To honor Missing Children’s Day, Houston has launched a new billboard campaign featuring Devine Tollett, who went missing seven years ago when she was just 18 years old.
At a recent awareness event hosted by the Texas Center for the Missing, Mel Turnquist, CEO of the organization, emphasized the urgency of cases like Devine’s.
“Today we do gather to commemorate National Missing Children’s Day. It’s an annual effort to highlight the large number of missing children in Texas. And we aim to inspire parents, guardians, caregivers, and all those in child welfare to prioritize child safety,” Turnquist said. “Devine is one of the 31,864 children reported missing in Texas last year.”
Detective Claiborne of the Houston Police Department‘s Missing Persons Unit shared that Devine’s disappearance has been a heavy burden for her family.
“It is believed that during her time working, Devine met several individuals who took advantage of her age and naivety. The family is carrying the burden of not knowing where she is or what has happened to her. It is our hope someone with information will come forward and help bring closure to Devine’s family.”
Devine’s family also spoke through case manager Melissa Rangel, who said, “We are urging the public today to please come forward if you have any information of our whereabouts. The family is devastated with not having answers since she went missing on April 1st, 2018.”
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To raise awareness, Clear Channel Outdoor Americas-Houston is running a month-long public service campaign featuring digital billboards displaying Devine’s photo and information throughout the Houston area.
Lee Vela from Clear Channel said, “The flexibility and power of digital billboards in the area allow us to change the messaging instantly if Devine is found.”
Turnquist highlighted the impact such campaigns can have.
“The billboard featured in 2022 led to the recovery of a missing eight-year-old girl... these are just a few of the success stories resulting from this multi-year cross-jurisdictional partnership.”
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety Missing Persons Clearinghouse, over 44,000 missing persons reports were received last year, with over 31,000 involving juveniles.
“Right here in Harris County alone, 6,900 missing child cases were filed. 29 percent of all missing children come from our region here in southeast Texas,” Turnquist said.
The Texas Center for the Missing provides 24/7 reunification services for families searching for loved ones, trains law enforcement on Amber Alert activation, and offers prevention education to the public.
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Anyone with information about Devine Tolley’s disappearance is urged to contact the Houston Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 832-394-1840.
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