Missing North Carolina Teen Hailey Burns Found Alive Over A Year After Disappearing

Hailey Elizabeth Burns is now 17-years-old, and up until this weekend the North Carolina teen had been missing for over a year. On Sunday, however, a near miracle occurred when Hailey was found and reunited with her family and loved ones. In addition to Hailey Burns, who has been diagnosed with Aspbergers syndrome, being returned home safely, the man who is suspected of abducting her on May 23, 2016 is now in police custody and facing a plethora of charges.

As ABC 11 reports, a special agent from Charlotte involved with the investigation into Hailey Burns’ disappearance recently received a tip or other information that led him to the Duluth, Georgia home of 31-year-old Michael Ren Wysolovsk. When law enforcement officers arrived, they were thrilled to find the missing North Carolina teen at the residence. Officials have yet to announce the specific charges that Wysolovsk is expected to face in the alleged abduction of Hailey Burns, but the FBI (which has aided in the investigation into the teen’s disappearance) mentioned that the suspect is facing “a number of state charges,” including sexual assault.

Despite the fact that Burns has been found alive and well enough to be reunited with her family, the investigation into her 2016 disappearance is far from over. In fact, now that Hailey Burns and her alleged abductor have been located, two more agencies will be be joining the case.

According to officials, the Charlotte FBI and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, who have been handling the disappearance of Hailey Burns since day one, will now be getting help from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and FBI Atlanta to bring the case to resolution.

Thank You God!!

— Gwynne Anne Selvog (@GwynneAnne333) June 26, 2017

Prior to vanishing, Burns’ loved ones had last seen the teen at her home just after midnight on May 23, 2016. The next morning, her parents say they woke to find their daughter gone and their door unlocked, spawning a massive effort to find Hailey and bring her home safe.

Now that she’s been found, the FBI has released a statement on behalf of North Carolina teen’s relieved and ecstatic parents. As The New York Post reports, Hailey Burns’ family, who fought to keep the story of her disappearance in the media spotlight, have expressed gratitude for the public’s support over the last year.

“Hailey has been reunited with her parents. They are grateful for the outpouring of support they have received while she’s been missing.”

The precise circumstances surrounding the disappearance and possible abduction of North Carolina teen Hailey Burns remains unknown. However, it was reported after her disappearance that her parents found a diary entry dated for sometime in May 2106 related to plans to run away with “an older man she’d met online.”

[Featured Image by Federal Bureau of Investigations]