A Virginia man faces kidnapping and child abduction charges after authorities located the now-19-year-old woman in Blacksburg.
MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee teenager who disappeared after traveling to Chicago in 2022 has been found alive in Virginia, nearly four years after investigators say a man abducted her and held her against her will.
Joniah Walker, now 19, was located at a home in Blacksburg, Virginia, after vanishing when she was 15. Milwaukee County authorities have charged 37-year-old Owen Anderson with kidnapping and child abduction. Anderson remained in custody in Virginia and had not yet appeared in a Wisconsin court as of Wednesday.
Authorities allege Walker communicated with Anderson online for several years before meeting him in person. Investigators said Anderson arranged an Uber ride that took her from Milwaukee to Chicago on June 23, 2022. The two met outside a Chicago movie theater, according to law enforcement records described by NBC Chicago.
Investigators allege Anderson then took Walker to Virginia and kept her captive. Police said she experienced physical and sexual abuse during the years she was held. The allegations have not been tested in court, and Anderson is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
Records cited in the report allege Anderson discarded Walker’s cellphone and a separate phone he had sent her. Investigators said the devices were thrown into a sidewalk trash container after the meeting in Chicago, cutting off a possible way for her family to reach or track her.
Walker’s parents said they became alarmed when her phone began going directly to voicemail. Her disappearance led to public appeals from relatives and friends, who circulated images and sought information about her whereabouts for years.
The case drew attention in Milwaukee as Walker’s family questioned the early police response. Relatives said they gathered doorbell-camera recordings themselves and believed investigators did not move quickly enough to collect potential evidence from the neighborhood.
Milwaukee police declined a request from NBC Chicago to discuss the investigation. The department previously said it had no reason to believe Walker’s disappearance involved an organized trafficking operation. Police maintained that position after the criminal charges were filed, while the charging allegations describe kidnapping, child abduction and abuse.
Authorities have not publicly explained what led investigators to the Blacksburg home or how Walker was able to leave the alleged captivity. Further details about her condition, recovery and possible return to her family have not been released.
The criminal case is expected to require proceedings involving Virginia and Wisconsin authorities. No date for Anderson’s transfer or first Wisconsin court appearance had been announced.
Author note: Last updated July 30, 2026.