Fort Lauderdale Police Turn to Psychics in Decade-Old Missing-Teen Case

Fort Lauderdale Police Department has enlisted two psychic profilers to aid the investigation of Sophie Reeder, a 15-year-old who vanished on the night of May 19, 2017. The department disclosed that one psychic received a $1,500 payment for a 90-day consulting period, while another offered services without charge. Detectives have reviewed the information provided and have already conducted a search of a canal based on a psychic’s tip, which yielded no results. The department emphasized that the consultation is an “unusual” step intended to generate any possible leads.

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Surveillance footage captured Sophie walking alone on Davie Boulevard shortly after 2 a.m. on the night she disappeared. Phone records show her device pinged from an apartment complex less than two miles from her home until 9:13 a.m., after a call at 3:07 a.m. to Leonard Jennings, a 37-year-old convicted felon identified by police as a “person of interest,” not a suspect. The case received national attention, appearing on NBC’s *Dateline: Missing in America* podcast and a 2021 episode of *In Pursuit with John Walsh*.

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Family members have voiced mixed feelings. Patrick Reeder, Sophie's father, acknowledged the unconventional method while urging the department to consider alternatives such as increasing the existing $25,000 reward.

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• Disappearance occurred May 19, 2017; the case has remained unsolved for just over nine years.

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• Police paid $1,500 to one psychic for a 90-day engagement; a second psychic offered free assistance.

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• The last known phone ping was at 9:13 a.m. on the night of the disappearance.

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• A reward of up to $25,000 is offered for credible information leading to Sophie’s recovery.

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• Leonard Jennings, age 37 at the time, is listed as a person of interest.

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• “It turns out she didn’t go to bed,” — Patrick Reeder, father

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• “This work is really important to me,” — Alejandra Taborn, psychic profiler

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• “Any specific details and impressions that come through — that’s how that consult goes,” — Alejandra Taborn, psychic profiler

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• “I couldn’t sleep in the bed,” — Patrick Reeder, father

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• “I believe things happen for a reason,” — Patrick Reeder, father

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Anyone with information about Sophie Reeder’s disappearance should contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department at 954-828-6677 or email SophieTips@fortlauderdale.gov.

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