Six days after 17-year-old Ja’Cayia Alsup went missing at an MTSU basketball game, the MTSU police department (MTPD) explained why they never issued an Amber Alert.
The case did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert because no abduction happened, according to Sergeant Katelynn Liedtke, one of MTPD’s public information officers.
Police entered Alsup into the National Crime Information Center, an online index of missing persons and criminal information used by law enforcement agencies, on Feb. 8 — the day Alsup’s family reported her missing.
However, police said they waited five days to notify the public because the lead detective, Sergeant Trevor Cheney, had leads he wanted to look into before making the case public. Alsup remains missing.
As for Liedtke, an eight-year veteran at MTPD, this case was a first for her.
“Obviously the police department has been around for a very long time, so I won’t say it’s never happened,” Liedtke said. “But I’ll be here for eight years in May, and we have not had something like this since I’ve been here at least.”
Alsup was last seen at Murphy Center wearing a black jacket, brown leggings, gray shoes, glasses, a silver necklace and a brown wristlet. She is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 110 pounds.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Trevor Cheney at 615-904-8464.
MTPD confirmed the investigation is ongoing.
