Case Files: Teen in foster care vanishes from group home

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - It was the morning of October 13, 2021, when Toledo Police received a call about a missing person.

According to a report, 15-year-old Michael Chappell was living in a group home on Mount Vernon in Toledo with six other boys. He was last seen going to bed, but when the worker in the home went to wake the children up the next morning, Michael was missing.

Police have no photo of the child and a year later his whereabouts are still unknown. Officers say the bedroom window was open and it’s assumed that he jumped from the second story and took off.

Michael disappeared without a trace. Police indicate the teen was attending Scott High School at the time and had no history of running away and no known problems leading up to him running away.

Chappell was originally from Defiance but was placed in the group home in Toledo. So who’s responsible for the child? 13abc reached out to the State of Ohio and Children’s Services to find out.

Representatives say Chappell’s caseworkers are based out of Hancock County. Members of the Hancock County Children’s Services say they are still actively looking for Chappell and have had contact with his family but they claim they don’t know where the teen is located.

Today, Chappell is considered AWOL. The Ohio Attorney General’s website lists him as missing with a brief description but that is it. More than a year later, there are more questions than answers about the teen who disappeared without a trace.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Michael Chappell, you can contact the ODJFS or a local police department.

If you have an unsolved case that needs attention, contact casefiles@13abc.com.

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