FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — On Tuesday, the Office of the Sheriff in Franklin County said they removed Lauren Cook and her three children – Benjamin, Hannah, and Elijah – from the local and national missing persons databases.
Deputies said over Labor Day weekend, the Cook family reportedly traveled to New York on a pre-arranged trip.
It was reported that they did not return to Franklin County after that trip and instead traveled to another state where they have decided to remain for the time being. After not returning to their Franklin County home, limited contact with family, and then missing a court appearance, the circumstances met the criteria to issue a missing person alert for the family, according to deputies.
Since that alert was issued, law enforcement has been able to corroborate sightings of the family via surveillance footage and video calls to determine that they appear to be safe and not under any type of duress, deputies said.
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Considering the totality of circumstances and confirming with the original complainant, the missing persons alert is now closed because the elements of the investigation do not meet the criteria needed to extend a missing person entry, deputies said.
The Office of the Sheriff said they want to extend their gratitude to the public for their help in spreading the word about any missing person cases, and for reporting any tips that may lead to the location of that person. Situations like these are sometimes very complex and law enforcement may be limited as to what details can and cannot be released due to ongoing investigations. Regardless of the circumstances, the end goal of all involved is to simply locate the individual to ensure that they are safe, deputies said.