The Missing: where is Jaceeya Dudley? Teen who vanished at 17, would now be 20 years old

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - 19 News continues our series “The Missing,” aimed at bringing attention to the thousands who disappear from Northeast Ohio each year.

This week, 19 Investigator Gabby Hart brings us the story of Jaceeya Dudley, a young woman who vanished from East Cleveland three years ago.

Dudley was only 17 years old when she was reported missing on Oct. 17, 2021. Now, she would be 20, but her loved ones still don’t have answers.

East Cleveland police say Dudley was an emancipated minor at the time of her disappearance and, despite their efforts, they have no leads or tips in the case.

“We always think it won’t happen to us, until it happens to us… and that’s why we should care… because it doesn’t matter where you live and what color of your skin … it can happen to any of us,” said Sylvia Colon, co-founder of the Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults.

Colon knows the pain of a missing loved one all too well. Her niece, Gina DeJesus, was kidnapped and held captive for 10 years before being miraculously found alive.

“Families of the missing, they’re kind of in… like, it’s not heaven and it’s not hell, right? It’s purgatory, right? That’s Where they sit…” Colon said.

And that’s why 19 News is asking for your help to bring Jaceeya home.

If you have any information about her whereabouts, please call East Cleveland Police at (216) 451-1234. Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.