Police now say missing N.H. teen never made it home

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. (AP) — A teenage girl who disappeared last week never made it home after leaving her high school, despite earlier reports by police that dogs had tracked her scent to the house, police said Wednesday.

Abigail Hernandez was last seen leaving Kennett High School at 2:30 p.m. last Wednesday afternoon. Police said the next day that she made it to the town house she shared with her mother about two miles away and when the mother returned home later, Abigail was gone.

Kieran Ramsey, FBI’s special agent in charge on site in Conway, said at a briefing Wednesday evening that Abigail, 15, did not go home after school. He did not elaborate or explain the discrepancy.

Ramsey also said Abigail exchanged several text messages with a friend as she walked toward home on a route that she was known to use. Police did not reveal the content of the texts. He also said several unconfirmed reports placed the girl walking along the road between the town’s main strip and a large pond.

On Wednesday, agents were again stopping traffic on the road.

The last signal from her phone was traced to the west side of nearby Cranmore Mountain just after 3 p.m., Ramsey said.

Police also asked the public and local businesses to be on the lookout for the phone Abigail was using: A white, iPhone 5 with a dark-pink and gray case.

Local, state and federal investigators are still urging the public to come forward with any information that might help the investigation. Ramsey said they’ve received 524 tips so far.