Part of the Ryan story

Authorities are still looking for a 17-year-old girl who went missing on New Year's Eve.

Family members say Ashley Marie Ryan, a senior **** High School, went to the movies with friends at Mayfaire cinema and walked out the back door of the theatre.

They say she then went to a pawn shop to trade in an iPod she got for Christmas.  She used the money to buy a bus ticket to Kissimmee, Florida, just outside of Orlando. A spokesperson for the Wilmington Police Department said Ryan is most likely a runaway.

Her parents have gone down to Florida to try to find her. In the meantime, family members here are devastated.

"Ashley is seventeen. She's naive. She's a sweet little girl and we just want our kid back," said Ahley's Aunt. "She's just a kid. She's just a little girl. And we want her home. We want to get her where we can help her."

Anyone with information on Ashley's whereabouts should contact the Wilmington Police Department at 343-3600.

 

As submitted to the FORUM section of the News Site: Ashley  Submitted by The Ryan Family (not verified) on 7 January 2008 - 11:37pm.

Thank you Hampstead and Wilmington for all your prayers, and thank you WWAY for your accurate reporting. We received calls today that she was reported found, but sadly that is not true. Please continue your prayers and good thoughts for Ashley. Yes, we checked her computer. She is traveling alone.