FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The U.S. Marshals Service said a Fayetteville mother and child missing for more than five years were found alive in Harnett County on Tuesday.
Fayetteville police said Miracle Smith was 1, and her mother, Amber Renaye Weber, was 21, at the time of their disappearance.
Weber and her daughter were last seen in December 2016 in Fayetteville and reported missing in January 2017, according to news reports.
Officers searched for clues about the disappearance and eventually turned to federal agents for help. The investigation gained momentum when investigators determined that the missing child and mother were located in Bunnlevel.
U.S. Marshals told WNCN Weber and her daughter were found in a trailer on property owned by the family of Weber's children's father.
Federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives had originally gone to the property Tuesday. They were investigating a weapons case involving Joe Smith - the grandfather of Weber's children, authorities said.
Authorities don't yet know what happened at the time when the mother and daughter went missing. It's not clear whether anyone will be charged in connection to the disappearance.
The ATF charged Joe Smith for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
