UPDATE, 5/28/2021: Daphne Westbrook, a now 18-year-old from Tennessee who had a Florida Amber Alert issued on her behalf in March, was found safe in Samson, Ala., according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Daphne had been missing since Oct. 7, 2019.
Original story from March 12, 2021:
The TBI issued an Endangered Child Alert for Daphne under the Holly Bobo Act earlier this week.
The Florida Amber Alert was originally issued for Daphne in March because she was believed to be in Florida.
A Florida Amber Alert has been issued for a 17-year-old girl from Tennessee who has been missing for more than a year.
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Daphne Westbrook, 17, from Chattanooga, Tenn., may currently be in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
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She’s believed to be traveling with 42-year-old John Westbrook, her non-custodial father, in an orange 1971 Volkswagen Beetle.
There is no license plate or front windshield on the Beetle, FDLE said.
Daphne has been missing since Oct. 7, 2019, according to the Amber Alert. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released the following timeline of events in Daphne’s disappearance:
- She was last seen in Chattanooga in October 2019, and did not return from a weekend visit with her non-custodial father, John Westbrook.
- In June 2020, authorities in Hamilton County, Tenn., secured a warrant, charging John Westbrook with Custodial Interference, and in October, TBI placed Daphne on its Missing Children website.
- On February 23, 2021, a Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted John Westbrook, charging him with Aggravated Kidnapping in connection to Daphne’s disappearance.
- Authorities believe John may have traveled to the western United States with Daphne. He has known contacts in Colorado, New Mexico, California, and Washington.
- In recent weeks, evidence uncovered during the investigation into John Westbrook has led authorities to become increasingly concerned for Daphne’s wellbeing.
- TBI issued its Amber Alert on Wednesday, because a warrant has been issued for a qualifying crime in Tennessee. TBI said it issued the Amber Alert in hopes that – should evidence place her and John in another state – that state will be able to issue an Amber Alert faster.
- The most recent information in the search for Daphne and John likely places them in Florida one week ago, where a 1971 orange VW Beetle with no front license plate or windshield was spotted.
If you see Daphne Westbrook or John Westbrook, or have information about their relationship or disappearance, call 423-209-7415 or 1-800-TBI-FIND, or email TipsToTBI@tn.gov or FindingDaphne@hcdatn.org.
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