DAPHNE, Ala. — The Daphne Police Department has asked for the public’s help locating a missing juvenile last seen in the Lake Forest subdivision.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Daphne Police Department at (251) 620-0911.
The Details in the Police Notice
According to a Daphne Police Department news release, Alexis Way was last seen on Sept. 16 in the area of Montclair Loop in the Lake Forest subdivision. She was on foot.
She was last seen wearing black pants and a black shirt.
The department asked that anyone who sees Alexis, or who knows of her whereabouts, call (251) 620-0911.
Editor’s Note on Timing
The details above reflect the Daphne Police Department’s notice as issued on Sept. 16. Missing-person cases frequently resolve within days, and the department does not always issue a separate public announcement when someone is located.
Readers who believe they have information should call the number above regardless. Anyone seeking the current status of the case should contact the Daphne Police Department directly rather than relying on the date of this notice.
What to Do if You Think You’ve Seen Her
Law enforcement guidance in cases like this one is consistent and simple:
- Call police rather than approaching. A young person who has left home may be frightened of being returned and may move away from anyone who confronts them. A phone call from a distance is more likely to result in a safe recovery than a direct approach.
- Report partial information. People routinely decide not to call because they are not certain. Investigators would rather receive ten uncertain sightings than miss the one that was correct, and a partial detail — a direction of travel, a time, a vehicle — can be the piece that connects other reports.
- Note the time and place precisely. The single most useful thing a caller can provide is exactly when and where, because it establishes a search perimeter.
- If there is immediate danger, call 911.
Why Clothing Descriptions Appear in These Notices
The detail about black pants and a black shirt is standard in missing-person releases, and it is the information most useful in the first hours.
Clothing is what a witness actually registers and recalls. People are poor at estimating height, weight and age from a glance, but they remember what someone was wearing. It is also what appears on surveillance and doorbell camera footage, where faces are frequently indistinct but a dark outfit is identifiable.
The limitation is that clothing changes, and its usefulness declines as time passes — which is part of why the initial hours of a search matter so much.
How Missing-Juvenile Cases Work
Missing-child reports in Alabama, as in every state, are handled without a waiting period. Federal law — the National Child Search Assistance Act — requires that law enforcement accept a report of a missing child immediately, with no waiting period, and enter the information into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database within two hours.
That NCIC entry is what makes a case visible to every law enforcement agency in the country. An officer running a name during a traffic stop in another state will see the entry.
The public appeal is a separate step, used when a department concludes that community awareness may help. Most missing-juvenile cases nationally are resolved relatively quickly, with the young person returning on their own or being located nearby, but the outcome is not knowable in advance — which is why departments treat each case as urgent and ask the public for help.
Lake Forest
Lake Forest is a large residential subdivision in Daphne, on Baldwin County’s Eastern Shore. It is among the more extensive planned communities in the area, with a substantial network of residential streets, and Montclair Loop is one of them.
The size of the neighborhood is relevant to a search on foot. A subdivision with many connected streets, wooded margins and multiple exits presents a considerably larger search area than a few blocks, and it borders routes that lead toward the rest of Daphne and the U.S. 98 corridor.
It is also a neighborhood where a great many residents are outdoors in the evenings — which is precisely the population a public appeal is aimed at.
Additional Resources
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children operates a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) and works with law enforcement agencies nationwide on missing-child cases. The center accepts tips from the public and can assist families.
Young people who have left home and need help can also reach the National Runaway Safeline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929), a confidential, 24-hour service that provides support and can help arrange a safe return home or connect callers with local resources.
Contact
Daphne Police Department: (251) 620-0911