Sophie Reeder

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1:34Today I'm discussing the case of Sophie Reeder. Shortly after 2am on the morning of Saturday, May 20th, 2017, a security camera along Davie Boulevard recorded a girl walking east through Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her brown curly hair is gathered into two buns. It looks like she's wearing a short black dress, a brown faux fur coat, red high-top sneakers, and white headphones. This is 15-year-old Sophie Reeder, and these are the last images we have of her. Then, Sophie headed east and disappeared from the camera's view. This is the case of Sophie Reeder. Friday, May 19, 2017 started as just any other day in the Reeder home.

2:23They live on Citrus Isle. It's a quiet waterfront street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. And 15-year-old Sophie was working with these artificial flowers, gluing and attaching them to things in her room and using them in pictures. She loved arts and crafts. She even convinced her dad, Patrick Reeder, to stick one behind his ear for a selfie. It really is this beautiful image, but like any family, they had their struggles. Sophie, who'd been living with him full-time since she was 12, was struggling with depression and anxiety. She'd been hanging out with a bad crowd and having trouble in school, so just a few months prior, she'd transferred to an online high school.

3:04Of course, this did lead her to becoming more isolated from people and spending a lot more time alone on her computer. Understandably, this did concern her family. but it seemed like things were taking a positive turn. The night before, she just randomly decided she wanted to cook a meal for herself, her father, and his girlfriend. It was a simple chicken dish, but to some, it was a sign that things were getting better. So the next night, Friday, everything seemed fine. But around 11, Patrick saw Sophie pacing around the house with her phone and told her to go to bed. Sophie didn't argue. She said okay, and she went to her room.

3:42But then she sneaks out of the house without telling her dad. After this, Sophie's captured on a neighborhood surveillance camera near her home at 11.25pm. It's a pretty rough and grainy video, but you can see that she's alone and that it's definitely Sophie Reeder. Now, her street, Citrus Isle, is a dead-end residential street surrounded by canals, so there's only one way out. Basically, the streets in this neighborhood are like their own little islands with each side surrounded by water. So we can assume that she heads east, then probably turns left onto Southwest 9th Avenue to the larger main road, Davy Boulevard, where she eventually makes a right and heads east again.

4:25But I say probably because there's a problem with this timeline. We have a large gap of time before Sophie's seen again. At 2.16am on now Saturday, May 20th, Sophie's seen again on surveillance video now on Davy Boulevard, about one mile from her home. This video is much clearer. It looks like she's wearing a short black dress, or at least a black shirt-skirt combo, a brown faux fur coat, red high-top sneakers, and white over-the-ear wired headphones. Again, she's alone in both videos that we have, and she's walking at a normal pace. Really, to me, it looks like she's just taking a casual walk.

5:07So we have this great, really clear image of Sophie. But of course, the question is, what was she doing for nearly three hours? She was seen in her neighborhood at 11.25pm, and now nearly three hours later, she's seen about a mile away at 2.16am. Well, what we do know is that at 3.07am, records show an outbound call from Sophie's phone to 37-year-old Leonard Jennings. This call was made as her phone arrived at the apartment complex at 1725 Southwest 11 Court. This is where Jennings was staying with his family. It's about two miles from Sophie's home. Now, we don't have to infer anything here. Police have said outright that they believe Sophie was inside of his apartment, and her phone continues to show that she's there, or at least that her phone is there until 9.13 a.m.

6:02Then it goes silent. Back on Citrus Isle, Saturday morning began with a closed bedroom door. Patrick later said that he assumed that Sophie was sleeping. It was a weekend, and nothing about a teenager sleeping late raised any red flags for him. So he leaves to go run errands. But at some point, he does text Sophie to check in, and he never gets a reply. When Patrick gets home, Sophie's door is still closed. When he goes inside, he sees that a candle was still burning. And nothing really seemed to be missing. But he also finds something else. Something strange. He finds about$300 in crumpled$1 bills inside a bag near her bed.

6:46Now again, Sophie's 15 and she doesn't have a job. Not even some type of under-the-table side hustle. So Patrick has no idea how she got that money. And there's another clue on the wall. May 19th had been marked with a large X on Sophie's calendar. Now, Patrick is panicking. He begins calling family. He checked in with Sophie's mother, Nicole Twist. He called relatives who might have seen her, but no one had. And unfortunately, Patrick was under the impression that he had to wait 48 hours before police would take a report. But that doesn't mean that he didn't take action immediately. That entire weekend, Patrick and other family members searched the area for Sophie themselves.

