A Wisconsin teenager who vanished four years ago has been found safe and revealed to have been held captive by an abductor, authorities announced.
Joniah Walker, now 19, was located on May 23 in Blacksburg, Virginia, approximately 730 miles from her Milwaukee home. Police have charged Owen Lars Anderson, 37, with kidnapping, child enticement, and abduction of a child in Wisconsin. Court records in Virginia also show Anderson faces 55 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to a criminal complaint, Walker, then 15, met Anderson on Facebook when she was 12. After three years of online communication, Anderson convinced her to meet him in person on June 23, 2022. He arranged for an Uber to pick her up from her Milwaukee home and take her to a movie theater in Chicago, Illinois.
At the theater, police allege Anderson abducted Walker, disposed of her cell phone, and a burner phone he had previously given her. He then allegedly drove her to his home in Blacksburg, Virginia, in a rental car. Evidence from a neighbor's Ring doorbell camera captured footage of Walker leaving the area on June 23, 2022, carrying a large green camping backpack.
Walker told investigators that Anderson lured her with false promises of a better life, claiming he would care for her and never harm her. She reportedly confided in him about struggles and alleged abuse at her family home, which he used to persuade her to leave. Once together, Anderson allegedly forced her to reset her iPhone and discarded it, along with the burner phone.
During her captivity, Walker allegedly endured sexual, physical, and verbal abuse. The complaint states that Anderson threatened to release videos of her performing sexual acts if she did not comply with his demands and forbade her from attending school.
Blacksburg police responded to a 911 call regarding a domestic disturbance at Anderson's residence on May 23. During the investigation, Walker revealed she had been reported missing as a juvenile and was being held against her will.
Anderson was arrested on May 27. At the time of his apprehension, he was found to be in possession of two handguns, multiple loaded magazines, knives, and pepper spray. A search of his home the following day allegedly uncovered electronic devices, flash drives, and journals, which authorities are examining.
Anderson faces additional charges in Blacksburg including strangulation, child abuse, and preventing a 911 call. The FBI is involved in the investigation of the digital evidence. Anderson has been arraigned on local charges and is being held without bond, awaiting extradition to Wisconsin. Federal charges are also a possibility, and the Virginia charges could potentially be incorporated into a federal case. Walker's mother, Tanesha Howard, had consistently believed her daughter had been lured away from home.
