SMYTH COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — After weeks of searching, police have located 14-year-old Hayleigh Wilson and convicted sex offender Benjamin Shook in Virginia.
Wilson and Shook were located in Smyth County by the U.S. Marshals Service. An AMBER alert that had been issued for Wilson has officially been canceled.
A press conference was held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday that released details about this case.
Authorities say Shook and Wilson stopped to take a shower and that’s when a lady spotted them both and called police.
Shook and Wilson would travel after dark, staying close to the woodline. They were living off of the land.
Wilson went missing in Tennessee in June and was last seen in Virginia on July 1. Shook has a lengthy criminal history that includes nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
The U.S. Marshal says Wilson is safe and appears to be unharmed. Officials say doctors are examining Wilson as a precaution.
Stay with 8News for more information on this developing story as it becomes available.