7:31And then finally, on Monday morning, May 22nd, Patrick went to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to report Sophie missing. This episode is brought to you by Nordstrom. For 125 years, Nordstrom has been part of your story. The stylist who found the perfect outfit for your big interview. The first pair of walking shoes for your one-year-old. The tomato soup you shared with your sister at the cafe. These are the moments that make Nordstrom, Nordstrom. Big or small, we're here for all of it. Celebrating 125 years with new moments still add. Discover it all in Nordstrom stores and at Nordstrom.com.

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8:52And you guys, what do they tell him? She's a teenage girl. She'll be back in a week. The response I think we all dread when learning about cases of missing children. But luckily, despite this response, it seems that someone in this department understood the urgency, because they do begin investigating at this point. They start canvassing the neighborhood, and they search Sophie's room. This is when they and Sophie's family finds out that she had two cell phones. The one she took with her, and that was used to call 37-year-old Leonard Jennings, and the one that's been left behind in her room. Unfortunately, the police haven't really spelled this out for us.

9:33We don't know which phone was paid for by presumably her parents and which was the additional phone. We just know that Patrick had no idea about the second phone. They also find her diary, and what's written inside is terrifying. First, they find the phone number for Leonard Jennings. Second, they see that Sophie wrote that she was lonely and felt unwanted. And finally, they see that she wrote down a goal to get 10 sugar daddies. Obviously, this is a scary situation. But at this point, investigators are still leaning towards the theory that Sophie left and was still away by choice. And unfortunately, for some reason, they don't even go through Sophie's computer.

10:21But her family does. They find that she's been visiting the sugar daddy websites. So Patrick brings this information to police himself. Of course, their best lead right now is 37-year-old Leonard Jennings. Sophie wrote about him in her diary. It's her last known location, or at least the location of her phone. And on that second phone they found, there were only 12 contacts. And you guessed it, Jennings was one of them. Not only that, he was the second most called person in that phone, just below her dad. So for obvious reasons, all eyes are on Jennings. So let's talk a bit about him. Like I told you earlier, the apartment wasn't actually his.

11:05He was staying with his family, his mom and two brothers. Now, in addition to being more than twice Sophie's age, he is a convicted felon with more than two dozen felony charges on his record, including assault. So investigators go to Sophie's friends to see if they know anything about Jennings. And luckily, they do. According to reporting by Brittany Wallman for the Sun Sentinel, one of Sophie's friends said that she would buy weed from Jennings. Another friend said that it wasn't just Leonard Jennings that Sophie knew, but also his nephew, 28-year-old Christopher Jennings, who was known by the nickname Goonie Goon, and was often around the apartment complex.

11:45But according to that reporting by the Sun Sentinel, Leonard and his brother Jeremiah denied seeing, communicating with, or knowing Sophie at all. Leonard later told reporter Brittany Wallman that police had searched the home and questioned him, but he didn't know what happened to Sophie. His mom, Ora Jennings, also said that she'd never seen Sophie. But let's take a second to talk about that search. Investigators get Sophie's phone records about two weeks after she goes missing. So two weeks in, they know all about Jennings, the phone call, and her phone last being at the apartment complex. But it takes about another month or so to get a search warrant for his home.

12:26The only real explanation we have for this is Sergeant Don Geiger saying that the phone data was not precise enough, by itself, that Sophie had entered that particular residence. But it seems that eventually they get enough to have a judge sign off on a search warrant on July 12, 2017, exactly 53 days after Sophie disappeared. The warrant identified kidnapping, human trafficking, and murder as possible offenses under investigation During the search, police seized a large collection of electronics and other property including 25 cell phones, a camera, two media players, headphones, two computer towers, a hard drive, a journal, live ammunition, and a wig Anthony Jennings, again one of Leonard's brothers, was arrested during the operation on an unrelated warrant.

13:20But in the end, investigators said that none of the items seized had been connected to Sophie. Out of all 25 cell phones, none were Sophie's. Now of course, searches for Sophie did expand beyond that apartment. Divers examined the canals near Sophie's home. Cadaver Dog searched a wooded area near her phone's last known location. but there was just no trace of Sophie. By the end of the first year, police had accumulated an amazing amount of evidence, and none of it leads them to Sophie. But it does lead them to someone else, another adult man living in Jennings' apartment complex. This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by HERS.

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15:19This episode is brought to you by Nordstrom. For 125 years, Nordstrom has been part of your story. The stylist who found the perfect outfit for your big interview. The first pair of walking shoes for your one-year-old. The tomato soup you shared with your sister at the cafe. These are the moments that make Nordstrom, Nordstrom. Big or small, we're here for all of it. Celebrating 125 years with new moments still add. Discover it all in Nordstrom stores and at Nordstrom.com. 41-year-old John Mobley enters Sophie Reeder's story through a web of relationships investigators were trying to understand.

