Volunteers searching for missing Bonney Lake teen post fliers in Thurston County

UPDATE:

Lily Christopherson, the missing 15-year-old from Bonney Lake, has been found safe. More information >> http://q13fox.com/2018/06/03/lily-christopherson-has-been-found-safe/






TENINO, Wash. – The search for missing 15-year-old Lily Christopherson has spread to the far reaches of the South Sound.

On Thursday afternoon, about a dozen volunteers canvassed the town of Tenino, sharing fliers and hope for a family desperate to find the young girl who hasn’t been home since May 9.

The reward for information that could lead to finding Lily has also more than doubled, to $5,000.

“We want to get Lily’s face out there,” organizer Chandra Shilley said to a small group of volunteers. “We want to get these fliers hung and just talk to people and see if anybody has anything they might know or might have to say.”

The group banded together to bring awareness and hope to find Lily healthy and happy.

“Whether or not she was here at one point or she’s currently here we don’t know,” said Shilley, “But it’s believed she has a connection here.”

The volunteers are hanging fliers across the small town in hopes to jog locals’ memories if they have heard or seen from the Bonney Lake teen.

“We just want to make sure that she’s safe and that she gets returned back to her family,” said volunteer Syrena Dannenberg.

Sex offender Christopher Fitzpatrick and an alleged accomplice, Maria Counts, were arrested and charged this week for their alleged role in raping, providing drugs, sex-trafficking and taking illicit images with Lily, but when they arrested, Lily was nowhere to be found.

That news has galvanized concerned family members and complete strangers to band together to spread the word and hopefully find the teen in good health.

“The more people see her face maybe the better it’ll be to find her,” said Dannenberg.

“This could be your child,” added Shilley, “this could be your daughter, so it hits very close to home for a lot of us.”

Until recently, family and friends have canvassed mostly in King and Pierce counties.

On Thursday, those efforts were pushed south into Thurston County where many Tenino businesses now hang fliers with Lily’s picture on them.

Many of the volunteers pledged to continue their search until Lily is found.

“We’re all hopeful that we will find her safe, and we don’t want to think about what the fear is right now,” said Shilley.

Shilley said there are plans to spread more fliers even farther this weekend to Mason and Cowlitz Counties. Lily’s family is now offering a $5,000 reward for information about her whereabouts.