Search for missing Schenectady 14-year-old Samantha Humphrey continues Wed.; 'Extremely active,' police say

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

Left: Samantha Humphrey; Right: A New York State Police dive boat participating in the river part of the search Wednesday

Share on Facebook

Save

SCHENECTADY – The search for missing Schenectady 14-year-old Samantha Humphrey continued Wednesday, five days after she was last seen in the city’s Riverside Park in the Stockade neighborhood, police said.

Police Wednesday called the search “ongoing and extremely active” and continued to ask that anyone with information contact investigators at 518-630-0911.

“As always, we ask the community to call with any information that will lead to the safe finding of Samantha,” police wrote in a release. “Additionally, we are asking the community to avoid any speculation via social media or other outlets.”

Police also indicated that “due to the location of where Samantha was last seen,” they have conducted searches using the New York State Police Aviation Unit, its dive team and the city police drone unit.

A unit from the New York State Police Underwater Recovery team could be seen scouring the Mohawk River behind the Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady on Wednesday afternoon as the search continued.

The boat traversed the river shortly after 2 p.m., with police divers submerged in the water as yellow police tape blocked the pedestrian path behind the casino down to the shore.

The unit has been diving since Monday and has been searching the water during almost all daylight hours for the past three days, city police spokesman Sgt. Patrick Irwin said later Wednesday.

GAZETTE COVERAGE

Ensure access to everything we do, today and every day, check out our subscribe page at DailyGazette.com/Subscribe

Authorities have also used K9 units from both city and state police.

“We have received numerous tips and leads that we continue to investigate and follow up on,” the police release said. “We are working around the clock to find Samantha and bring her home; this remains a missing persons case.”

The release Wednesday did not reference a social media post of a coat that has been circulating online. Police Tuesday morning took to Facebook to identify the origin of that photo and indicated a short time later that the origin had been found.

The 14-year-old was last seen Friday night at about 11:30 p.m. in the area of Riverside Park in the Stockade neighborhood, police said.

She is described as 4 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing 95 pounds. She has black hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a black and pink puffy jacket, bell bottom jeans and tan Timberland boots.

Gazette reporter Ted Remsnyder contributed to this article.

Also 12/1/22: Schenectady Police ask for help finding teen Hajile Howard; No reason to believe in danger, police say