15:57Police records showed that Sophie's final known call, or at least the last call from her cell phone, was made at 3.07am and went to Leonard Jennings. This was just as the phone was arriving at the apartment complex. But later, they learned that three days after Sophie went missing, at 5.17am on May 23rd, Jennings called a neighbor whom police suspected was involved in sex trafficking. Of course, that's John Mobley. Not only that, but according to reporting by the show In Pursuit with John Walsh, both Jennings and Mobley were mentioned in Sophie's diary. Now, during the initial search for Sophie, officers did knock on Mobley's door while they were handing out missing person flyers.

16:42According to the police, he opened the door but became uncooperative when they mentioned Sophie. At that point, he ended the conversation. But in September 2018, about a year and a half after Sophie goes missing, investigators have a unique opportunity. By this time, both the Jennings family and John Mobley had moved out of their apartments, and both were vacant. So they do another search, this time of both apartments, and this time really looking for a crime scene. They search, they pull up carpet, they use luminol, but they find nothing. No trace of Sophie, no trace of any possible crime scene.

17:23And really, that's where the story of John Mobley ends. He's never actually had any convictions related to sex trafficking. In fact, Sergeant Geiger told Dateline that while Mobley did have an extensive criminal record, they'd only heard rumors that he may be involved in sex trafficking. And apparently none of his convictions are actually tied to that. However, it does still seem like there's good evidence pointing to the idea that Sophie might have been sex trafficked. Another friend of Sophie's spoke with the Sun Sentinel, saying they'd discussed how much Sophie might charge a man for sex. And while a few of Sophie's friends have said that they really thought she was just kidding when discussing getting sugar daddies and other things like this, she also told them something heartbreaking.

18:09Sophie said that she'd been sexually assaulted by an adult man in a hotel room. So while there's no police report about that and we really don't know anything else, if this is true, it seems possible that Sophie might have tried this once. But in the end, Geiger said that Sophie's account showed no posts, no messages received, and no evidence that she met anyone online. The Fort Lauderdale police said outright that it found nothing indicating that she was trafficked. And by 2025, Geiger stated directly that he didn't believe trafficking was the explanation, although he did say that foul play was likely.

18:52So what theories does the evidence actually support in this case? First, and perhaps the strongest theory about Sophie's intent, is that she planned a short walk or meeting and expected to return. The burning candle, the cash, the fact that nothing seemed to be really missing from her room, Nothing about this points to a child who planned to leave forever. But that late night route, that 3.07am call, and her phone's concentration near one apartment complex does point to a destination or a contact. I think a very strong possibility here is that Sophie was feeling anxious and began pacing around her home.

19:33When her father told her to go to bed, she still wasn't able to calm her thoughts, so she went for a walk around her neighborhood. She's seen on camera at 11.25pm near her home, and maybe during this time gap, she's just walking with her headphones on. Something both of Sophie's parents have said is that music is a coping mechanism for her. In fact, Patrick would often take late drives with Sophie just to listen to music. So maybe the only real plan was to walk around listening to music. Of course, this is just a theory, but I do think it would explain the large gap of time before she's seen on surveillance again at 2.16am on Davie Boulevard.

20:13I think it's possible that after a few hours of walking, Sophie decides she wants to smoke some weed. So she walks the about two miles to Jennings' apartment, gives him a call at 3.07am, and then something happens that keeps her or just her phone at the apartment complex. Whether that was Jennings, Mobley, or someone else who makes that happen is unclear. I think it's important to note here that while the Jennings family has basically denied any relationship with Sophie, her friends paint a very different picture. And at that age, in that type of environment, smoking weed, maybe drinking a bit, you sometimes get to know other people at these apartment complexes.

20:53Which I think opens the door to a lot of possibilities here. Maybe Sophie did go into the Jennings apartment. Maybe she went into John Mobley's apartment. Maybe someone else robbed her, took her phone, and did something awful to her. Of course, while all signs don't point to one person, they do point to one location. Now, another theory is that Sophie suffered an accidental overdose and someone concealed her death. Sergeant Geiger has discussed this possibility in the Dayline coverage. He acknowledged that he had no proof, but he reasoned that if Sophie died accidentally in the company of people who were involved with drugs, those people may have panicked and disposed of her remains.

21:39He suggested the canals or other concealed locations as possibilities, but of course, there's nothing concrete to point to that theory either, not even a single witness. We have to consider homicide, abduction, or another act of foul play connected to either the complex or someone she encountered along the way. But again, no witness saw an abduction. No assault scene has been identified. No blood or DNA has been announced in this case. I think we also have to consider the ex on Sophie's calendar for this exact date, May 19th, 2017. It's something I can't just not come back to in this episode. The trouble is, we just have no idea what it means.

