Teen missing from Radcliff for more than a year found safe

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A teenage girl from Radcliff, Kentucky, who was missing for more than a year was found safe and reunited with her family, according to police.

The Radcliff Police Department posted Saturday that Kamaria Johnson was "found safe" Friday. On Monday, Johnson told WDRB News she was in Memphis, Tennessee, safe from her abusive father.

Johnson said he left her no choice but to fend for herself.

"I had to save myself," Johnson said. "And I feel really guilty about it, but I just couldn't do it and it was just a lot to deal with, and no one was listening to me."

Johnson was last seen May 26, 2021 getting into a car at a gas station in Meade County. That night, Johnson said her father physically hurt her. He punched her and broke her glasses, and stomped on her head.

"Before he sent me back to my room, he tells me that in the morning I gotta go," Johnson said, recalling the night she left home. "There's no if, ands or buts, but I have to leave."

Johnson recalled other instances of her father being abusive towards her and her siblings. One time, she said he slapped her across the face with her sibling's iPad.

She said she left with no plan, but found herself in Memphis.

"I was still intensely in survival mode, but it was definitely safer than the situation that I was in," Johnson said.

Johnson said she was too scared to tell her Mom, Consuela Jobe, about the abuse, fearing for her life too. Jobe said she and Johnson's father shared custody over their daughter.

"Whenever we did something he didn't like, it was always, 'you'll never see your Mom again,' or 'you can't see her this time,' or 'I'll hurt her.'

"I hate that they had such fear that they had more fear of him than to tell me the truth," Jobe said. "They feared not only for their life, but for my own to not even let me know."

Johnson said when she tried to report the abuse, no one took her seriously.

While in Memphis, Johnson avoided using social media. But after turning 18 she said she felt safe enough to contact her Mom.

"I was 18, there was just this really big fear that if I had reached out before that I would get sent back to my Dad," Johnson said.

Jobe said Johnson first sent a text, but Jobe was scared it wasn't actually her. After answering some personal questions, Jobe Facetimed with her daughter.

"I just wanted to be able to physically see her and hear her voice," Jobe said.

Jobe drove six hours to pick Johnson up. She also told Radcliff Police that Johnson was located safe.

Now, the two are focused on healing.

"I'm just hoping now that, you know, we kind of get her some counseling and whatever help she needs," said Jobe.

Johnson said she's looking forward to graduating from high school and continuing her education.

"I do want to go to college and I still have to learn how to drive," Johnson said. "I actually I want to major in developmental psychology so that I can help kids who are going through things like this."

But on the top of her wishlist this year is spending time with people she feels safest with.

"Honestly, I got what I wanted for Christmas, reuniting with my family," she said.

Her case was featured on the police series, "On Patrol: Live," which documents the work of police officers.

Now, Johnson is back with her mother and, now at 18 years old, she said there is a lot to look forward to. But she has some catching up to do with her family after nearly 19 months away.

Capt. Willie Wells of the Radcliff Police Department said this development is a blessing that gives the department hope for other missing persons cases.

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