A 16-year-old missing teenager from New Smyrna Beach has been located safety following an AMBER Alert on Thursday, police say. Fayren Morris was reported missing and believed to have been abducted, according to information released in the initial AMBER Alert.
Morris was confirmed to have been found in a 9:40 p.m. update from the New Smyrna Beach Police Department. This was after police said they were in contact with an adult male who was identified as a suspect in Morris's disappearance.
In the initial report issued by the NSBPD, Morris was said to have potentially been kidnapped by 34-year-old Ra'Kim Edwards. Police said she was "believed to be in danger". Distinguishing features about Edwards were described, including tattoos on his shoulder and arms.
It was said that Edwards was believed to have possibly abducted Morris. The public was told to be on the lookout for Edwards's 2016 Acura TL around DeLand, bearing a Florida license plate that reads. FDMA64.
The New Smyrna Beach Police Department's initial post was made at 6:49 p.m. An update was issued at 8:30 p.m., announcing that police were in contact with Edwards. At that time, Morris's location and condition remained unknown. The public was still urged to call 911 with potential information on the case.
Finally, at 9:40 p.m., Morris was confirmed to have been found safely. "The circumstances surrounding this incident remain under investigation, including whether Ra’Kim Edwards had any involvement," police said.
Ra'Kim Edwards has multiple bookings on record in the Volusia County Branch Jail. Past charges include sale of fentanyl and heroin within 1,000 feet of an assisted living facility, cannabis possession over 20 grams, and sale of fentanyl. In past bookings Edwards has been listed as a Deltona resident. As of Friday morning he does not appear to have been arrested in connection to Morris's disappearance, and police have made no further statement implicating him in the incident.