22:23Most nefarious, maybe she was planning to meet up with an adult who planned to harm her. But really, it could be anything. It could be when she expected her next period, a deadline for school, some type of personal goal she was trying to meet. It could mean everything in this case, or it could mean absolutely nothing. For now, it just sits. I think the last theories to explore are an accident, self-harm, or leaving voluntarily. Now, we know that Sophie experienced symptoms of depression, anxiety, thoughts of self-harm, cutting, mood swings, school absences, and a previous episode where she left home and returned the following day.

23:08Patrick also said that Sophie had been prescribed medication, but stopped taking it. These are all things we need to take into consideration. But also, investigators have made it clear that they suspect foul play. So while I do think it's important to consider, I don't think it ranks among their top theories. And now, years have passed without a verified sighting. Authenticated communication, a known financial trail, identity use, or any type of public digital footprint. Sophie left almost everything behind, including a good amount of cash. Then her phone went dark. That prior one-day episode doesn't explain nearly a decade of silence at this point.

23:51And I think the vast amount of theories in Sophie's case may explain why in 2025 and 2026, the investigation took an unconventional turn. Investigators turned to psychics. One first approached Sophie's family and offered services without charge. Information from that person prompted police to search a canal and the surrounding area. But nothing was found. In the summer of 2026, the department retained Alejandra Taborn. She describes herself as a psychic profiler and medium. Police paid$1 ,500 for a 90-day consultation. And really, all we know is that a department spokesperson said that detectives were evaluating the information as they would other tips.

24:37But we do know that Sophie's family wasn't really thrilled about this. Patrick said he would welcome a result, but questioned why the money wasn't being used for conventional work or a larger reward. And some have speculated that the department did this to just look like they were doing something in the case given the recent media coverage. Either way, these efforts didn't seem to produce anything concrete to tell us what happened to Sophie. Almost a decade later, we're really left with the same facts. At 11.25 p.m. on May 19, 2017, Sophie was in her neighborhood. At 2.16 a.m. on now May 20, Sophie was on Davie Boulevard.

25:20At 3.07 a.m., her phone called a number for Leonard Jennings. Until 9.13 a.m., the device remained detectable near the Southwest 11th Court. Then, there's just nothing. This episode is brought to you by Nordstrom. For 125 years, Nordstrom has been part of your story. The stylist who found the perfect outfit for your big interview. The first pair of walking shoes for your one-year-old. The tomato soup you shared with your sister at the cafe. These are the moments that make Nordstrom, Nordstrom. Big or small, we're here for all of it. Celebrating 125 years with new moments still add. Discover it all in Nordstrom stores and at Nordstrom.com.

26:37When someone passes away, the people who love them confront an answer they never wanted. When someone disappears, the answer itself is missing. Sophie's family has lived for more than nine years in that unresolved space, and they've really had to imagine mutually exclusive futures at the same time. Sophie could be alive and unable to call. She could be alive and afraid. She could have passed away hours after leaving home. She could have been hidden nearby, taken far away, or known by someone who spent years saying nothing. At the first anniversary, her mom Nicole told CBS Miami that the not knowing was the worst part.

27:21That she searched social media for signs of an older Sophie, but never found her daughter. Nicole's public message to Sophie has remained unconditional. Whatever happened, whatever Sophie endured, she could come back home and be loved. As for her dad Patrick? Well, he kept Sophie's room just the way it was when she left. It's very pink. The calendar with an X on May 19, 2017 is still there, as is the candle she left burning, waiting for her to return. Patrick told CNN that for years he couldn't sleep in his own bed. Instead, he slept on a couch near the door, waiting for Sophie to come home. He said he wants the truth even if the truth is devastating.

28:10He also said that he's holding out hope that he'll find his daughter alive. Now, Sophie's aunt, Kirsten Reeder-Milhorn, gradually became one of the family's most visible advocates. She's a public school teacher in Virginia, and she said that while she was examining Sophie's case more closely, she assumed that a missing child would automatically trigger every effort available. Instead, she believes that they reduced Sophie to a runaway, and that the system failed her. So like we see with so many of these families, she wanted to find a way to help other children, especially children of color and kids with complicated histories like Sophie.

28:51So in 2026, she turned one of the objects left in Sophie's room into a prevention project. Kirsten founded Sophie's Light Foundation using, in part, the about$300 found in Sophie's room. They're developing school-based online safety education. The goal is to help children recognize grooming language, understand digital boundaries, and tell a trusted adult when interaction feels wrong. Sophie's Light says it hopes to reach 100 ,000 children by 2029. Of course, Sophie's Light doesn't solve her case, but it does continue her legacy and give her loved ones an outlet to turn their grief into prevention for other children like Sophie.