No, Sierra Stevens is not missing anymore. The 17-year-old girl from South Carolina was found the next month in Hartsville. She clarified that she decided to leave her foster home out of fear of being taken back to prison after she spotted numerous police cars outside the home when she went back the next day after partying.
Since its remarkable success with Making a Murderer, Netflix has established itself as a major expert in the true crime genre. Even though some might question the morality of the gory obsession, the true crime craze is still going strong, with the streaming service consistently churning out gripping new documentaries each month. And the latest entry in its collection is Missing Dead or Alive.
This four-part documentary series transports us to Columbia, South Carolina, and focuses on cases of missing people as seen from the perspective of the investigating officers. Every episode focuses on a different case that the police are investigating right after someone goes missing.
In the final part of the documentary, we get to learn about the missing case of 17-year-old Sierra Stevens who didn’t return back to her foster home in September 2021. Let’s learn more about her story and find out if she was ever found.
Previously, we touched on David Taylor, Amirah Watson, Anthony Garcia, and Lorraine Garcia.
Sierra Stevens Missing Case: The 17-Year-Old Girl From South Carolina Decided to Disappear on Her Own Out of Fear of Being Returned to Prison!
Sierra Stevens, a 17-year-old girl, lived in Richland County, South Carolina, with her foster mother, Doris. Although she was somewhat related to her real mother, the documentary made note of the fact that both of her parents were drug users and were unable to provide for her. Her father was unable to look after her after her mother passed away.
Additionally, it has been said that when Sierra was fourteen years old, she was involved in a fatal car accident when the car she was operating struck and instantly killed a mother of five. After spending eighteen months in juvenile detention as a result of the accident, she went in with her foster mother in Richland County.
Readers will be happy to learn that she changed her life by moving in with Doris and starting a fashion school. The 17-year-old was described as a smart student with high expectations by many at the school. Additionally, Sierra enjoyed a high level of popularity among her friends. However, nobody knew that she was set to disappear without a trace.
Sierra Stevens left her foster home on September 5, 2021, to go to a neighboring movie theater. Doris didn’t give it much thought at the time, but she started to worry when the 17-year-old didn’t come home that night. The police created a number of search parties and explored the neighborhood for the missing teen after becoming involved.
Sierra Stevens didn’t return back to home on September 5, 2021.
Image Source: The US Sun
Thorough interviews were also conducted with Sierra Stevens’s friends and acquaintances, but none was aware of her sudden departure. The teen left most of her belongings and necessities behind in her room, which was discovered after a thorough search, suggesting a possible kidnapping.
The show claimed that women who had previously disappeared from that region had been forced into prostitution. Officers searched websites that advertised girls who were underage but were unable to find any leads. In the meantime, Sierra’s grandfather went to the police and said that a man who didn’t know anything about the disappearance was answering calls to the teen’s mobile.
When the individual was questioned by the police, they discovered that he had just recently purchased the phone and was unaware of its previous owner. Nevertheless, he assisted law enforcement in searching through phone records that revealed Sierra was in Hartsville, South Carolina, the day after she went missing.
The police questioned whether Sierra Stevens’s biological father, who still lived in Hartsville, was holding the teenager against his will. Chris Stevens, the father, insisted on his innocence and that he had no knowledge of his daughter’s location. Shortly after, the principal of Sierra’s school went to the police and said that a boy by the name of Van Davis had knowledge regarding Sierra’s last known whereabouts.
Davis revealed himself to be her friend, saying he partied with her on September 5 before leaving her by herself in a hotel. Even so, Davis informed the police that Sierra was in Hartsville and assisted them in getting in touch with her.
Sierra Stevens was found in Hartsville the following month.
Image Source: The Cinemaholic
Sierra admitted that she escaped alone when the police located her in Hartsville in October 2021. She described how the party on September 5 went late into the night and the teen intended to go home the next day. But on September 6, when Sierra arrived at the foster home, she discovered a number of police vehicles parked nearby. She called Emily, a childhood friend, who helped the teenager hide in Hartsville out of fear of being returned to prison. Emily also helped the teen get rid of her phone.
Despite choosing to maintain privacy after her tragedy, sources state that Sierra Stevens was assisted in returning to her foster family by the missing person investigators. It appears that she has since returned to school and is anticipating a better future. Additionally, Sierra is presently a resident of South Carolina and enjoys a close bond with her foster mother.