She Was Missing 17 Months. Among Us Helped Bring Her Home.
The girl reached another young player through the online game and later said she was being held against her will, according to accounts of a federal complaint. A parent's tip led to an FBI-monitored call and her recovery in Oregon.
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A Utah teenager missing since May 2025 was recovered in Oregon after reaching another young player through Among Us, according to accounts of a federal complaint.
The other player's parent contacted the FBI on November 1, 2026. Agents arranged to monitor a video call with the girl, and Oregon law enforcement recovered her from a residence later that day. She was 17.
The FBI confirmed the recovery and the arrest of a 39-year-old man without incident. Its investigators and the Rich County Sheriff's Office in Utah had spent more than a year pursuing leads from across the United States and other countries.
The breakthrough began with a conversation between two young people in a multiplayer game. According to Eurogamer's account of the complaint, the girl began chatting with another teenager in Among Us around October 15. Their conversation moved to another social media app, where she identified herself and said she was being held against her will in Oregon.
KATU independently described the tip as coming from a minor who had met her through the game.
Federal prosecutors have charged Adam Hunter Harmel, 39, of Huntington, Oregon, with transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The charge was filed in a federal criminal complaint on November 2, and he made an initial court appearance in Boise, Idaho, on November 4. The allegations have not been proven.
