COVINGTON, Ky. — Paige Johnson’s family is hoping a new podcast episode about their missing loved one and renewed efforts by police will spark new leads.
Johnson had just turned 17 when she went missing in Covington in September 2010. After nearly 10 years of agonizing, Paige’s cousin says Paige’s family is energized about the possibilities of finding her.
“I would see her and she would just lock eyes with me,” said Alicen Franks.
Franks said the love between her and her cousin was like a sisterhood.
“We just had this amazing bond,” Franks said. “It’s completely frustrating because what they don’t realize is one person is gone but they have left a multitude of people broken.”
Police say a friend claimed he dropped Johnson off in Covington after they both attended a party.
“Actually a really awful, dodgy corner,” Franks said, “but his phone never pinged there. It pinged in East Fork Lake, so we have some interest going on there.”
Franks has never stopped looking for answers.
She created the website WhatHappenedToPaigeJohnson.com and a Facebook page of the same name to drum up leads, hoping someone will come forward.
"We've had over 20,000 people looking at the website. Our Facebook, we've been communicating, have a lot of people from the community reaching out, spreading the word for us," Franks said.
“I’m hoping after nine years it is just eating at them and that they will tell the truth."
Meanwhile, Franks has been working with “The Vanished Podcast.” The Paige Johnson episode is scheduled to be released Monday morning.
In addition, Covington police say they are starting over in their investigation.
Because Johnson’s case is nearing the 10-year mark, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reviewed it and
recommended that police re-interview people to find out what happened the night Johnson went missing.
"There's so much coming together, so much attention, so many more groups ... this just has to be the year we find her," Franks said.
If you have any information regarding the case, you are asked to contact Covington police or leave a tip by calling the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-The-Lost.
