The worst possible things that can happen as a parent, are those unfortunate things that happen to your children. If your child goes missing, if they find themselves chronically ill, or grievously wounded, or worse.
Maureen had several children and loved them with all her heart. Her eldest daughter, 14-year-old Rosemary was a handful to be sure, but she was still Maureen’s pride and joy. So when Rosemary disappeared in 2015, you can imagine that her mother was beside herself, to say the least…
Normal Teenager
Maureen had a problem. It was a problem that faces millions of American moms across the United States: Maureen’s daughter had turned 14. When she was a child, little Rosemary had been a perfect angel, but as she slowly settled her way into her teens, she became increasingly difficult to deal with.
Rosemary Missing
Maureen had woken up as normal on the day that Rosemary went missing. As usual, the 14-year-old had gone out for the day with her friends. When she didn’t return home later that night, Maureen assumed she was staying at someones house and had refused to call as an act of defiance. But the next day, Rosemary didn’t return either…
But Why Run?
The police of course, believed that the wayward 14-year-old had just run away. After all, as a rebellious adolescent, she was likely confused by her burgeoning feelings and stressed about life in general. Perhaps she believed running and starting over was a viable option.
Lost and Confused
Maureen, however, was not convinced. Sure, her daughter wasn’t perfect, sure, her hormones were likely surging out of control, but she wasn’t stupid. Rosemary had to know that running wasn’t the answer. After a few weeks, though, it became obvious that wherever she was, she didn’t want to be found…
Mother’s Loss
Rosemary’s mother was completely crushed. She didn’t know how she knew it, but she knew that her daughter was out there somewhere, crying to herself, scared and alone, and trying to return home. The search for Rosemary continued, but the police offered very little help. They were convinced she had run away of her own accord.
A Mother’s Investigation
The worried mother posted missing person posters, reached out to anyone she could over the internet, and even plumbed social media as much as she could to find Rosemary. But despite searching feverishly and following up on her own leads time and time again, Maureen had no idea where her daughter was…
Months Pass
Months passed with no word and no positive leads, either on Maureen’s or the Police’s ends. Maureen was beginning to worry that the search was hopeless, that she might never see her poor daughter again. Soon though, people began to come to Maureen with news about Rosemary.
Sightings
Apparently, some friends and even some family members of Rosemary’s had seen her on the street in the months since she disappeared. Yet, every time they attempted to approach her or bring her home, she ran away as fast as she could. Something didn’t seem right…
Six Months Later
Then, exactly six months after the day of her daughter’s disappearance, Maureen logged onto facebook and saw something she couldn’t believe. Rosemary had posted pictures of herself on the internet, new pictures of herself since her disappearance.
Pics Online
On the outside, the pictures of Rosemary seemed completely normal. They were the selfies of an average Millennial teen. And yet, something about the pictures deeply disturbed Maureen. There was something wrong with the way her daughter looked now, and with her smile…
Daughter in Danger
Rosemary looked dramatically different than she did the day she left. Her daughter’s beautiful red hair had been dyed and bleached over. Her smile, which was mischievous at times but always girly and sweet, looked fake: plastered on her face as if she were being forced to do it.
Human Trafficking
After seeing the pictures, Maureen Gullet was convinced that her daughter had been taken by human traffickers and that this was the reason she hadn’t tried to come home. Rosemary had been kidnapped by some despicable criminal or organization that was going to exploit her…
Kidnappings
Every day in the United States, more and more children are victims of kidnapping and human trafficking. These children are taken away from their homes and forced to work in factories, sweatshops, farms, brothels, and some are even trained as child soldiers in third world countries.
Plea for Help
Maureen immediately reached out on social media to tell the world what she had seen. “She is missing and endangered and is presumed to have fallen into the hands of child trafficking criminals,” she wrote. “ Since she disappeared, I have found images of her online.”She was pleading for help…
Search Continues
The pictures were the first clue in almost half a year and so the search for Rosemary began again in earnest. But as the weeks wore on, with no news and no new pictures, Maureen began to fear the worst: that her daughter had been punished or killed for having reached out and posted on the internet.
Desperate for Help
Maureen couldn’t bear the thought that her daughter was being not only exploited, but hurt. She reached out to the media, posted on the internet, even helped organized another statewide search of Oregon. Sadly, the search was fruitless. Then, on January 16, 2016, Maureen caught a break…
A Break
On January 16, 2016, not long after Maureen had posted yet another plea for help, Rosemary was found! Her father, David F. Gullet announced the good news to the world. “I want to reach out and; thank everyone for your Prayers and Support. Rosemary has been found after an anonymous tip. Several situations are still in play to provide an amiable return to home…”
Wrong-Footed
When the police began questioning Rosemary, they found that Maureen’s theory of human trafficking had been quite an exaggeration. Indeed, the girl had, as was originally surmised, run away from home and hadn’t the heart or courage to go back. The story was far from over, however…
In Foster Care
Today, Rosemary and her siblings are in foster care, though the reasons for this are still unknown. As for her behavior, witnesses and those who have interviewed her describe her as being sweet, respectful, and brave, even possessed of a maturity far beyond her years.
No Details
There have been no details released about where Rosemary was for the better part of a year, nor about her current location. The Gullet family, who was most outspoken while trying to find their daughter have remained silent as well. Ultimately, though the details of the full story aren’t clear, it seems that Rosemary is at least safe and sound.
