Alabama governor, UFC President, offer rewards to help find fighter’s missing daughter
Aniah Blanchard, stepdaughter to UFC heavyweight fighter Walt Harris, has been missing since last week. She was last seen on October 23 when surveillance footage from a convenient store caught the 19-year old woman approaching the store’s counter.
Her car was reported missing on October 24. Blanchard is a Southern Union College student in Wadley, Alabama.
Police located Blanchard’s 2017 Honda CRV in the parking lot of a Montgomery apartment building. There was substantial damage to the vehicle that was reportedly not there prior to her going missing.
Alabama governor Kay Ivey issued a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s) responsible for Blanchard’s disappearance.
I encourage anyone with information about the whereabouts of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard, who was last seen Oct. 23, to please call *HP or 9-1-1. We continue to pray for Aniah & her family as law enforcement officials work to bring her home. @ALEAprotects @CityofAuburnAL pic.twitter.com/YT8683L9B9
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) October 30, 2019
A proclamation issued by Ivey’s office, Albama secretary of state John H. Merrill, and the state of Alabama reads as follows:
“WHEREAS authenticated information has reached this office regarding the disappearance of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard in Lee County, Alabama;
WHEREAS the victim has not been located; and WHEREAS her disappearance remains unsolved and the circumstances surrounding this event indicate that every effort should be made apprehend and convict the perpetrator or perpetrators; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kay Ivey, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me as governor of the state of Alabama under Ala. Code 15-9-1 and – 3 do hereby offer a reward of $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s), provided that no arrest has been made in connection with her disappearance as of the date of this proclamation, and provided further that eligibility for this reward shall be limited to private citizens who are not members or employees of any government law enforcement agency or the relatives thereof.”
UFC President Dana White has since also offered a substantial $25,000 reward to help locate his fighter’s daughter.
If anyone has any information on Aniah Blanchard, please call *HP or 911 immediately. Friends and fans please pass this video around. Thank you pic.twitter.com/4xDfcPMhGL
— Dana White (@danawhite) October 31, 2019
In a video posted on Instagram on Sunday, Harris and his family pleaded for help from the community in finding their daughter. Any donations towards efforts to locate Blanchard should be made out via PayPal to FindAniahBlanchard@gmail.com.
View this post on Instagram
🚨🚨PSA! Please post and share! Thank you! 🚨🚨 FindAniahBlanchard@gmail.com
Brandon Hughes, the Lee County District Attorney, isn’t ruling out foul play.
“This is a criminal investigation, obviously we’re approaching it as such. We do not believe Aniah would go missing on her own volition.”
If you have information on the disappearance of Aniah Blanchard, you can call the police at 334-501-3140, the anonymous tip line at 334-246-1391, or you can call the 24-hour non-emergency number at 334-501-3100.
