Family Members Plead for Help in Search for Missing Atlanta College Student: 'Just Come Home'

Alexis Crawford went missing between Wednesday and Thursday morning near her school's campus in Atlanta

Photo: Facebook

Worried family members are calling on the Atlanta community for help in tracking down a 21-year-old college student who has been missing since early Thursday.

Alexis Crawford, a student at Clark Atlanta University, disappeared somewhere between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, family spokesman Rev. Markel Hutchins said at a press conference.

“A young lady who’s got her whole life ahead of her from Athens, Georgia,” Hutchins said. “[She] is the daughter of two very loving parents and a member of a very large family. She has four sisters and five brothers. Alexis is somebody that this family loves and cares very much for, and they are praying for her return.”

Hutchins called her disappearance “nothing short of a tragic set of circumstances,” and alluded to difficulties Crawford had been facing in recent weeks.

“We know she’s going through a lot,” he said. “She recently experienced some things that no young woman should ever have to experience and so we ask the people of Atlanta to pray for Alexis and her family.”

Alexis Crawford.

Many members of the student’s large family were on hand at the press conference, including her father Bobby Wright, who grew emotional and choked back tears as he pleaded for her safe return.

“I love you baby, just come home,” he said. “I love you. Just come home. I’m never gonna leave until you get home.”

Her oldster brother Derrick Carter spoke, too, urging her to give concerned family members a call, as did her younger sister Alexandria Crawford.

“This is a very hard time for our family. If Lexie, she’s watching, I just want you to know, you’ll always be my role model,” Alexandria said. “You’re my strength, my aspirations in life, and I just want you to come home and be safe.”

Crawford’s great-aunt Brenda Crawford took the podium as well, telling the audience she is a “beautiful girl” who adores her family.

“We miss her so much. She’s the type of girl, when you come in the house, first thing she’s gonna do is sit on your lap, give you a hug,” Brenda said. “That’s just how Alexis was. Sweet girl, very sweet girl.”

Alexis was last seen leaving the Heritage Station apartments near her school’s campus on Wednesday, ABC affiliate WSB reported.

Family members said she speaks with someone in the family each and every day, but phone calls have been automatically sent to voicemail since Thursday.

In the police report filed by her family, mom Tammy Crawford said she last spoke to her daughter on Wednesday, and that she “seemed to be in good spirits and was laughing,” NBC affiliate WXIA reported.

The report said Crawford’s roommate took her to a liquor store around 11:30 p.m., and last saw Crawford an hour later before she went to sleep.

When the roommate awoke on Thursday, Crawford was gone, as were her phone, ID card and debit card, though the apartment was locked.

Crawford is 5’ 3” and weighs about 150 lbs. She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt or hoodie and a cheetah-print head scarf, according to WSB-TV.