Sister’s heartfelt plea for missing Cleveland woman: “I love her to death'

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO)- Seven months.

That’s how long Aryelle Wallington has been searching for her sister, Emmalee Burns, who vanished without a trace on July 2, 2024.

Despite Emmalee’s struggles with addiction and homelessness, her family clings to hope, believing someone holds the key to bringing her home.

“I have to know that you’re okay,” Wallington pleaded. “She’s my sister. I love her to death.”

Emmalee’s family lives in Michigan, a distance that, combined with Emmalee’s past challenges, contributed to a delay in reporting her missing.

Wallington acknowledged the difficulties Emmalee has faced, saying, “Will anybody take me seriously?”

But she emphasized that this disappearance feels different.

“I kept telling myself she’ll contact me,” Wallington said. “Her birthday came in December... nobody got any contact from her.”

She added that Emmalee’s daughter has also been unable to reach her, a situation Wallington described as “not normal for her.”

Emmalee was last seen at a rehab facility on Broadway Avenue in Cleveland.

The family, though miles away, feels the weight of her absence.

“She isn’t any less loved,” Wallington emphasized. “She is somebody’s daughter, and she is my sister, and I love her no matter what she does with herself... and inside there’s still a person, all the addiction, what they’re doing, there is a person.”

Emmalee is 5-foot-4, weighs approximately 90 pounds, and has auburn hair and hazel eyes.

Her family shared a photo of Emmalee, urging the public to take a close look.

“I miss you, and I just need to know you’re okay,” Wallington said, her voice filled with emotion. “Please...”

Anyone with information about Emmalee’s whereabouts is urged to contact Cleveland Missing Persons Detectives at (216) 623-3138.

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