on

(20:29):
Instagram at Method and Madness Pod, and you can find
me on TikTok and Facebook as well. To chat, suggest
a case, or to discuss the episode, reach out to
me at Methoddmadness Pod at gmail dot com. That's it
for this week. Until next time, take care of yourself.
You matter. For crisis support, text Hello to seven four

(20:51):
one seven for one

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}94. Missing: Enci 'Aubrey' Wu