Missing Amarillo teen found safe 13 years later on US East Coast

The Amarillo Police Department Cold Case Unit has confirmed that a teenage girl reported missing 13 years ago has been found safe, and that investigators have closed the case.

APD said in a news release that the individual in question requested that her location and the details of her disappearance not be released.

According to APD, on Oct. 20, 2010, Jessica Delgadillo, then 14, was reported missing by her family. Amarillo police responded and discovered that she had not returned home from school. Reports were made, and an investigation was immediately started, APD said. The case was turned over to the APD Homicide Unit, "due to a lack of leads and information. The case of Jessica’s disappearance was diligently worked on by many Investigators throughout a ten-year span," APD said.

After APD established the Cold Case Unit in 2023, investigators began to look into the three cold case investigations involving missing children from Amarillo.

Archives:Police seek leads on missing teen

Investigators reached out to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and requested assistance. NCMEC officials then flew two representatives from Team Adam to Amarillo for investigative assistance. Team Adam is a free resource provided by NCMEC to law enforcement. Named after Adam Walsh, the abducted and murdered son of NCMEC co-founders John and Revé Walsh, Team Adam provides rapid, on-site assistance to law enforcement agencies and families in critical cases of missing children, according to APD.

The Amarillo cases that were looked into were Dorien Thomas, Brandy Noble and Jessica Delgadillo. Cold Case Investigators and Team Adam went through each case, updating information and sending out details to social platforms throughout the states. They used all available resources and contacts to send out information, including age progression photos and disappearance details.

On Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, the APD Homicide Unit received a call from a woman advising that she was Jessica Delgadillo, and that she knew she had been reported missing.

APD said DNA Swabs were collected from the caller and sent to the University of North Texas for comparison to a known family member. After months of waiting, DNA was confirmed that the caller was in fact the missing girl Jessica Delgadillo. She is currently living on the East Coast.

"This case can finally be closed and closure for the family," APD said.