ST. GEORGE — Police, family and friends are searching for 16-year-old Tera Ruth Gardner, of Washington City, who went missing March 11 in West Valley City.
During a family trip to the Salt Lake City area, Gardner snuck out of a family member’s West Valley City home in the middle of the night and ran away, according to Gardner’s mother, Susanne Goodwin.
“She has struggled with sobriety and I’m worried she is really sick from drug use,” Goodwin said on a GoFundMe page set up to help find her daughter. “The longer she’s missing the more she can hurt herself.”
In a heartfelt plea to her daughter posted on Facebook, Goodwin wrote:
Tera, if you see this I just want you to know I love you and if you are in trouble call us we will be there in a heartbeat to help you. I don’t care about anything else but to know your safe and alive. Even if you anonymously call to tell me your safe I just need to know your ok. Anything can happen in that city especially if your planning on staying on the dirty road.
If you want out and all your friends abandon you or if you have no money or if your cold and stranded you know our numbers you know where we are. Please let someone know your ok I love you. This is the point where I have to trust your street smart trust you know what your doing and trust that you don’t hurt yourself. You are strong and it takes strength to come home to your family.
According to family members, there’s a possibility Gardner is staying with people she met in rehab.
Anybody with information regarding the whereabouts of Tera Gardner is asked to call the West Valley City Police Department at 801-840-4000.
Description of Gardner
- Name: Tera Ruth Gardner
- Age: 16 years old
- Race: Caucasian
- Height: 5’6″
- Weight: 130 pounds
- Hair color: Brown, wavy, shoulder-length; color changes often
- Eye color: Hazel
- Distinguishing marks: Three tattoos on the fingers of her left hand
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.
This is Tera Gardner, do not be fooled by my screen name. I have been home for almost nine months and I want this taken down. You did not have permission to put this up according to my mother, and it precents me from getting jobs. Search my name employer? Find out I’m a run away with a drug problem. If this is not down I will be at your building very shortly.
Prevents* not to be rude I understand it was your job but I do not want this up any more. I did not runaway to do drugs.