Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Police Continue to Investigate Teen's Disappearance Following Her Safe Return

The 17-year-old girl from Medfield, MA was found unharmed in Coventry on Thursday morning.

Published Sept. 12 at 1:09 p.m., updated at 10:41 p.m.

10:41 p.m.: Authorities report that Homeland Security agents are searching the man's personal computer. At this point, it is not clear if Thompson was the victim of a sex crime, however a sexual exploitation advocate is said to have been meeting with Brittany and her family. 

8:43 p.m.: Homeland Security Agents are currently at the Super 8 hotel at 101 Nooseneck Hill Road in West Greenwich where they are searching for evidence the case involving Brittany Thompson of Medfield, MA.

Find out what's happening in Coventrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

5:57 p.m.: A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that the man found with Thompson in Coventry is scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday in Providence. Police have not confirmed that charges have been filed in the case, but say the investigation is ongoing.

Medfield Police have confirmed that the man found with Thompson in Coventry is the same man seen in a surveillance video leaving the Medfield Public Library with her on Monday. Authorities have still not released the man's name, but say he is from Missouri.

Find out what's happening in Coventrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

5:12 p.m.: 

The U.S. Attorney's Office released the following statement late Thursday afternoon:

At the present time, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, detectives and officers from the Coventry and West Greenwich Police Departments and agents from Homeland Security Investigations are working together to gather and analyze facts and information as they may pertain to this matter.

The first priority of all of law enforcement was to locate and reunite the young woman with her family. Now that the young woman has been reunited with her family, law enforcement is working diligently to gather and analyze the facts of the woman’s travel from Massachusetts to Rhode Island and any related activity up to the time that she was located today in Coventry.

No person or persons have been criminally charged.

The media will be notified by the Public Information Office of the United States Attorney’s Office of any change in the status of this review.

Law enforcement will have no further comment on this matter at this time.

Update, 3:37 p.m.: According to Coventry Police Lt. John Shields, as of 3:30 p.m., the U.S. Attorney's office has taken over the investigation but has yet to offer any additional information.

1:09 p.m.: Local and state authorities continue to investigate the disappearance of Medfield, MA  teen, 17-year-old Brittany Thompson, who was reported missing on Monday and found by Coventry Police Thursday morning

Click here to view earlier coverage of this story.

Thompson, who is described as developmentally delayed, had last been seen at 4:25 p.m. on Sept. 9 leaving the Medfield Public Library with an unidentified man. 

After receiving a call from an unidentified male at 6:48 a.m. Thursday, stating that he believed Thompson was walking with a male on Nooseneck Hill Road (Rte. 3) in Coventry, in the area of Maple Root Road, police responded to the location and found the two individuals. 

Officers confirmed that the girl was in fact Thompson before transporting the pair to Coventry Police headquarters where her parents were notified in addition to Medfield Police, West Greenwich Police and both state and federal authorities. Officials say Thompson's parents were making the 50-mile drive to Coventry to be reunited with their daughter on Thursday morning.

According to Coventry Police, as of noon on Thursday the investigation continues. The identify of the male found with Thompson in Coventry has not yet been released, so it is unclear if he is the same individual seen with her in Medfield on Monday.

No criminal charges are pending at this time.


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