CINCINNATI – While the parents of the Tri-State teenager who went missing in Grand Teton National Park were on their way to pick her up, questions remained about why Fauna Jackson disappeared and who will pay the costs of the massive search for her.
A spokeswoman for the National Park Service told WCPO her parents were en route to Wyoming Monday. A GoFundMe page to fund their driving expenses had been set up by the Cincinnati Choir, an organization the 16-year-old had belonged to. The page has since been closed.
We are so thankful Fauna has been found!Please consider donating to help the family with travels to Wyoming - https://t.co/Gx5nzBfmkQ
— Cincinnati Choir (@cincinnatichoir) August 6, 2016
Jackson was found in the park early Saturday morning approximately 4 miles from the place where she was last seen. She was not hurt.
That's where the case took a curious turn: officials said Jackson altered her appearance by cutting and dying her hair and changing her clothes, and she ran when law enforcement officials spotted her.
The county sheriff has been holding her in protective custody.
The search for Jackson started last Thursday morning when she went missing from a group called Groundwork USA. They were in the park doing a service project.
An expensive search was conducted involving more than 100 people, including search and rescue, the civil air patrol, sheriff's deputies, and volunteers. A park spokeswoman said normally the park and local emergency services will cover costs, but in this case they have not determined who will cover them. She said in rare cases the park has asked for reimbursement.
Jackson's stepfather tells us their family is overjoyed that she is safe. He also denied that she changed her hair.
