KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) - Nine days after she was reported missing, fifteen-year-old Megan Lamz of Katy has been found, and it was Covering Katy reader comments that convinced investigators to provide more information to the public just hours before she was located.
Covering Katy News reported on the girl's disappearance for nearly two weeks. Many readers were frustrated that the information provided by the Sheriff's office needed more essential details, such as the neighborhood where she lived, where she was last seen, and where her bicycle was found.
Early Friday morning, Covering Katy provided the Sheriff's Office with a list of questions and a screenshot of our readers' comments asking for more information. At 12:31 p.m. Friday, the Sheriff's Office provided us with answers.
"She was observed on camera leaving her neighborhood at approximately 4 p.m. on March 22, 2023. Her last known whereabouts was the Loves Truck Stop located at I-10 and Pederson Road (Texas Heritage Pkwy) at approximately 7 p.m. on March 22, 2023. Her bicycle was found abandoned in the area of Kingsland Boulevard and Cane Island Pkwy," the Sheriff's Office statement said.
After releasing this information to Covering Katy News, the Sheriff's Office also published it on their social media accounts and numerous Houston area media outlets reported it. A few hours later, at 8:43 p.m., the Sheriff's Office announced that Lamz was found.
"The missing juvenile has been safely located and is being reunited with her family," the announcement said.
The Sheriff's Office provided no additional details. Law enforcement typically wants the family to reunite with the least media coverage possible.