Ritu Jha-
The hunt for a 14-year-old girl of Indian origin Tanvi Marupally has been ongoing since January 17 in Conway, Arkansas. The city police told indica they have asked the U.S. Marshals and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for assistance with this investigation.
Marupally, a junior high student was last seen at Conway Junior High School. The security camera shows her walking to the school bus she usually takes to go home, but she did not board the bus, and walked further.
Tanvi was wearing a purple winter coat, pink pullover, blue shirt and jeans, and blue backpack. She is 5 feet 5 inches tall and has short black hair and wears glasses, her friends and parents said.
She left her smartwatch and phone at home on the day of her disappearance.
Lacey Kanipe, spokesperson for Conway Police Department told indica they are in constant contact with Tanvi’s parents in order to keep them updated on all aspects of “our investigation.”
“We continue to follow up on all leads that we receive from the public and our officers have responded to several areas where there were possible sightings of Tanvi,” Kanipe said. “We have expanded our search to areas outside our city and we have asked the U.S. Marshals and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for assistance with this investigation in hopes of gathering more information and having a wider reach when it comes to searching for Tanvi.”
Asked why it’s getting hard to find her, Kanipe said that the officers have participated in multiple area searches across Conway. They have interviewed teachers, students, and friends.
“We have attempted to review security cameras in areas where Tanvi might frequent, and we remain in contact with the local news media,” she said.
The community has been amazing with their help to share Tanvi’s story and to help us search for her. The Conway Police Department has put out information on a consistent basis to make sure the public stays aware and updated on this investigation. However, there are certain details that we cannot divulge in order to maintain the integrity of this investigation.
To help find Tanvi, a reward of $5000 has been announced in the hope to have her safe at home by her birthday on March 24.
Kanipe urged individuals to remain vigilant, to check out buildings in their area, to review security camera footage when possible, and if anyone can provide information on Tanvi’s whereabouts, to contact the police at (501) 450-6120 or dial 911 in case of a possible sighting.
The girl’s parents told katv.com, Tanvi is outgoing and also would often visit a chapel near her home and its surrounding fields to escape life’s worries.
She has in the past gone out for a night, into the woods but would return the next day, Pavan her father told the local media katv.com, “but here, it’s been 14 days already…she just went missing without a clue. That just makes me really confused. ”How can a 14-year-old can just go to school, walk away from the bus stop and just vanish into thin air?”
However, the reason for her disappearance could be that she was worried about her father losing his tech job and her having to move to India.
He told katv.com, that he attempted to distract his daughter from her growing concerns about leaving the U.S. by taking her to many Arkansas State and National Parks. Her favorite was Petit Jean State Park, with which she had a special connection. For that reason, her parents believe she may have gone there after running away.
The never-ending search for Indian-origin Arkansas teen Tanvi Marupally
